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KARLOVY VARY 2017 Industry

Karlovy Vary introduces promising projects in progress from Central and Eastern Europe

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- KARLOVY VARY 2017: Slovakian filmmaker Peter Kerekes has received the Works in Progress prize for his latest project, Censor

Karlovy Vary introduces promising projects in progress from Central and Eastern Europe
The winning project, Censor by Peter Kerekes

Traditionally, with Works in Progress, the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival has introduced a fresh batch of projects from Central and Eastern Europe that are at the post-production stage yet still lack international sales agents. In order to support the region’s cinema and to help the projects with the early days of their distribution, the festival awards the most promising project with a package of post-production services worth €100,000. Last year, the top honour was netted by Sofia Exarchou’s feature debut, Park [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Sofia Exarchou
film profile
]
 (read the news).

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Among this year’s selected projects is the docudrama Censor, the latest film by successful Slovakian documentarian Peter Kerekes, co-written with Ivan Ostrochovský. Based on meticulous research, the story follows the tragicomic micro love stories of prisoners, through the protagonist, Irina Alexandrovna, a censor in Odessa prison. The producers of the movie, lensed by Martin Kollár, are seeking a third co-producer and an international sales agent, while eyeing July 2018 for the release.

György Pálfi came to Karlovy Vary with For Ever, set in a post-apocalyptic Hungarian village, where the hero must survive savages and war, amidst a love triangle. Pálfi needs a couple more days to shoot the remaining parts, and the producer is open to working with partners who could help with the airport scenes in order to finish the project by November 2018.

Producers Olena Yershova and Irakli Rodonaya brought along the dramedy Brighton 4, the third feature by Levan Koguashvili, hailed as part of a new wave of modern Georgian cinema. The project, budgeted at €1.2 million, was shot in Tbilisi, and three weeks of the remaining shoot will be carried out in New York in late autumn. Phedon Papamichael, of Nebraska and The Million Dollar Hotel, is attached as the DoP on this drama about a Georgian former wrestler who travels to Brooklyn to save his son from gambling debt. The expected release date is April 2018.

Alternative filmmaker Bodo Kox, an icon of Polish “off-cinema”, is working on his time-travel project The Man with the Magic Box. The Polish-Italian co-producers aim to finish the film in September 2017, though they are still missing €80,000 and a sales agent. The producers are planning to tour genre festivals.

Also in the editing room is the Cypriot-Greek debut feature-length outing by Tonia MishialiPause [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Tonia Mishiali
film profile
]
, “a female-driven film produced with a crew that features a significant female participation in most key positions”. Pause addresses the topic of decadent relationships in an oppressive marriage as well as female desires. The producers are still looking for funds to complete the remaining post-production and music composition, whilst also seeking a sales agent and distribution.

The top honour was awarded to Peter Kerekes and his project Censor, for “its original and vivid human portrait of a lonely woman”.

The selected projects for Works in Progress@KVIFF were as follows:

Brighton 4 – Levan Koguashvili (Georgia/Bulgaria)
Producers: Levan Koguashvili, Olena Yershova, Irakli Rodonaya (Kino Iberica/Tato Film)

Censor – Peter Kerekes (Slovakia)
Producer: Peter Kerekes (Peter Kerekes Film/Hypermarket Film)

For Ever – Györgi Pálfi (Hungary)
Producer: Ferenc Pusztai (KMH Film Kft)

The Man with the Magic Box – Bodo Kox (Poland)
Producers: Izabela IgelRoman Jarosz (Alter Ego Pictures)

Pause [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Tonia Mishiali
film profile
]
Tonia Mishiali (Cyprus/Greece)
Producers: Stelana Kliris, Tonia Mishiali, Andros Achilleos (AB Seahorse Film Productions/Soul Productions)
Co-producer: Ioanna Soultani

Tower. A Bright Day [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Jagoda Szelc
film profile
]
Jagoda Szelc (Poland)
Producer: Marcin Malatynski (Indeks Film Studio)

Volcano [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Roman Bondarchuk
film profile
]
Roman Bondarchuk (Ukraine/Germany)
Producer: Olena Yeshova (Tato Film/elemag pictures GmbH)

Witness to Murder – Dmitry Mamuliya (Georgia/Russia)
Producers: Suliko TsulukidzeMikhail KarasevTamara Nikishina (Kinokult Ltd/Milimeter Films)

Out of competition

The River [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Emir Baigazin
film profile
]
 –
Emir Baigazin (Kazakhstan)
Producers: Emir Baigazin, Aigerim Satybaldiyeva (Emir Baigazin Production)

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