03/07/2024 - The Slovak project Lover Not a Fighter by Martina Buchelová and the Czech project Antonie by Rozálie Kohoutová have netted two awards each

Julie Marková Žáčková, Michaela Kaliská and Martina Buchelová, the producers and director of Lover, Not a Fighter, with the jury members (© Film Servis Karlovy Vary)

The Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (KVIFF) has once again brought together a diverse array of filmmakers and industry professionals for its industry platform, KVIFF Eastern Promises (see the news). Held at the Imperial Spa, this year's edition celebrated a rich selection of projects and awarded a total of €110,000 to standout films, underscoring the festival's commitment to bridging the gap between talented filmmakers and their potential co-production partners, festivals and audiences. The Works in Progress strand, which encompasses both fiction and documentary films, showcased 12 projects from Central and Eastern Europe, the Balkans, the former Soviet Union, the Middle East and North Africa. The Visual Post-production Award was presented to Amedspor, directed by Rezan Yesilbas. The film was commended for its portrayal of the intersection of sports and politics in modern-day Turkey, reflecting the Turkish-Kurdish conflict through the lens of a minor-league football team's struggle to reclaim its identity. The award includes a tailored post-production services package provided by UPP.

(The article continues below - Commercial information)

The Sound Post-production Award went to the Slovak project Lover, Not a Fighter, directed by Martina Buchelová (see the news). The jury praised it for its fresh and honest depiction of young love and the coming-of-age journey, describing it as a tender, cruel and crazy trip. The film will benefit from a tailored post-production services package provided by Soundsquare. Incidentally, Lover Not a Fighter is the first project to have won the Cineuropa Work-in-Progress Award at Febiofest Bratislava Industry Days (see the report). Buchelová’s project also got some love in the form of the KVIFF Eastern Promises – Marché du Film Producers Network Award, which it shared with Patryk Sielecki’s Anxiety of the Heart. Therefore, both projects are provided with the opportunity to participate in the Marché du Film and Producers Network during the next Cannes Film Festival.

The Works in Progress Award, accompanied by a €5,000 cash prize sponsored by Barrandov Studio, was awarded to Barbora Chalupová’s Virtual Girlfriends, which explores the lives of individuals in the Czech Republic who turn to the world's oldest profession in the digital age, delving into themes of identity, sexuality and performance in today's online and social marketplace. The KVIFF Eastern Promises platform also highlighted works in development through its Feature Launch and Intensive Queer programmes, in partnership with the MIDPOINT script and project development programme. The €10,000 MIDPOINT & KVIFF Development Award was granted to Klára Is Here, directed and written by Dávid Csicskár, following the story of a man's quest for happiness amidst a heartbreaking reality, capturing the tragedy of letting go of love and the bravery to start over at any age. The Eurimages Co-production Development Award, worth €20,000, was awarded to Rozálie Kohoutová’s Antonie. The jury praised the film for challenging conventional ideas about parenthood with humour and heart, motivating audiences to rethink societal norms. Antonie also netted the Rotterdam Lab Award, which means that the film’s producer, Martina Knoblochová, will participate in the Rotterdam Lab professional training programme for producers at International Film Festival Rotterdam. Additionally, the coming-of-age drama Eli and Them by Petr Pylypčuk received the Connecting Cottbus Award, providing the team with the opportunity to pitch at the East-West co-production market during the Film Festival Cottbus.

Here is the full list of award winners:

Works in Progress Visual Post-production Award
Amedspor - Rezan Yesilbas (Turkey)
Producer: Ahmet Gurata (Rezfilm)

Works in Progress Sound Post-production Award
Lover, Not a Fighter - Martina Buchelová (Slovakia/Czech Republic)
Producers: Michaela Kaliská, Erika Paulinská (NINJA Film), Julie Marková Žáčková (Unit and Sofa Praha)

Works in Progress Award
Virtual Girlfriends - Barbora Chalupová (Czech Republic/Slovakia)
Producer: Pavla Klimešová (Helium Film)

MIDPOINT & KVIFF Development Award
Klára Is Here - Dávid Csicskár (Hungary)
Producer: Balázs Zachar (Proton Cinema Kft)

Eurimages Co-production Development Award
Antonie - Rozálie Kohoutová (Czech Republic)
Producer: Martina Knoblochová (Punk Film)

Connecting Cottbus Award
Eli and Them - Petr Pylypčuk (Czech Republic)
Producer: Kryštof Burda (Perfilm)

Rotterdam Lab Award
Antonie - Martina Knoblochová

KVIFF Talents Feature Pool Award
Inbetween Worlds - Diana Cam Van Nguyen (Czech Republic/Slovakia)
Producers: Karolína Davidová (13ka), Jakub Viktorín (nutprodukcia)

Letters to the Future - Myro Klochko (Czech Republic)
Producers: Marek Čermák, Karolína Fránková (Films & Chips)

Rusalka - Hana Neničková (Czech Republic)
Producer: TBA

KVIFF Talents Creative Pool Award
Casting - Terézia Halamová (Czech Republic)
Producer: Natália Pavlove (Other Stories)

Into the Endless Unknowns - Veronika Jelšíková (Czech Republic)
Producers: Veronika Jelšíková, Petr Vlček

Spectrum - Igor Smitka (Czech Republic)
Producer: Klára Mamojková (CLAW films)

First Cut+ Works in Progress Award
Numakage Public Swimming Pool - Shingo Ota (Japan)
Producer: Kyoko Takenaka
Special Mention
Mayflies - Emília Goldberg (Hungary/Slovakia)
Producers: Ferenc Pusztai, Linda Pfeiffer

KVIFF Eastern Promises – Marché du Film Producers Network Award
Lover, Not a Fighter - Martina Buchelová

Anxiety of the Heart - Patryk Sielecki (Poland)
Producer: Patryk Sielecki (Lumisenta Film Foundation)