The 57th edition of the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (KVIFF, 30 June-8 July) – the largest film gathering in the Czech Republic – has revealed its diverse and genre-spanning competition selections. Karel Och, KVIFF's artistic director, noted: “For the programming team, getting acquainted with the state of this year's arthouse cinema scene has been an incredible adventure – one facilitated by almost 2,000 submissions. We are proud of our selection and simply cannot wait to share it with our audience.”

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The main competitive section of the festival, the Crystal Globe Competition, presents nine world premieres and two international ones, encompassing a diverse selection of both seasoned directors with major film-festival experience and debutants showcasing their talent. The Crystal Globe jury – which includes actress Patricia Clarkson; film producer Dora Bouchoucha; Sundance Film Festival director of Strategic Initiatives and senior programmer John Nein; Slovenian-born, Prague-based filmmaker Olmo Omerzu; and actor Barry Ward – will be deliberating over a range of titles. These include Itsaso Arana's debut film, The Girls Are Alright [+lire aussi :
critique
bande-annonce
interview : Itsaso Arana
fiche film], which celebrates female companionship and summer, adding a touch of magic; The Hypnosis [+lire aussi :
critique
bande-annonce
interview : Asta Kamma August
interview : Ernst De Geer
fiche film], a modern satire about social inhibitions and societal expectations from Swedish director Ernst De Geer; Where the Wind Blows [+lire aussi :
critique
bande-annonce
interview : Marco Righi
fiche film], a provocative interpretation of the New Testament by Italian director Marco Righi; Georgian director Tinatin Kajrishvili's satirical parable about faith and beliefs, Citizen Saint [+lire aussi :
critique
interview : Tinatin Kajrishvili
fiche film]; and Blaga's Lessons [+lire aussi :
critique
interview : Stephan Komandarev
fiche film] by Stephan Komandarev, a critique of the social situation in post-communist Bulgaria.

The Proxima Competition, inaugurated last year (see the news) as a replacement for the East of the West Competition, is set to welcome a variety of intriguing entries. They include Alexandru Solomon's Romanian documentary Arsenie. An Amazing Afterlife [+lire aussi :
critique
bande-annonce
interview : Alexandru Solomon
fiche film], offering colourful and humorous perspectives on contemporary society's faith in miracles amid global crises; Embryo Larva Butterfly [+lire aussi :
critique
bande-annonce
interview : Kyros Papavassiliou
fiche film] by Kyros Papavassiliou, an inventive exploration of time and relationships in a world questioning the linearity of time; Lost Children [+lire aussi :
critique
bande-annonce
interview : Michèle Jacob
fiche film], a Belgian psychological horror by Michèle Jacob; Keeping Mum [+lire aussi :
critique
bande-annonce
interview : Émilie Brisavoine
fiche film] by Emilie Brisavoine, an intimate exploration of a distinctive family dynamic and the complex relationship between a mother and her daughter; and Thomas Imbach's reflective video diary Say God Bye [+lire aussi :
critique
bande-annonce
interview : Thomas Imbach
fiche film], exploring his own career and his relationship with Jean-Luc Godard. The Proxima jury will be comprised of film critic Dana Linssen, film producer Marija Razgutė, documentary filmmaker Šimon Šafránek, author and researcher Barbara Wurm, and CEO of Rediance Meng Xie.

The forthcoming edition of KVIFF will host eight films in its Special Screenings section, showcasing a diverse range of topics, styles and genres. This selection, comprising five fiction features and three documentaries, is designed to complement KVIFF's official selection. Jean-Gabriel Périot's Facing Darkness [+lire aussi :
critique
interview : Jean-Gabriel Périot
fiche film] provides a raw account of the Sarajevo siege through archival footage and contemporary reflections; Luka Beradze wittily exposes the empty promises of populist politicians in Smiling Georgia [+lire aussi :
critique
interview : Luka Beradze
fiche film]; and Pier-Philippe Chevigny's debut film, Richelieu [+lire aussi :
critique
fiche film], delves into labour injustice.

Domestic cinema will once again be richly represented across all sections. Tomáš Klein will unveil his cinematic tale about love, fear of loneliness, and the father-son relationship, A Sensitive Person [+lire aussi :
critique
bande-annonce
interview : Tomáš Klein
fiche film], as a world premiere, alongside Matěj Chlupáček's detective drama We Have Never Been Modern [+lire aussi :
critique
bande-annonce
interview : Matěj Chlupáček et Miro Ši…
fiche film], in the main competition. The feature-length debut by Albert Hospodářský, Brutal Heat [+lire aussi :
critique
bande-annonce
interview : Albert Hospodářský
fiche film], will make an appearance in the Proxima Competition, paired with Olga Chajdas's Czech-co-produced sophomore feature, Imago [+lire aussi :
critique
interview : Olga Chajdas, Lena Góra
fiche film]. The long-awaited revival of Czech sci-fi, Restore Point (see the news), will be unveiled in the Special Screenings strand, accompanied by a loose adaptation of Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness, Snake Gas [+lire aussi :
critique
fiche film], and the chamber home-invasion horror She Came at Night [+lire aussi :
critique
interview : Tomáš Pavlíček et Jan Vejnar
fiche film].

Here is the full line-up of the competition sections:

Crystal Globe Competition

Red Rooms - Pascal Plante (Canada)
The Girls Are Alright [+lire aussi :
critique
bande-annonce
interview : Itsaso Arana
fiche film] - Itsaso Arana (Spain)
A Sensitive Person [+lire aussi :
critique
bande-annonce
interview : Tomáš Klein
fiche film] - Tomáš Klein (Czech Republic/Slovakia)
Dancing on the Edge of a Volcano [+lire aussi :
critique
bande-annonce
interview : Cyril Aris
fiche film] - Cyril Aris (Lebanon/Germany)
Fremont - Babak Jalali (USA)
The Hypnosis [+lire aussi :
critique
bande-annonce
interview : Asta Kamma August
interview : Ernst De Geer
fiche film] - Ernst De Geer (Sweden/Norway/France)
Where the Wind Blows [+lire aussi :
critique
bande-annonce
interview : Marco Righi
fiche film] - Marco Righi (Italy)
Citizen Saint [+lire aussi :
critique
interview : Tinatin Kajrishvili
fiche film] - Tinatin Kajrishvili (Georgia/France/Bulgaria)
Empty Nets [+lire aussi :
critique
bande-annonce
interview : Behrooz Karamizade
fiche film] - Behrooz Karamizade (Germany/Iran)
Blaga's Lessons [+lire aussi :
critique
interview : Stephan Komandarev
fiche film] - Stephan Komandarev (Bulgaria/Germany)
We Have Never Been Modern [+lire aussi :
critique
bande-annonce
interview : Matěj Chlupáček et Miro Ši…
fiche film] - Matěj Chlupáček (Czech Republic/Slovakia)

Proxima Competition

Arsenie. An Amazing Afterlife [+lire aussi :
critique
bande-annonce
interview : Alexandru Solomon
fiche film] - Alexandru Solomon (Romania/Luxembourg)
Birth - Ji-young Yoo (South Korea)
Brutal Heat [+lire aussi :
critique
bande-annonce
interview : Albert Hospodářský
fiche film] - Albert Hospodářský (Czech Republic/Slovakia)
The Song of the Auricanturi - Camila Rodríguez Triana (Colombia/Argentina)
Embryo Larva Butterfly [+lire aussi :
critique
bande-annonce
interview : Kyros Papavassiliou
fiche film] - Kyros Papavassiliou (Cyprus/Greece)
Lost Children [+lire aussi :
critique
bande-annonce
interview : Michèle Jacob
fiche film] - Michèle Jacob (Belgium)
Guras - Saurav Rai (India/Nepal)
Imago [+lire aussi :
critique
interview : Olga Chajdas, Lena Góra
fiche film] - Olga Chajdas (Poland/Netherlands/Czech Republic)
In Camera [+lire aussi :
critique
interview : Naqqash Khalid
fiche film] - Naqqash Kahlid (UK)
Dark Matter - Karim Lakzadeh (Iran)
Keeping Mum [+lire aussi :
critique
bande-annonce
interview : Émilie Brisavoine
fiche film] - Emilie Brisavoine (France)
Say God Bye [+lire aussi :
critique
bande-annonce
interview : Thomas Imbach
fiche film] - Thomas Imbach (Switzerland)

Special Screenings

Restore Point [+lire aussi :
critique
bande-annonce
interview : Robert Hloz
fiche film] - Robert Hloz (Czech Republic/Slovakia/Poland/Serbia)
Facing Darkness [+lire aussi :
critique
interview : Jean-Gabriel Périot
fiche film] - Jean-Gabriel Périot (France/Switzerland/Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Smiling Georgia - Luka Beradze (Georgia/Germany)
Snake Gas [+lire aussi :
critique
fiche film] - David Jařab (Czech Republic/Slovakia/Romania)
She Came at Night [+lire aussi :
critique
interview : Tomáš Pavlíček et Jan Vejnar
fiche film] - Tomáš Pavlíček, Jan Vejnar (Czech Republic)
Richelieu [+lire aussi :
critique
fiche film] - Pier-Philippe Chevigny (Canada/France)
Slow [+lire aussi :
critique
bande-annonce
interview : Marija Kavtaradze
fiche film] - Marija Kavtaradze (Lithuania/Spain/Sweden)
All Men Become Brothers [+lire aussi :
critique
bande-annonce
fiche film] - Robert Kirchhoff (Slovakia/Czech Republic)