The Karlovy Vary International Film Festival’s Eastern Promises industry strand has unveiled the winners of it’s project showcases, which took place at the fest from July 2-4.
This year’s edition presented 27 film projects that were screened across the festival’s three established programs: Works in Progress, Works in Development – Feature Launch, and First Cut+, competing for awards with a total value of 115,000 EUR.
In the Works in Progress sidebar, the post-production development prize went to filmmaker Klára Tasovská for her feature I Am Not Everything I Want to Be. The pic is produced by Lukáš Kokeš. The award consists of post-production services in UPP and Soundsquare.
Discussing the pic, the jury, featuring Esra Demirkiran, Festival Coordinator, TRT Sinema, Petr Tichý, CEO and Chairman of the Board of Directors, Barrandov Studio, Oscar Alonso, Festival Manager, Latido Films, Nadia Ben Rachid, Film Editor, and Agustina Chiarino, Producer, Bocacha Films, said the project was “exciting” and “all the story elements from the past resonate today and can definitely inspire everyone.”
The Works in Development award went to Egle Vertelyte for the feature Tasty (Lithuania, Estonia). The pic was produced by Lukas Trimonis. A cash prize of 5,000 EUR, sponsored by TRT Sinema, will be awarded to the project.
The jury said of the project: “For conveying in a culinary comedy a critical approach to today’s world, which praises the exaggerated packaging in daily life and social media, and presenting true friendship as the most delicious dish.”
Bikechess (Kazakhstan, France, Norway), directed by Assel Aushakimova and produced by Antoine Simkine, Almagul Tleukhanova, and Christian Fredrik Martin won the Works in Progress Karlovy Vary IFF Award. The project will receive a cash prize of 5,000 EUR, sponsored by Barrandov Studio.
The Works in Development Award — Feature Length, sponsored by MIDPOINT, Barrandov Studio, and KVIFF, was awarded to Flight from Kabul (Slovakia), directed and written by Sahraa Karimi and produced by Wanda Adamík Hrycová. The filmmakers will be handed 10,000 EUR cash prize for further development.
Discussing the pic, the jury, featuring Danijel Hočevar, Producer at Vertigo, Producer Mentor at MIDPOINT Feature Launch, Joseph Fahim, Film Critic, Programmer, Lecturer, Simone Baumann, Producer, Managing Director of German Films, said the film had a “bold vision, political audaciousness, and enterprising storytelling.”
“The Works in Development Award goes to a project that explores a people and place seldom seen on screen; ones that have been let down by Western politicians who stood idle as the powers of darkness ventured to ravage it in front of the apathetic, complacent eyes of the world,” the jury said.
In the same section, the Connecting Cottbus Award was won by Excavators (Cyprus), directed and written by Argyro Nicolaou and produced by Constantinos Nikiforou and Minos Papas. The project will be granted the opportunity to pitch at Connecting Cottbus, the East-West co-production market during the Film Festival Cottbus.
Allen Sunshine (Canada, USA), directed by Harley Chamandy and produced by Chantal Chamandy, picked up the First Cut+ award. The filmmakers will receive a 5,000 EUR cash prize from TRT Sinema. The Rotterdam Lab Award was picked up by Tomáš Pertold, producer of the film God Break Down the Door (Czech Republic). As part of the award, Pertold will participate in the Rotterdam Lab professional training program for producers, which takes place during the International Film Festival Rotterdam
