The global film community is in a strange place and, frankly, that’s impacting everything. The advent of streaming giants hasn’t led to an increase of distribution for quality films as expected and in the U.S., at least, the industry is fretting over audiences only heading to their local multiplex for anything associated with a Disney or Marvel title card. The latter might be a bit of an exaggeration (or not), but it’s a tension that’s being felt pretty much everywhere. Including the world’s A-list film festivals. Case in point, Karlovy Vary.
As we’ll note, the 2019 Karlovy Vary Film Festival had a lot going for it. Starpower, anticipated world premieres and, as always, a good Cannes catch-up. But you can feel the uncertainty even at this festival an hour and a half outside of Prague. Sundance surprisingly is looking for a new head. Berlin is going after the Oscars with its own new creative director. Countries are jockeying for filming incentive dollars and getting pushback from some that don’t know if it’s worth it (FYI, South Africa is the new Czech Republic, Romania, Hungary these days). Probably nothing to worry about, right? Keeping that in mind…here are some other things that popped at this year’s fest.
Hollywood stars matter
Whether it’s Julianne Moore, Casey Affleck or Jaden Martell, talent that has made their fame and fortune in the Hollywood movie industry bring in the crowds. Moore was on hand to receive the Crystal Globe for Outstanding Artistic Contribution to World Cinema (their version of a lifetime achievement award). Affleck returned to the festival for the second time in three years to present his drama, “Light of My Life,” which debuted at the Berlin Film Festival in February. Martell was on hand to introduce two of his films, “The Adventures of Wolfboy” and “The Lodge.” Patricia Clarkson will also receive a Crystal Globe at the closing ceremony.
READ MORE: Jaeden Martell teases “It Chapter Two,” “Knives Out” and More [Karlovy Vary]
The HFPA continues to donate money to film preservation causes, will you give them credit?
Now former president of the HFPA Meher Tatna (she was termed out last week) was on hand for a screening of a restored print of Stanley Kubrick’s “Paths of the Glory.” The celebrated 1957 anti-war film is one of many classic or lost films the Hollywood Foreign Press Association have helped restore. You may scoff at their Golden Globes picks, but the organization has donated over $6.5 million to preservation organizations such as Cineteca di Bologna; Outfest and UCLA Film and Television Archive’s Outfest UCLA Legacy Project, IndieCollect and the Institut Lumière for the restoration of the second phase of the Lumière brothers one-minute short films. The festival hopes the screening of HFPA restored projects becomes an annual event.
The International Film Race (formerly known as Foreign Language Film) isn’t over yet
Bong Joon-ho’s Palme d’Or winner “Parasite” screened at Karlovy Vary and this is definitely one festival to keep taps on Oscar’s International Film Race. There are always a number of Eastern European world premieres here that end up becoming a country’s submission. This year Germany’s “Lara,” Belgium’s “Patrick,” Greece’s “The Father” and the Slovak Republic’s “Let There Be Light” could find themselves vying for the now 10-picture expanded shortlist. Moreover, buzz is circulating that this race may not be down to just “Parasite” or Pedro Almodovar’s “Pain and Glory” for the win. Pay attention to the expected Polish entry, Jan Komasa’s “Corpus Christi,” at Venice.
Generation Y still loves the movies…at least in Europe
Attendance at this year’s festival is basically flat (compare that to Sundance which is estimated to have dropped slightly this past year). Karlovy Vary is also a festival dominated by ticketgoers under 25. They often camp out in the nearby soccer stadium or come in from Prague for the first or second weekend. There is rarely a screening that isn’t full and the press and industry are almost always the “old guard” in town.
[Eastern] European filmmakers might be in a bit of a creative rut
After four years of seeing Eastern European filmmakers portray one moralistic drama after another (Judges! Scandal! Police!), it’s nice that some of them are getting a sense of humor. That being said, like the American indie film movement, there is still a lot of unnecessary repetition happening. These films were welcome at first, but like any genre it can get a bit old. So many films about families not getting along, parents dying (aka midlife crisis) and, a larger European theme the past few years, immigration or Eastern European characters taking temporary jobs in the West to make ends meet. Granted, the later is politically and socially important, but some of the storytelling could use a wee bit of a spark.
Look for more coverage from the 2019 Karlovy Vary Film Festival here.