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| Blaga's Lessons Photo: Courtesy of KVIFF |
The main prize at the 57th edition of the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival has been awarded to a Bulgarian-German production Blaga’s Lessons, directed by Stephan Komandarev.
The film, a riveting social thriller in which a widow takes matters into her own hands after falling victim to a telephone scammer, received Grand Prix Crystal Globe. Eli Skorcheva was named best actress for her role in the film.
Blaga’s Lessons was also the choice of the Ecumenical Jury who have it their grand prize.
The special jury prize has won by Empty Nets, directed by Behrooz Karamizade, and is an Iranian-German co-production.The powerful drama deals with the economic realities of life for young people in Iran through the tale of a waiter who loses his job and his forced to take an arduous alternative as a fisherman.
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| Fremont Photo: Courtesy of Sundance Institute |
The best director award has been scooped by London-based Iranian filmmaker Babak Jalali for Fremont which will close next month’s Edinburgh International Film Festival. Anaita Wali Zada stars as a refugee trying to find her feet in a strange new world.
Herbert Nodrum was named best actor for his performance in The Hypnosis which also won the Fipresci award from international film critics. The film also nabbed the Europa Cinemas Label Award and a best film nod from the International critics Fipresci.
Dancing On The Edge Of The Volcano a highly original documentary by Cyril Aris' documentary about travails of a production company trying to make a movie in Lebanon, beset by obstacles in the wake of the devastating 2020 Port of Beirut explosion, received a special jury mention.
Vincent Perez’s swashbuckler The Edge Of The Blade proved a popular choice with spectators who voted it top for the Audience Award.
In the Proxima competition prizes went to Birth, directed by South Korean You Ji-Young (the Grand Prix), Guras, directed by India’s Saurav Rai Special Jury Prize) while Brutal Heat by Albert Hospodářský received a Special Jury Mention for the Czech/Slovak production.
The Ecumenical Jury was also impressed by Citizen Saint (directed by: Tinatin Kajrishvili Georgia, France, Bulgaria)
In the Proxima Competition Fipresci gave a best film award to Imago, directed by Olga Chajdas.
During the closing ceremony actress Robin Wright received the President’s Award. She said: “It is great to be doing something you love and being able to keep doing it for so long. I have been in this business for 40 years. The Festival has a great team of people … they have been treating me like a queen.”
The organisers announced that the 57th edition was attended by 10,989 accredited visitors. Of that number 9085 had Festival Passes, 432 were filmmakers, 942 accredited film professionals, and 537 journalists. There were a total of 445 film screenings and total of 123,517 tickets were sold.
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| Robin Wright arrives for the closing ceremony of the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival Photo: Film Servis Karlovy Vary |
