59th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival to Honor Stellan Skarsgård, Vicky Krieps, Dakota Johnson and Peter Sarsgaard | Features

The Karlovy Vary International Film Festival will pay tribute to Stellan Skarsgård, Vicky Krieps, Dakota Johnson, and Peter Sarsgaard, welcoming the actors to personally present screenings of their recent films, festival organizers for the upcoming 59th edition announced Wednesday.

In addition, while 11 of the films screening in Karlovy Vary’s Crystal Globe main competition had been announced, a 12th and final film—from Iran, and previously kept secret to ensure the safety of its delegation—has been officially unveiled. “Bidad,” from director Soheil Beiraghi, centers on a young musician who sings in the streets, in defiance of religious laws that prohibit women in Iran from performing in public.

The film “was made as an independent production; otherwise, it would never have been approved by the censors because of its critical tone,” KVIFF organizers emphasized in a statement. “Even so, director Soheil Beiraghi was investigated by the authorities during filming. It was necessary to withhold announcement of the film’s inclusion in the festival’s program until he and the members of his crew could safely travel out of Iran. A few days ago, the festival team was overjoyed to hear that they were on their way.”

Stellan Skarsgård—previously a guest of the festival in 2002, to present István Szabó’s film “Taking Sides”—will be presented with the Crystal Globe for Outstanding Artistic Contribution to World Cinema. He will personally present a screening of “Sentimental Value,” which won the Grand Prix at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. Directed by Joachim Trier, the family drama centers on a celebrated director (Skarsgård) who seeks to make a film with his estranged daughter (Renate Reinsve). 

At the festival’s opening ceremony, Vicky Krieps will be honored with the KVIFF President’s Award. To mark the occasion, the festival will screen “Love Me Tender,” from director Anna Cazenave Cambet, in which a former lawyer (Krieps) navigates a custody battle over her son after coming out as a lesbian. The film premiered in the Un Certain Regard section at Cannes this year. 

Dakota Johnson, meanwhile, will be honored with the KVIFF President’s Award and attend the festival to present two of her latest films: recently released romantic drama “Materialists,” from Celine Song, and upcoming romantic comedy “Splitsville,” from Michael Angelo Covino. She will be presented with the award at a “Materialists” screening, closing out the festival’s opening weekend. 

Elsewhere, Peter Sarsgaard will also receive the KVIFF President’s Award at the festival’s opening ceremony. Though the actor was most recently seen in “September 5,” about a sports broadcasting crew that finds itself covering a hostage crisis involving Israeli athletes at the 1972 Munich Olympics, KVIFF will instead honor Sarsgaard with a screening of journalism drama “Shattered Glass,” in which the actor portrayed New Republic editor Charles Lane. 

Others invited as guests of the festival for the Crystal Globe competition include actress Camille Cottin (presenting the world premiere of “Out of Love”), director Bence Fliegauf (presenting the world premiere of “Jimmy Jaguar”), and director Max Walker-Silverman (presenting the international premiere of “Rebuilding”).  

Argentinian actor Nahuel Pérez Biscayart, who won Best Actor at KVIFF just over a decade ago for “All Yours,” returns to the festival with “Kill the Jockey,” directed by Luis Ortega. 

Hlynur Pálmason will be on hand to present “The Love That Remains,” while Sergei Loznitsa will personally introduce “Two Prosecutors,” both filmmakers having previously premiered their films at Cannes. Mstyslav Chernov, an Oscar winner for “20 Days in Mariupol,” will introduce his latest documentary, “2000 Metres to Andriivka,” and Michel Franco will present “Dreams,” a love story that premiered at this year’s Berlinale. Dea Kulumbegashvili will also present her second feature, “April,” which won the Special Jury Prize at the Venice Film Festival.

Jay Duplass, whose comedy “The Baltimorons” was an audience favorite at SXSW and the Chicago Critics Film Festival, will attend a screening of his film at KVIFF. Italian filmmaker Paolo Genovese will present “Madly,” his latest work, and Italian actor Valerio Mastandrea will present “Feeling Better,” which he directed and stars in. Finally, Mark Jenkin will be at KVIFF for the world premiere of his short film “I Saw the Face of God in the Jet Wash,” to be shown in the Imagina section.

One of the oldest film festivals in the world, and the most prestigious of its type in Eastern and Central Europe, the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (KVIFF) will hold its 59th edition on July 4-12 in the Czech Republic. The festival had previously announced that Michael Douglas will present a newly restored version of “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” on the occasion of its 50th anniversary, and the official selection for its two main competitions.

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