Karlovy Vary announces competition lineup

by Theodore Schwinke

15/06/2011 - Europe dominates the program of the 46th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (July 1–9).

The Czech festival will open with Cary Fukunaga's Jane Eyre [trailer], featuring Judi Dench, this year's recipient of the Crystal Globe for Outstanding Artistic Contribution to World Cinema.

Eight European films are among the 12 titles contending in the main competition:

German director Christian Schwochow's Cracks In The Shell [trailer], screening in world premiere, focuses on an introverted, novice actress who creates a seductive, dangerous new identity.

Veteran Spanish director Montxo Armendáriz's Don't Be Afraid [trailer, film focus] is a heartbreaking tale of child abuse: A six-year-old girl's childhood ends when she is left at the mercy of her loving father.

Martin Šulík's Czech-Slovak co-production Gypsy, screening in world premiere, tells the story of a Roma boy who tries to overcome social isolation and prejudice.

Polish director Andrzej Barański's Heritage focuses on a young man who returns to his backwater village after being expelled from law school.

Andrea Molaioli's Italian-French co-production The Jewel [trailer] is a reconstruction of a financial scandal involving a major food processing company, inspired by the actual case of the dairy giant Parmalat.

German director Ziska Riemann's Lollipop Monster tells the story of two women whose friendship threatened by betrayal.

From France, Pascal Rabaté's Not for Sale Not for Rent [trailer] is an original comedy describing how ordinary people spend their weekend.

Also a world premiere, Birgitte Stærmose's Danish-Croatian co-production Room 304 [trailer] takes place over the course of three days in a Copenhagen hotel and revolves around a mysterious gunshot.

Karlovy Vary's East of the West competition selection features seven European films: Ahmed Imamović's Belvedere (Bosnia and Herzegovina); Wojtek Wawszczyk, Jakub Tarkowski and Tomasz Leśniak's George The Hedgehog (Poland); Željka Suková's Marija's Own (Croatia); Petr Marek's Nothing Against Nothing (Czech Republic); Vladimír Blaževski's Punk's Not Dead (Macedonia, Serbia); Ivan Vladimirov and Valery Yordanov's Sneakers (Bulgaria); Peter Krištúfek's Visible World (Slovakia).

The festival's Forum of Independents competition features four European titles — Sasha Matijević's He (Netherlands-Serbia), Mariken Halle's Maybe Tomorrow (Sweden), Andrew Haigh's Weekend (UK) and Jonathan Cenzual Burley's The Soul of Flies (Spain) — and three European co-productions: Man Without A Cell Phone (France-Palestine-Israel-Belgium-Qatar), The Pier (Ireland-US) and Stranger Things (US-UK).