Karlovy Vary announces 2010 line-up

Festival artistic director Eva Zaoralová today named four competition films in the official selection, each screening in international premiere:

Svěrák’s Kooky combines live action and animation to create a family adventure about an abandoned Teddy bear’s struggle to find his way home. Cast include the director’s father and frequent collaborator, Zdeněk Svěrák, and his son, Ondřej. Svěrák’s previous film, Empties, won the Karlovy Vary’s Audience Award in 2007 and Special Jury Mention. Kooky is produced by Jan Sverak Pictures and Portobello Pictures.

Also contending for the $30,000 Grand Prix is Olivier Coussemacq’s debut film, Sweet Evil. Pascal Greggory stars as a judge who receives an unexpected visit from a teenage girl, played by Anaïs Demoustier. Sweet Evil is produced by Local Films (France) with UMedia handling international sales.

Director Tomáš Mašín’s 3 Seasons in Hell is inspired by the life of Egon Bondy, one of Czechoslovakia’s best known writers. The film stars Kryštof Hádek as a poet whose licentious lifestyle is threatened by the 1948 communist takeover of Czechoslovakia. 3 Seasons in Hell is a co-production between Dawson Production (Czech Republic), Babelsberg Film (Germany) and Trigon Production (Slovakia).

Mother Theresa of Cats, director Paweł Sala’s feature debut, tells the story of a terrible crime within a seemingly normal family. The film features Filip Garbacz, who received a Special Jury Mention for his role in the film Piggies last year in Karlovy Vary. Mother Theresa of Cats is produced by Zespół Filmowy Rozwój (Poland).

Other titles announced today include three Czech films: Helena Třeštíková’s Katka, screening in the documentary competition; Jitka Rudolfová’s first feature, Dreamers, in the East of the West competition; and Jaroslav Fuit’s debut,Twosome, in the Forum of Independents.

Czech filmmaker Bohdan Sláma will serve on the festival’s international grand jury. Slovak-born director Juraj Herz will receive a Crystal Globe for Outstanding Artistic Contribution to World Cinema.

This year’s Karlovy Vary International Film Festival takes place July 2–10.