What's new in Odeon's this week : Thursday 30th June 2022.

The 56th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival kicks off on Friday 1st July and runs through until Saturday 9th July. The KVIFF is the largest film festival in the Czech Republic and the most prestigious such festival in Central and Eastern Europe. It is one of the oldest A-list film festivals (i.e., non-specialised festivals with a competition for feature-length fiction films), a category it shares with the festivals in Cannes, Berlin, Venice, San Sebastian, Moscow, Montreal, Shanghai, and Tokyo. Among filmmakers, buyers, distributors, sales agents, and journalists, KVIFF is considered the most important event in all of Central and Eastern Europe. 

Each year, the KVIFF presents some two hundred films from all around the world. Many of the films are exclusively shown at the festival, and except for films shown as part of retrospectives, all the presented works were made during the preceding year and are shown for the first time ever in the Czech Republic – many of them as World, International, or European Premieres.

 

The greatest focus is on the traditional programme sections – the Crystal Globe Competition, which is reserved for feature-length films shot during the previous season that have not been shown at any other festival in international competition, and the Proxima Competition section, an international competition which aims to complement the Crystal Globe Competition by celebrating contemporary cinema with a collection of forward-thinking and exciting discoveries shown exclusively as world or international premieres.

Those films in the Crystal Globe Competition which offers the US$25K to the winner of the Grand Prix Award - Crystal Globe, and US$15K for the Special Jury Prize plus Awards for Best Director, Best Actor and Best Actress, are as follows :-

* 'America' - from Israel, Germany and the Czech Republic and Directed by Ofir Raul Graizer.

* 'A Room of My Own' - from Georgia and Germany and Directed by Ioseb 'Soso' Bliadze.

* 'A Provincial Hospital' - from Bulgaria and Germany and Directed by Ilian Metev, Ivan Chertov and Zlatina Teneva.

* 'Fucking Bornholm' - from Poland and Directed by Anny Kazejak.

* 'The Borders of Love' - from Czech Republic and Poland and Directed by Tomasz Winski.

* 'Silence 6-9' - from Greece and Directed by Christos Passalis.

* 'The Ordinaries' - from Germany and Directed by Sophie Linnenbaum.

* 'The Word' - from Czech Republic, Slovak Republic and Poland and Directed by Beata Parkanova.

* 'Summer With Hope' - from Canada and Directed by Sadaf Foroughi.

* 'You Have to Come and See It' - from Spain and Directed by Jonas Trueba.

* 'A Far Shore' - from Japan and Directed by Masaaki Kudo.

* 'Vesper' - from Lithuania, France and Belgium and Directed by Kristina Buozyte and Bruno Samper.

Those films in the Proxima Competition which offers US$15K to the winner of the Proxima Grand Prix Award and US$10K to the Proxima Special Jury Award, are as follows :-

* 'And Then There Was Love . . . ' - from Czech Republic and Directed by Simon Holy.

* 'Horseplay' - from Argentina and Directed by Marco Berger.

* 'In Broad Daylight' - from Canada and Directed by Emmanuel Tardif.

* 'Like a Fish on the Moon' - from Iran and Directed by Dornaz Hajiha.

* 'Fools' - from Poland, Romania and Germany and Directed by Tomasz Wasilewski.

* 'Another Spring' - from Serbia and Qatar and Directed by Mladen Kovacevic.

* 'Piety' - from Spain and Argentina and Directed by Eduardo Casanova.

* 'Ramona' - from Spain and Directed by Andrea Bagney.

* 'The Uncle' - from Croatia and Serbia and Directed by David Kapac and Andrija Mardesic.

* 'Tinnitus' - from Brazil and Directed by Gregorio Graziosi.

* 'ART talent show' - from Czech Republic and Directed by Tomas Bojar and Adela Komrzy.

* 'Zoo Lock Down' - from Austria and Directed by Andreas Horvath.

In addition, KVIFF will bestow the Crystal Globe for Outstanding Artistic Contribution to World Cinema to be presented to Geoffrey Rush. The KVIFF President’s Award will be presented to Benicio del Toro. Both gentlemen will receive their awards during the festival’s closing ceremony on 9th July.

For all the news, views and goings-on at this years 56th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, you can go to the official website at : https://www.kviff.com/en/homepage

This week then to tempt you out to your local Odeon on a chilly mid-Winter evening, we have just three new movies coming your way, kicking off with a British drama about two lonely people who develop a deep connection for one another despite the lingering legacy of their previous relationships. This is followed by a French drama comedy in which a veteran seamstress working for a renowned Parisian fashion house takes a troubled young woman under her wing, before closing out the week with an Aussie action adventure that sees a new spin on an English folk hero, who when the Sheriff of Nottingham’s soldiers brutally attack his family, a young man named Robin vows bloody revenge on the men responsible.

Whatever your taste in big screen film entertainment is this week - be it any of the three latest release new films as Previewed below, or those doing the rounds currently on general release or as Reviewed and Previewed in previous Blog Posts here at Odeon Online, you are most welcome to share your movie going thoughts, opinions and observations by leaving your relevant, succinct and appropriate views in the Comments section below this or any other Post. We'd love to hear from you, and in the meantime, enjoy your big screen Odeon outing during the week ahead.

'ALI & AVA' (Rated M) - is a British drama film Written and Directed by Clio Barnard in her fourth feature film outing following her debut biographical drama documentary 'The Arbor' in 2010, 'The Selfish Giant' in 2013, and 'Dark River' in 2017. This film saw its World Premiere screening at the Cannes Film Festival in the Directors Fortnight section back in July 2021, and was released in the UK in early March  this year and has generated largely positive critical acclaim.

Both lonely for different reasons, Ali (Adeel Akhtar) and Ava (Claire Rushbrook) meet through their shared affection for Sofia (Ariana Bodorova)  the six year old child of Ali's Slovakian tenants, whom Ava teaches. Ali finds comfort in Ava's warmth and kindness and Ava finds Ali's complexity and sense of humour irresistible. Over a lunar month, sparks fly and a deep connection begins to grow. However, the legacy of Ava's past relationship and Ali's emotional turmoil at the breakdown of his marriage begins to overshadow their newfound passion. 

'HAUTE COUTURE' (Rated M) - this French drama comedy film is Co-Written and Directed by Sylvie Ohayon in only her second film making outing following 'Papa Was Not a Rolling Stone' in 2014. Here, Esther (Nathalie Baye) is approaching the end of her career as Head Seamstress at the Dior Avenue Montaigne workshop. One day, while travelling the Metro, she gets her handbag stolen by a 20 year old woman, Jade (Lyna Khoudri). Instead of calling the Police she decides to take care of Jade. She sees in her the opportunity to pass on her skills, the craft of dressmaking, her only wealth. In the frenetic world of Haute Couture, Esther will give Jade la beaute du geste, a way to reach beyond herself. The film saw its release in its native France in early November last year and only now does it get a release in Australia. 

'THE SIEGE OF ROBIN HOOD' (Rated MA15+) - is an Australian action adventure fantasy film Co-Written for the screen, Co-Produced, Directed, Edited and starring Paul Allica in his feature film making debut having Directed his first and only short film of eight minutes duration in 2014 with 'Confinement'. Here then, after the merciless Sheriff of Nottingham (David Macrae) orders a brutal attack on his family, a young man named Robin (Paul Allica) swears bloody revenge on the men responsible, vowing to restore freedom to those trapped under the realm's oppressive rule. Advised and mentored by the reclusive magician Merlin (Tom McCathie), Robin and his right-hand man Lancelot (Dave Beamish) recruit a team of outcasts, mavericks, and fugitive warriors, each has a grudge to settle with the Sheriff and an extreme fighting skill to match. Together they devise a plan to rally the villagers for an explosive all-out assault on the Crown’s castle. The film saw its release in the US in early June, and now goes on limited release in Australia having garnered largely negative Reviews.

With three new release movie offerings this week to tempt you out to your local Odeon, remember to share your movie going thoughts with your other like minded cinephile friends afterwards here at Odeon Online. In the meantime, I'll see you sometime somewhere at your local Odeon in the coming week.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-