Latest news with #LocarnoKidsAward
Yahoo
04-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Marcel Barelli to Get Locarno Kids Award, Annecy Winner ‘Arco' to Screen at Fest
Swiss-born director and designer Marcel Barelli will receive the Locarno Kids Award at the 78th edition of the Locarno Film Festival this summer. He will be awarded the honor, presented by la Mobiliare, on the evening of Tuesday, Aug. 12. During the festival, Barelli will present the Swiss premiere of Mary Anning, chasseuse de fossiles, his new animated film dedicated to the British paleontologist and fossil pioneer 'who revolutionized the discipline in the early decades of the 19th century.' More from The Hollywood Reporter Keanu Reeves to Host, Exec Produce Docuseries on the Birth of the Cadillac Formula 1 Team in the U.S. CNN's Fred Pleitgen on Reporting From Iran and What the Media Narrative Doesn't Capture Bob Vylan Addresses Glastonbury Controversy: "We Are Not for the Death of Jews" The fest also unveiled the lineup for this year's Locarno Kids Screenings, the section dedicated to younger audiences. The program includes Arco, a French animated feature about unexpected friendship and the fate of a world impacted by climate change that won the best film award at this year's Annecy film festival and counts Natalie Portman among its producers. 'Barelli has established himself as one of the most promising and original voices in Swiss and international animation cinema,' Locarno organizers said. 'In short films, such as Gypaetus helveticus (2011), Vigia (2013) – winner of the Pardino d'Argento at the 66th Locarno Film Festival, Lucens (2015), and Habitat (2016), Barelli has developed a unique poetic style sensitive to themes of environmental sustainability, exploring the deep relationship between humans, animals, and nature. In 2022, he received the Swiss Film Award for best animated film with Dans la nature (2021).' Said Giona A. Nazzaro, artistic director of the Locarno Film Festival: 'Marcel Barelli represents an idea of resistance to the conformism of emotions, which becomes a light and dreamy trait to outline a world to rethink and rebuild, returning it to human beings of all ages. According to Barelli, cinema and animation are made of the same material as the most precious and generous dreams.' The 78th edition of the Locarno festival takes place Aug. 6-16. Here is the lineup for the Locarno Kids Screenings 2025: Arco by Ugo Bienvenu – Opening Film Swiss Premiere Fantastique by Marjolijn Prins World Premiere Grevlingene (The Badgers) by Paul M. Lundø – Closing Film World Premiere io non ti lascio solo by Fabrizio Cattani World Premiere L'Olívia i el terratrèmol invisible (Olivia and the Invisible Earthquake) by Irene Iborra Rizo International Premiere Skrzat. Nowy początek (Pixie. The New Beginning) by Krzysztof Komander International Premiere Tichá pošta (Secret Delivery) by Ján Sebechlebský International Premiere Best of The Hollywood Reporter The 40 Best Films About the Immigrant Experience Wes Anderson's Movies Ranked From Worst to Best 13 of Tom Cruise's Most Jaw-Dropping Stunts
Yahoo
04-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Karlovy Vary's Krystof Mucha on Continuing the Legacy of Jiri Bartoska
The Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (KVIFF) may have lost a key figurehead due to the May death of legendary Czech actor and long-time fest president Jiří Bartoška. But its leadership and majority owner, Rockaway Arts, have vowed to 'preserve the values and level of quality that its president built up over the years.' Rockaway recently lauded the 'strong and stable team headed by executive director Kryštof Mucha, saying: 'The position of president will not be filled and will remain dedicated to Jiří Bartoška in memoriam.' More from The Hollywood Reporter Marcel Barelli to Get Locarno Kids Award, Annecy Winner 'Arco' to Screen at Fest Keanu Reeves to Host, Exec Produce Docuseries on the Birth of the Cadillac Formula 1 Team in the U.S. CNN's Fred Pleitgen on Reporting From Iran and What the Media Narrative Doesn't Capture Mucha, who joined the festival team in 1997 and has been its executive director since 2004, has also become chairman of the board of the KVIFF Group. Remaining on the festival's management team are artistic director Karel Och and head of production Petr Lintimer. 'For many years, I had the wonderful opportunity to work with Jiří Bartoška and to see how he thought and where he was taking the festival,' Mucha said after his promotion. 'I believe that, together with Karel Och and Petr Lintimer, we will succeed in continuing his legacy.' Ahead of this year's 59th edition of KVIFF, THR caught up with Mucha to discuss the legacy of Bartoška, how the festival's duties are now being divided up, its focus on continuity along with some new accents, and more. 'Mr. Bartoška was the biggest TV and film star in the '80s, and then a very important figure for the revolution in 1989 [that led to the fall of communism in Czechoslovakia] and very well connected to people like Miloš Forman and others,' Mucha tells THR. The executive worked closely with the legendary actor and festival president from 2000, 2001 and even more so once Mucha became executive director in 2004. 'He was focused on the positioning of the film festival in terms of the Czech environment, developing and bringing sponsors into the festival, support from the government, and from the city of Karlovy Vary,' he explains. 'He was the key person for all that. When he passed, I replaced him, but we said we are not going to have the festival president position anymore. That was the way he was running the film festival, and we felt that this was the right position for him, because as president, he was such a big figure.' That's why the fest has organized a tribute to Bartoška this year, with the fest's opening film We've Got to Frame It! (A Conversation With Jiří Bartoška in July 2021), along with screenings of an older film starring the legend, and an exhibition of large-scale photographs featuring him. 'It is a celebration of what this incredible person achieved,' says Mucha. 'It's not about one person, it's about a team,' adds Mucha of his working relationship with Och and Lintimer. 'We feel that's how it should be right now.' How will Mucha's role at the festival change? 'Jiří Bartoška was the one who was representing the festival and meeting the stars and other guests of the festival, but also when politicians came and important figures in this country. He was very natural at that and spent time with them,' he noted. 'That work is going to be quite a difference for me. Karel and I will do more of those things together. For example, when we have a guest getting an award, we will be the ones handing it to them.' Meanwhile, 'Petr, as the director of production, will be with me at events for the sponsors. So we will try to share these duties among us.' Having Mucha and Och attending big festivals, such as Cannes and Sundance, also has key benefits. 'Being there together means we can make decisions immediately. And it's great that you can have the artistic director and executive director doing these things together.' Evolution rather than revolution is what Mucha sees ahead for KVIFF. One such evolution is a recently unveiled tweaking of the industry program of the fest, which is adding a day this year, launching 'a sharpened focus on Central European co-production opportunities in an updated showcase format' called KVIFF Central Stage, and introducing a series incubator. 'Things are changing very fast in this industry,' says Mucha. 'We previously had a works-in-progress program. These days, it's different because right now, every single significant project already has sales, and people know about it.' A focus on co-production opportunities across Eastern and Central European countries, including Germany and Austria, seemed a natural fit. 'That's the territory where we feel we are a key player and want to be focused on this. It's something that could really be beneficial for all of us.' TV is also playing an expanded role this year, including the world premiere of Serbian miniseries Absolute 100 in the fest's Special Screenings section. Plus, Central European Media Enterprises (CME), which owns television businesses in Central and Eastern Europe, approached KVIFF about a possible broader collaboration in the industry program. 'So we talked about film and TV and decided this was a great time to start something new,' says Mucha. The result is the new Pop-Up Series Incubator featuring five original European series ideas. 'We are not going to be changing the program focus of the festival to TV,' highlights Mucha. 'But if there is a quality movie coming from TV, we would love to screen it. There are no limits for us. So, again, it's natural. This is something new happening for the first time, and we hope that it is going to work and that it is going to have benefits. If these things work, perfect. We can then develop these things more.' All in all, Mucha says the troika in charge of KVIFF is experienced and ready to carry on the legacy of Bartoška while also continuing to innovate. Says Mucha: 'He was the one who often stood up front and dealt with the media and public. We were working together and with him, but more behind him. But we have been a significant part of the team for many, many years. So if people still feel that the festival will be hard to organize, I think that is to our advantage. People will see in Karlovy Vary that it will still look the same, but we will also remember Jiří Bartoška the right way. And it's going to be in a positive way.' Best of The Hollywood Reporter The 40 Best Films About the Immigrant Experience Wes Anderson's Movies Ranked From Worst to Best 13 of Tom Cruise's Most Jaw-Dropping Stunts
Yahoo
04-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘The Old Guard 2' Review: Charlize Theron and KiKi Layne Bring All the Right Moves, but Netflix Sequel Doesn't Have the Same Kick
A welcome surprise after months of COVID lockdown and upended release schedules, The Old Guard came along in 2020 to demonstrate that hard-charging action and emotionally textured drama need not be mutually exclusive. Its well-developed lead characters could handle themselves with MMA fight moves, knives, swords and Bronze Age axes. But they also had soulful interiority, their immortality sentencing them to existences of aching solitude and loss. Arriving five years later, Netflix's sequel has most of those elements, but it's missing the secret sauce — Gina Prince-Bythewood's commanding direction. Charlize Theron and KiKi Layne return as, respectively, the ancient — though still gorgeous, toned and nimble — warrior and the powerful fledgling immortal, along with a solid supporting cast that includes Marwan Kenzari and Luca Marinelli as Joe and Nicky, the gay couple whose relationship spans centuries. Joe's unabashed declaration of love and the passionate kiss they shared in the back of a truck full of macho armored thugs in the first movie was a gift to queer audiences starved for representation in superhero cinema. More from The Hollywood Reporter Karlovy Vary's Krystof Mucha on Continuing the Legacy of Jiri Bartoska Marcel Barelli to Get Locarno Kids Award, Annecy Winner 'Arco' to Screen at Fest Keanu Reeves to Host, Exec Produce Docuseries on the Birth of the Cadillac Formula 1 Team in the U.S. Again adapted by Greg Rucka from the graphic novel series he authored with illustrator Leandro Fernandez, this time working with co-writer Sarah L. Walker, the sequel obviously can't repeat the novelty of its predecessor. But the first film worked not just thanks to the dimensionality of the characters and the charismatic cast. It was also very much about the muscularity Prince-Bythewood brought to the physical action and the corresponding depth she instilled in the emotional beats. Victoria Mahoney, who has directed extensively on episodic television as well as second unit on Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, does a polished job and maintains a confident pace. But the sequel ultimately is more competent than thrilling, and its moments of pathos too seldom resonate. The last film ended with Andy (Theron) mysteriously losing her immortality; fellow soldier Booker (Matthias Schoenaerts) exiled for 100 years because of a betrayal; and CIA agent Copley (Chiwetel Ejiofor) switching sides, pledging to use his expertise to cover the group's tracks and steer them to wherever their services were needed. A coda six months later showed Booker drowning his sorrows in Paris, coming home to find Quynh (Veronica Van) in his apartment. That immortal was the beloved companion of Andy, way back when it was just the two of them, though the sequel again declines to address the implication that they were lovers. (Why the coyness? Did Netflix think two queer couples were too many?) Quynh was condemned for witchcraft 500 years earlier and buried alive at sea in an iron casket wrapped in chains. Her ability, like her fellow immortals, to regenerate every time she dies means she has been coming back to life and drowning again for five centuries. That gave Quynh ample time to feed her hatred for humanity and her rage at Andy, who had promised to be by her side until the end. She's fished out of the ocean and revealed gasping for breath in a brief prologue. The movie proper gets off to a promising start with its most exhilarating action set-piece, unfolding at a magnificent villa on the Croatian coast where a large arms deal is taking place. (In reality, it's a gorgeous piece of real-estate porn on Lake Como; the production was mostly shot in Italy.) While Nile (Layne) observes from a boat and Joe and Nicky distract some of the guards by speeding off in two vintage sportscars parked outside, Andy and Copley enter the mansion, where she conveniently finds a hefty sword hanging on the wall. Mahoney, cinematographer Barry Ackroyd, fight choreographer Georgi Manchev and the cast and stunt crew are all working at the top of their game here, with beatdown after beatdown, intercut with a pulse-racing car chase as Joe and Nicky are pursued by guards. The bravura sequence gets a fresh jolt when Nile abandons her lookout vessel and makes a spectacular entrance. Unfortunately, while there are plenty of kickass fight scenes to come, the sequel never quite regains the opening's explosive energy. But nor is it ever dull, meaning fans of the first movie will want to stay the course. When the protagonists regroup back at their safe house, Copley informs them that the dead man they believed to be the arms buyer was in fact just a conduit for an unidentified woman, seen in a CCTV photo awaiting facial recognition results. But Nile recognizes her from a dream in a library full of ancient tomes. That library is the result of many lifetimes of work by Andy's old friend Tuah (Henry Golding), who dropped out of soldiering to devote himself to documenting the immortals' place in history — the cause and effect of their exploits that Copley traced. Tuah reveals that several volumes of his work were stolen by a woman of many names, now going by Discord (Uma Thurman), an immortal whose existence predates even Andy's. They learn that Discord has spent five centuries living in the shadows, amassing untold wealth and power. She is now going after an even greater prize, using Quynh to get to Andy and Co. Rucka and Walker's script deftly fills in the blanks about the specific way an immortal can become mortal, which provides answers for Andy, as well as the revelation that the surrendered power can be bestowed on another. That leads to affecting developments once the disillusioned Booker is accepted back into the fold. Andy's brooding nature gets fresh fuel with the vengeful Quynh's re-emergence, but with Nile now more accepting of her mentorship, the rapport between those two women acquires a new warmth and humor. 'I'm mortal, but I'm not retired,' Andy deadpans when Nile shows concern about her state of mind. There's an electrifying fight scene, freighted with emotional baggage and guilt, after Andy tracks Quynh down in Rome and they duke it out in an alley with lots of fancy footwork. While there's no shortage of guns, knives and assorted other blades used in the clashes, the emphasis on physicality, on body against body, is a strength shared by both movies. Ditto the fact that, mortal or immortal, the characters feel the pain of their injuries. The hangout scenes once again are pleasurable, even if Kenzari and Marinelli are underutilized aside from their daredevilry in the early car chase. Nothing comes close to the swoony magic of their big moment in the first film, though it's sweet to watch them stagger off to bed together, with Joe playfully berating Nicky over his snoring when he's been drinking. But an intimate scene that appears to be building toward a kiss instead ends with them nuzzling foreheads. Boo! Still, the fact that these two have been spared much of the loneliness and sorrow suffered by their comrades because they have always had each other provides a tender note of queer affirmation. The climactic stretch, while it folds in some moving moments for Andy, becomes more routine once the action shifts to a Chinese-run secret nuclear facility in Indonesia, rigged with explosives. Everything points toward the inevitable smackdown between Andy and Discord — not to mention between Theron, whose fight skills have been on display not just in The Old Guard, but also in Mad Max: Fury Road and Atomic Blonde, and Thurman, immortalized as Black Mamba in the Kill Bill movies. But that anticipated face-off underwhelms. The cliffhanger ending clearly indicates a third movie in the planning, so maybe the filmmakers are saving their big guns for a final chapter. Whatever its shortcomings, The Old Guard 2 is a better-than-average original streaming feature — well acted by a highly capable cast, peppered with enough action to satisfy most appetites, and underscored with a melancholy vein of introspection about the conflicted roles of superheroes. Best of The Hollywood Reporter The 40 Best Films About the Immigrant Experience Wes Anderson's Movies Ranked From Worst to Best 13 of Tom Cruise's Most Jaw-Dropping Stunts
