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The Karlovy Vary International Film Festival’s Industry Office has unveiled films selected for this year’s new Kviff Central Stage showcase. The 14 projects from 8 different Central European countries, which are at various stages of development and seeking co-production and financing opportunities, include projects from established filmmakers such as Andreas Horvath, Nader Saeivar and László Csuja.

The projects will be showcased at Kviff through interactive conversations about the filmmakers’ career paths and co-production possibilities across participating countries. Additionally, the projects will gain access to exclusive post-production advantages through a partnership with studios Upp and Soundsquare, while also being eligible for the €20,000 Eurimages Co-Production Development Award.

Films that meet the criteria for the Czech Audiovisual Fund’s 35% digital production incentive will secure an additional 15% direct reduction on comprehensive audio-visual post-production services from both studios

“We introduced this new format to address a notable gap in the Central European film landscape,” said Hugo Rosák,...

Karlovy Vary International Film Festival’s industry strand has unveiled 14 projects from Central Europe taking part its new co-production platform Central Stage.

The 14 projects include new work in development, production or post-production from filmmakers such as Andreas Horvath, Nader Saeivar and László Csuja.

Scroll down for ful list of projects

Iranian director Nader Saeivar brings the German-Turkish co-production Hijamat,which is edited by Palme d’Or winner and long-time collaborator Jafar Panahi. Saeivar won the audience award at Venice last year for Witness (2024) and best screenplay at Cannes for the Panahi-directed3 Faces. The film is now in production and seeking production and distribution partners.

The Karlovy Vary International Film Festival recently unveiled a sharpened Central-European co-production focus for its rebranded Kviff Central Stage showcase. On Monday, the fest unveiled the 14 projects from eight different countries of Central Europe that will be featured at its 59th edition next month.

The movie projects seeking co-production and financing opportunities, sales, distribution or festival premieres come from “established filmmakers with extensive festival pedigrees,” including Iran’s Nader Saeivar (The Witness), who will be presenting a project that he wrote and directed, with Cannes Palme d’Or 2025 winner Jafar Panahi (It Was Just an Accident) editing it, an adaptation of Austrian author and playwright Thomas Bernhard’s novel The Lime Works by Austria’s Andreas Horvath (Lillian), and Hungary’s László Csuja (Gentle).

“The selected projects, which are currently in various stages of development, production or post-production, will be showcased through interactive conversations about the filmmakers’ career paths and...

One of Northern Europe’s leading festivals, the A-listed Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (also known as PÖFF) unspooling Nov. 8-24 in the Estonian capital, has unveiled its first features and inaugural documentary competition programs, each boasting an enticingly curated slate of 11 titles.

Among the seven world premieres selected for the First Feature strand are Germany’s “No Dogs Allowed” by student Academy Award nominated Steve Bache tackling the taboo subject of paedophilia in teen years; “Two of Me”, the humorous meta story of twin brothers dreaming to make it big in movies, helmed by Estonian twins “the Eskobros”; and “A Yard of Jackals”, Chilean thriller set during Pinochet’s dictatorship toplining Néstor Cantillana and Blanca Lewin from HBO’s “Fugitives” (“Prófugo”).

Programmer Triin Tramberg said the First Feature selection committee watched 250 films from 66 countries, picking those with the biggest sales and distribution potential.

“We don’t have industry people...

“The Witness,” premiering at the Venice Film Festival, has sold to Benelux (Edgy), France (Jour2fete) and No.mad Entertainment (Italy). The film’s German distributor is Missing Films as previously reported. The film, which is directed by Nader Saeivar, and co-written by Saeivar and Jafar Panahi, is debuting its trailer (below).

“I’ve been working with Jafar Panahi since 2017 and ‘3 Faces.’ He taught me it’s possible to make a good film with a small group of people, in secret. Perhaps this type of filmmaking was actually invented by Panahi himself?” wondered Saeivar. Repeatedly persecuted and arrested, Panahi was recently released from jail in 2023 after he went on hunger strike.

“I am proud he’s been by my side, like a teacher, in all three films I’ve made. I learnt not to be afraid, not to make excuses and just make movies.”

In “The Witness,” a retired dance teacher...

Kurdish workers drama and Rodrigo Plá’s A Monster With a Thousand Heads triumph at festival; industry prizes revealed.

Dust Cloth by Turkish director Ahu Öztürk and A Monster With a Thousand Heads by Mexican director Rodrigo Plá were among big winners at the Istanbul Film Festival.

Dust Cloth about two Kurdish cleaning ladies struggling to make ends meet in Istanbul took home the Golden Tulip Prize in the National Competition in a jury headed by Turkish actress Müjde Ar. The film also won awards for Best Actress for Asiye Cinçsoy and Best Screenplay.

The other big winner was Cold Of Kalandar, which won Best Director for Mustafa Kara, best cinematography by co-cinematographers Cavanhir Sahin and Kürsat Üresin, as well as Best actor, which was awarded to Haydar Sisman.

In the International Competition, presided over by Argentinean director Pablo Trapero, the Golden Tulip was awarded to Pla’s A Monster with a Thousand Heads. The sleek thriller...