The Karlovy Range Worldwide Movie Competition (KVIFF) might have misplaced a key figurehead as a result of Might demise of legendary Czech actor and long-time fest president Jiří Bartoška. However its management and majority proprietor, Rockaway Arts, have vowed to “protect the values and degree of high quality that its president constructed up over time.”
Rockaway just lately lauded the “sturdy and steady staff headed by govt director Kryštof Mucha, saying: “The place of president won’t be stuffed and can stay devoted to Jiří Bartoška in memoriam.”
Mucha, who joined the competition staff in 1997 and has been its govt director since 2004, has additionally turn into chairman of the board of the KVIFF Group. Remaining on the competition’s administration staff are creative director Karel Och and head of manufacturing Petr Lintimer.
“For a few years, I had the fantastic alternative to work with Jiří Bartoška and to see how he thought and the place he was taking the competition,” Mucha stated after his promotion. “I imagine that, along with Karel Och and Petr Lintimer, we are going to reach persevering with his legacy.”
Forward of this 12 months’s 59th version of KVIFF, THR caught up with Mucha to debate the legacy of Bartoška, how the competition’s duties are actually being divided up, its deal with continuity together with some new accents, and extra.
“Mr. Bartoška was the largest TV and movie star within the ‘80s, after which an important determine for the revolution in 1989 [that led to the fall of communism in Czechoslovakia] and really properly linked to folks like Miloš Forman and others,” Mucha tells THR. The chief labored intently with the legendary actor and competition president from 2000, 2001 and much more so as soon as Mucha turned govt director in 2004.
“He was targeted on the positioning of the movie competition when it comes to the Czech surroundings, growing and bringing sponsors into the competition, help from the federal government, and from the town of Karlovy Range,” he explains. “He was the important thing individual for all that. When he handed, I changed him, however we stated we aren’t going to have the competition president place anymore. That was the best way he was working the movie competition, and we felt that this was the proper place for him, as a result of as president, he was such an enormous determine.”
That’s why the fest has organized a tribute to Bartoška this 12 months, with the fest’s opening movie We’ve Obtained to Body It! (A Dialog With Jiří Bartoška in July 2021), together with screenings of an older movie starring the legend, and an exhibition of large-scale pictures that includes him. “It’s a celebration of what this unbelievable individual achieved,” says Mucha.
“It’s not about one individual, it’s a few staff,” provides Mucha of his working relationship with Och and Lintimer. “We really feel that’s the way it ought to be proper now.”
How will Mucha’s position on the competition change? “Jiří Bartoška was the one who was representing the competition and assembly the celebs and different company of the competition, but in addition when politicians got here and vital figures on this nation. He was very pure at that and hung out with them,” he famous. “That work goes to be fairly a distinction for me. Karel and I’ll do extra of these issues collectively. For instance, when we’ve got a visitor getting an award, we would be the ones handing it to them.” In the meantime, “Petr, because the director of manufacturing, will probably be with me at occasions for the sponsors. So we are going to attempt to share these duties amongst us.”
Having Mucha and Och attending huge festivals, akin to Cannes and Sundance, additionally has key advantages. “Being there collectively means we are able to make choices instantly. And it’s nice you could have the creative director and govt director doing these items collectively.”
Evolution reasonably than revolution is what Mucha sees forward for KVIFF. One such evolution is a just lately unveiled tweaking of the business program of the fest, which is including a day this 12 months, launching “a sharpened deal with Central European co-production alternatives in an up to date showcase format” known as KVIFF Central Stage, and introducing a sequence incubator.
“Issues are altering very quick on this business,” says Mucha. “We beforehand had a works-in-progress program. As of late, it’s completely different as a result of proper now, each single vital venture already has gross sales, and folks find out about it.”
A deal with co-production alternatives throughout Japanese and Central European international locations, together with Germany and Austria, appeared a pure match. “That’s the territory the place we really feel we’re a key participant and need to be targeted on this. It’s one thing that would actually be useful for all of us.”
TV can be enjoying an expanded position this 12 months, together with the world premiere of Serbian miniseries Absolute 100 within the fest’s Particular Screenings part.
Plus, Central European Media Enterprises (CME), which owns tv companies in Central and Japanese Europe, approached KVIFF a few doable broader collaboration within the business program. “So we talked about movie and TV and determined this was a good time to start out one thing new,” says Mucha.
The result’s the brand new Pop-Up Collection Incubator that includes 5 authentic European sequence concepts. “We’re not going to be altering this system focus of the competition to TV,” highlights Mucha. “But when there’s a high quality film coming from TV, we might like to display it. There are not any limits for us. So, once more, it’s pure. That is one thing new occurring for the primary time, and we hope that it’ll work and that it’ll have advantages. If these items work, good. We are able to then develop these items extra.”
All in all, Mucha says the troika answerable for KVIFF is skilled and able to stick with it the legacy of Bartoška whereas additionally persevering with to innovate.
Says Mucha: “He was the one who typically stood up entrance and handled the media and public. We had been working collectively and with him, however extra behind him. However we’ve got been a major a part of the staff for a lot of, a few years. So if folks nonetheless really feel that the competition will probably be laborious to arrange, I believe that’s to our benefit. Individuals will see in Karlovy Range that it’s going to nonetheless look the identical, however we may even bear in mind Jiří Bartoška the proper manner. And it’s going to be in a constructive manner.”