Latest news with #KVIFF
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Sky News' David Rhodes, Dow Jones CEO Talk AI 'Thugs,' Media's 'Big Mistakes,' U.S. Press Freedom
Media companies have made major mistakes in reacting to technological change in the past that must be avoided amid the rise of artificial intelligence. That was the message shared by David Rhodes, executive chairman of Sky News and the former CBS News president, and Almar Latour, CEO of Dow Jones and publisher of The Wall Street Journal, both part of News Corp, during an appearance at the Wall Street Journal CEO Council Summit in London on Wednesday. They spoke in a session, which was live-streamed and entitled 'Media, Machines, and Mayhem: Truth as a Competitive Advantage.' More from The Hollywood Reporter In 'Renovation,' a Young Woman Feels the Pressure to Settle and Be Successful (Exclusive KVIFF Trailer) Sheffield DocFest Opener 'Still Pushing Pineapples' Is a Road Movie About the Singer of Much-Maligned Black Lace Hit 'Agadoo' Dreaming of a Comeback Global TV Producers On Navigating Trump's Tariff Storm: "Ignore the Distractions" 'There is a failure of imagination' when it comes to a vision for AI, Rhodes argued. 'Right now, we talk about generative AI and talk about answers to prompts, and we think only about text. But what's really important to us is to be a design partner with all of the firms … on what it looks like when something much more compelling happens, which is when these models come for video. We do want that design partnership.' Of course, the appropriate business and financial models for AI companies to use media content remains a key focus and issue of debate. Various media companies have struck licensing deals with one AI company while suing another. 'We also want to advocate for good terms of trade, for how our information, how our results turn up in answers to those prompts,' Rhodes highlighted in that context. 'We need to not repeat what were the errors of the news media in approaching Web 1.0 and even Web 2.0 and social media, where big mistakes were made.' Latour echoed that when sharing his company's approach to AI. Dow Jones has struck a licensing deal with OpenAI, but it sued Perplexity AI. 'We want a commercial arrangement with all the AI platforms. That's the foundation of it. Information has value, and we need to, through a market mechanism, arrive at that value,' he emphasized. Highlighting that Dow Jones spends $1.7 billion every year 'to perform the little miracle that is the Wall Street Journal and all of our other information,' he highlighted that nobody can expect to 'take all of your productivity from this year… give it away for free, move it into the AI machine,' and take 130 years worth of archives without appropriate pay. 'We're not going to let that happen. We need fair value for that, or otherwise, there's not going to be any news,' the CEO concluded. He didn't mince words in his follow-up comments. 'So we want to strike commercial arrangements. If you do not agree to that, you are a thug, and we'll come after you like a common thief,' Latour shared. 'We will see you in court, and we will argue our case. And that may sound belligerent, but it is a necessity.' Rhodes on Wednesday didn't comment on the litigation brought by U.S. President Donald Trump against CBS News over how 60 Minutes edited his former opponent Kamala Harris' answer to a question. The two sides have been in mediation talks to try and resolve the suit, with Paramount reportedly to have offered $15 million to resolve the suit. The Federal Communications Commission is also reviewing the interview via its 'news distortion' purview while also reviewing CBS parent Paramount Global's deal to sell to Skydance Media. So, is there press freedom in the United States right now? 'Yes, there is press freedom,' replied Latour. 'I get asked this question all the time, particularly when I'm traveling abroad. Our journalists can freely report, and our opinion writers are free to share their free markets, free people philosophy richly.' He continued: 'There is a free debate. The President, of course, and the administration is free to respond to that, and the decibel level has gone up. But I think there should not be hysteria.' Concluded Latour: 'The tension between an administration and established media, or other media, is common. We got clobbered when the Wall Street Journal did a front-page story on President Biden's cognitive decline, and that was not very comfortable. The decibel level has definitely gone up.' That conclusion wrapped up the session. 'In a world where seemingly every voice has a platform, where narratives can make or break a business, and where public trust in corporations and institutions has rapidly eroded, the mission of global news organizations has never been more vital – or more complex,' its description said. Best of The Hollywood Reporter How the Warner Brothers Got Their Film Business Started Meet the World Builders: Hollywood's Top Physical Production Executives of 2023 Men in Blazers, Hollywood's Favorite Soccer Podcast, Aims for a Global Empire
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Kelsey Grammer Boards ‘Hell Ride'; Karlovy Vary Names Chair; Tarf Enters Theatrical Distribution; ITV Soap Boss Retiring
Kelsey Grammer To Lead Theme Park Thriller 'Hell Ride' From Frasier to rollercoaster. Kelsey Grammer will lead Hell Ride, an upcoming theme park thriller from Altitude. Directed by Magnus Martens (SAS: Red Notice) and written by Altitude joint CEO Andy Mayson (No Way Up), the film is billed as a 'white-knuckle survival thriller' that follows a group of high school seniors who break into an abandoned theme park for one final wild night, only to find their night spiralling into a nightmare. Mayson, Molly Conners (Triple 9) and Amanda Bowers (Riff Raff) are producing and Altitude is introducing it to buyers in Cannes. Pic reunites Grammer with part of the creative team he worked with at another upcoming thriller, Turbulence, and some of the VFX team from that pic and No Way Up will work on Hell Ride as well. Grammer is represented by UTA and Vault Entertainment. More from Deadline ITV For Sale: Behind The Headlines Of A Deal That Everyone And No One Is Talking About Samuel L. Jackson, Eva Green & Maria Pedraza To Star In Thriller 'Just Play Dead' - Cannes Market Elizabeth Olsen Joins Kristen Stewart & Oscar Isaac In Hedonistic '80s Vampire Thriller 'Flesh Of The Gods' - Cannes Market Krystof Mucha Named Karlovy Vary Film Fest Chair Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (KVIFF) has named Kryštof Mucha as its Chairman, and will leave the President position the late Jiří Bartoška held in memoriam. Bartoška passed away earlier this month aged 78. Mucha, who joined KVIFF in 1997, has been its Executive Director since 2004. 'Despite the very sad fact that the world of culture has lost one of its most important personalities, we want to assure the public that the Karlovy Vary festival will continue to possess the level of quality that Jiří Bartoška and his team have always given it,' said Jan Jírovec, Head of the Rockaway Arts group that majority owns KVIFF. Remaining on. Mucha's team will be 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,' said Mucha. 'I believe that, together with Karel Och and Petr Lintimer, we will succeed in continuing his legacy.' Tarf Media Pushes Into Irish Theatrical Distribution EXCLUSIVE: Ireland's Tarf Media is pushing into local theatrical distribution. The film sales company told Deadline it is now offering a 'complete end-to-end distribution package from theatrical in Ireland to international sales and streaming.' Tarf founder Eoghan Burke is working with Anna Lavery PR and Distribution to bring films to Irish cinemas, while continuing to act as a sales agent. Dublin-based Tarf is known for handling international rights on films such as Cocaine Werewolf and A Dickens of a Christmas. Before last year's Cannes, Tarf struck a partnership deal with Good Deed Entertainment. ITV Soap Supremo John Whiston Retiring John Whiston, the ITV exec who has overseen the UK network's flagship soaps, is retiring after 27 years. In his most recent role as Managing Director of Continuing Drama and Head of ITV in the North, the long-serving exec has led editorially and commercially on Coronation Street and Emmerdale, both of which still command audiences of millions each evening. He also oversaw ITV series such as including Vera, A Touch of Frost and Heartbeat. At the end of the month, he will hand over to Executive Producer for Continuing Drama Iain MacLeod, who is upped to Creative Director and Matt Cleary, who becomes COO of Continuing Drama, which keeping his current post as Director of Production for UK Scripted at ITV Studios. MacLeod will report to ITV Studios Managing Director Julian Bellamy. Whiston said: 'I've always said I've got the best job in TV. I used to say it privately in case ITV stopped paying me. It has been nothing short of an honour, as well as a blast, to work on the Soaps this last decade or so. We've had joy, we've had fun and we've had seasons in the Sun. We've also had misery and mayhem. We've had motorway crashes, tram crashes and floods. We've had stories which have squeezed your heart till tears came out of your eyes. And we've covered pretty much anything and everything that people have to face in their own lives and we've done that with care and humanity. And all that is down to the 600 or so people – the writers, crew, cast and editorial – who have kept the show on air and at an incredible quality day in day out. And it's them who have made my job ridiculously easy. Just don't tell ITV.' Best of Deadline Everything We Know About The 'Hunger Games: Sunrise On The Reaping' Movie So Far TV Show Book Adaptations Arriving In 2025 So Far Book-To-Movie Adaptations Coming Out In 2025
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Karlovy Vary Fest Sets Lineup, Competition Film From Iran to Be Unveiled Later for 'Safety of its Makers'
The Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (KVIFF) on Tuesday unveiled the lineup of the main competition and other sections for its 59th edition, including a competition movie from Iran whose title and creators will only be shared closer to the fest 'for the safety of its makers.' The fest in the Czech spa town, whose 2025 edition will be running July 4-12, also unveiled its competition jury, including Mexican producer Nicolás Celis (Alfonso Cuarón's Oscar-winning Roma) and Czech actor and director Jiří Mádl (Waves). More from The Hollywood Reporter 'The Real Housewives of London' Cast: Who's Starring in Glitzy Brit-Bound Installment? Pierce Brosnan Talks 'MobLand' Finale, James Bond and Who Sophie's Real Dad Is in 'Mamma Mia!' The Crawleys Are Off to the Races in First Trailer for 'Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale' The Crystal Globe competition this year includes Turkish filmmaker Gözde Kural's Cinema Jazireh, her second feature, about a woman who 'radically changes her identity' in 'Afghanistan under the brutal rule of the Taliban,' documentary Divia, which reminds us that nature suffers with war, through the lens of Russia's war against Ukraine, and Norwegian writer-director Nina Knag's Don't Call Me Mama, a drama about forbidden love. The competition program also includes Czech director Ondřej Provazník's psychological drama Broken Voices, about a 13-year-old female singer who gets the chance to become a member of a world-famous girls' choir but faces a 'clash of innocence and abusive authority, and The Visitor, the feature directorial debut of Lithuanian cinematographer and shorts director Vytautas Katkus about a new father in his mid-30s who leaves his family in Norway and travels to his native Lithuania to sell his parents' flat. Instead of rushing back to his young family to escape the deafening loneliness, he decides to stay. The competition further features the international premiere of Max Walker-Silverman's Rebuilding, which is set in his native Colorado and tells the story of the reticent Dusty (Josh O'Connor), whose ranch has burned down in a devastating wildfire, and Catalan director Pere Vilà Barceló's When a River Becomes the Sea, 'an uncompromising, introspective probe into the soul of a girl who is sexually abused.' KVIFF's Proxima competition program, which aims to put the spotlight on bold works by young filmmakers and renowned auteurs alike, features the likes of Davi Pretto's Future Future, set in a near future where the development of artificial intelligence has brought with it increasing neurological problems, and Daniel Vidal Toche's The Anatomy of the Horses, whose plot summary says: 'Defeated in combat, Ángel returns home to his village in a remote part of the Peruvian Andes. When he arrives, however, he finds the place has completely changed. What was the 18th century is now the present day. What has become of the ideals of the revolution he fought for?' The Proxima lineup also includes Paula Ďurinová's Action Item, an 'activist anatomy of burnout, set in Berlin,' and the Armenian crime drama Thus Spoke the Wind by director Maria Rigel, described as a 'cryptic, visually and aurally mesmerizing film, viewed through the eyes of a child forced to grow up too soon.' Ammar al-Beik's TrepaNation, filmed in a Syrian refugee camp that opened on the outskirts of Berlin in 2014. 'Visual artist and filmmaker Ammar al-Beik has a cubicle assigned to him for seven months and, in order to survive here, he has to film, document, and rebel against the conditions of life in exile, and also against the established rules of documentaries and features,' its synopsis reads. In its special screenings lineup, KVIFF will present the likes of the European premiere of Paul Andrew Williams' Dragonfly and the world premiere of The Czech Film Project, directed by Marek Novák and Mikuláš Novotný. 'At the 1982 Cannes Film Festival, Wim Wenders invited several of his esteemed colleagues to a hotel room, where he filmed their reflections on the future of film,' reads a synopsis for the movie. 'This exclusive documentary survey, Room 666, inspired two Czech producers to engage in a similar undertaking in collaboration with the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. During last year's festival, they thus invited around 30 Czech or Czech-based filmmakers from all generations and asked them 'what makes Czech film Czech?'' Also part of the special screenings section are the world premiere of Peter Bebjak's Duchoň, a portrait of singer Karol Duchoň who became a household name more than four decades ago and created the legacy of the 'Czechoslovak Tom Jones,' as well as the European premiere of Cherien Dabis' Palestinian displacement drama All That's Left of You, which debuted at Sundance and is about a Palestinian mother recounting the events that led her teenage son to confront Israeli soldiers at a protest. The official selection 'offers an exciting display of the diversity of contemporary arthouse cinema,' said KVIFF artistic director Karel Och. 'Answering exclusively to their artistic integrity, the filmmakers who have accepted the invitation to premiere their brand new works in Karlovy Vary fearlessly protect the right to challenge expectations, to disrupt stereotypes, and to win over hearts and minds with equal intensity. Disregarding budgetary constraints, these filmmakers from countries, such as Bangladesh, Lithuania, Norway, and Colombia, push the boundaries while keeping in mind the necessary connection between a film and its audience.' And he emphasized: 'The Karlovy Vary IFF has always addressed political issues through powerful individual stories, fully supporting artists and their freedom of expression. Today, we are announcing 11 titles from the usual dozen films in the Crystal Globe Competition. The remaining one comes from Iran; for the safety of its makers, it has been decided to postpone its announcement until closer to the festival.' Check out the full lineup for the 59th KVIFF, as well as its jury members below. CRYSTAL GLOBE COMPETITION Cinema Jazireh Director: Gözde Kural Turkey, Iran, Bulgaria, Romania, 2025, 124 min, world premiere Divia Director: Dmytro Hreshko Poland, Ukraine, Netherlands, USA, 2025, 79 min, world premiere Les Enfants vont bien / Out of Love Director: Nathan Ambrosioni France, 2025, 111 min, world premiere Jimmy Jaguar Director: Bence Fliegauf Hungary, 2025, 112 min, world premiere Quan un riu esdevé el mar / When a River Becomes the Sea Director: Pere Vilà Barceló Spain, 2025, 180 min, world premiere Raději zešílet v divočině / Better Go Mad in the Wild Director: Miro Remo Czech Republic, Slovak Republic, 2025, 77 min, world premiere Rebuilding Director: Max Walker-Silverman USA, 2025, 95 min, international premiere Sbormistr / Broken Voices Director: Ondřej Provazník Czech Republic, Slovak Republic, 2025, 104 min, world premiere Se meg / Don't Call Me Mama Director: Nina Knag Norway, 2025, 108 min, world premiere Svečias / The Visitor Director: Vytautas Katkus Lithuania, Norway, Sweden, 2025, 111 min, world premiere A Vida Luminosa / The Luminous Life Director: João Rosas Portugal, France, 2025, 99 min, international premiere PROXIMA COMPETITION La anatomía de los caballos / The Anatomy of the Horses Director: Daniel Vidal Toche Spain, Peru, Colombia, France, 2025, 106 min, world premiere Avant / Après / Before / After Director: Manoël Dupont Belgium, 2025, 80 min, world premiere Ayspes asatc qamin / Thus Spoke the Wind Director: Maria Rigel Armenia, 2025, 92 min, world premiere Balur Nogorite / Sand City Director: Mahde Hasan Bangladesh, 2024, 99 min, world premiere Forenses / Forensics Director: Federico Atehortúa Arteaga Colombia, 2024, 91 min, international premiere Futuro Futuro / Future Future Director: Davi Pretto Brazil, 2025, 86 min, world premiere Kako je ovde tako zeleno? / How Come It's All Green Out Here? Director: Nikola Ležaić Serbia, Croatia, Bulgaria, 2025, 114 min, world premiere Na druhé straně léta / The Other Side of Summer Director: Vojtěch Strakatý Czech Republic, Croatia, 2025, 85 min, world premiere Neplatené voľno / Action Item Director: Paula ĎurinováSlovak Republic, Czech Republic, Germany, 2025, 69 min, world premiere Regen fiel auf nichts Neues / Rain Fell On the Nothing New Director: Steffen Goldkamp Germany, 2025, 85 min, world premiere Renovacija / Renovation Director: Gabrielė Urbonaitė Lithuania, Latvia, Belgium, 2025, 90 min, world premiere TrepaNation Director: Ammar al-Beik Syria, Germany, France, 2025, 222 min, world premiere Vgainoun mesa ap ti Margo / They Come Out of Margo Director: Alexandros Voulgaris Greece, 2025, 91 min, world premiere SPECIAL SCREENINGS Dragonfly Director: Paul Andrew Williams United Kingdom, 2025, 98 min, European premiere Duchoň Director: Peter Bebjak Slovak Republic, Czech Republic, 2025, 99 min, world premiere Hore je nebo, v doline som ja / Promise, I'll Be Fine Director: Katarína Gramatová Slovak Republic, Czech Republic, 2024, 93 min, European premiere Illi baqi minnak / All That's Left of You Director: Cherien Dabis Germany, Cyprus, Palestine, Jordan, Greece, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, 2025, 145 min, European premiere Karavan / Caravan Director: Zuzana Kirchnerová Czech Republic, Slovak Republic, Italy, 2025, 102 min Letní škola, 2001 / Summer School, 2001 Director: Dužan Duong Czech Republic, Slovak Republic, 2025, 102 min, world premiere Projekt český film / The Czech Film Project Director: Marek Novák, Mikuláš Novotný Czech Republic, 2025, 83 min, world premiere A Second Life Director: Laurent Slama France, 2024, 74 min, European premiere Tehran, Kenarat / Tehran Another View Director: Ali Behrad Iran, United Kingdom, 2025, 92 min, European premiere CRYSTAL GLOBE JURY Nicolás Celis Mexican producer, his films include the Oscar-winning Roma (Alfonso Cuarón). One of Latin America's film industry key figures, he has also produced films by Tatiana Huezo, Amat Escalante and Jacques Audiard. Babak Jalali Filmmaker, screenwriter and producer whose second feature Radio Dreams won the Tiger Award at Rotterdam IFF in 2016. With Fremont he won Best Director at KVIFF 2023 and the John Cassavetes Award at the Independent Spirit Awards. Jessica Kiang Film critic, essayist and programmer with bylines in Variety, Sight & Sound, Criterion, Mubi, The New York Times, The LA Times, The Washington Post, Film Comment and Rolling Stone, among other outlets. She is now a member of the selection committee of the Berlinale. Jiří Mádl One of the Czech Republic's most popular actors, now also established as a writer and director. His third directorial effort Waves won the Audience Award at KVIFF 2024 and was shortlisted for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film. Tuva Novotny One of the most prominent and successful actresses in the Nordics today. She has worked with such filmmakers as Lars von Trier, Bent Hamer, Alex Garland and Tobias Lindholm. Her writing/directing debut premiered in San Sebastian IFF's Official Selection. PROXIMA JURY Yulia Evina Bhara Indonesian producer. Her films regularly appear on the programme of important festivals such as Cannes (Tiger Stripes or Renoir), Venice (Autobiography) and San Sebastian (Last Shadow at First Light). Noaz Deshe Romanian filmmaker living in Mexico. His first feature film White Shadow won Best Debut at Venice IFF in 2013. Last year KVIFF screened his Xoftex in the Crystal Globe Competition, where the film earned him a Special Jury Mention. Nelson Carlos De Los Santos Arias Dominican filmmaker. His debut Cocote won the Golden Leopard in the Signs of Life program at the Locarno IFF, while his latest film, Pepe, was selected for last year's Berlinale Competition, where it won a Silver Bear for best director. Jakub Felcman Czech screenwriter, festival organiser, film journalist, creative producer, director, trained plumber. He worked as a script editor on films by Jan Němec, Petr Václav, Radu Jude and Corneliu Porumboiu. Marissa Frobes An agent in the Media Finance department at leading entertainment and sports agency CAA, specializing in packaging and sales of independently financed films. She supported packaging or sales of projects including The Brutalist and Rebuilding (Crystal Globe Competition at this year's KVIFF), among many others. Best of The Hollywood Reporter 13 of Tom Cruise's Most Jaw-Dropping Stunts Hollywood Stars Who Are One Award Away From an EGOT 'The Goonies' Cast, Then and Now
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘Thus Spoke the Wind' Trailer Hints at a Vivid, Metaphysical Ride in the Armenian Drama (Exclusive)
Armenian crime drama Thus Spoke the Wind, written and directed by Maria Rigel, will have its world premiere as part of the Proxima competition lineup of the 2025 Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (KVIFF). The independent Armenian production stars Albert Babajanyan, Lusine Avanesyan, and Annika Abrahamyan, with cinematography by Ayrat Yamilov. More from The Hollywood Reporter Animated Werewolf Movie 'Dog of God' Debuts Wild Trailer With Hitler Look-Alike Getting Tortured (Exclusive) GKids Acquires Japanese Anime 'ChaO' for North America (Exclusive) Kneecap to Perform at 2025 Glastonbury Festival Despite Calls to Drop Band THR can now exclusively unveil the poster and a trailer for the movie. The film tells the story of a family on the edge of society. Hayk, a withdrawn and aloof child, lives on a farm with his aunt Narine and gets mocked and called strange by others. After a lengthy stay abroad, his mother returns to the farm. 'The locals openly condemn her behavior because she does not follow the rules of society,' reads a plot synopsis. 'Narine, unable to forgive Anahit for the shame brought upon her with her behavior, decides to take revenge.' The movie features local talent, most of whom are not professional actors. That choice reflects the director's attempt to ensure 'authenticity and create a sense of documentary realism,' she explains in a director's statement. The crew consisted of local people and immigrants from the post-Soviet countries. 'The film continues the cultural traditions of Armenian auteur cinema,' Rigel says. 'The documentary style of the film is combined with the bright color poetics of [Soviet filmmaker Sergei] Parajanov's cinema, which reflects the modern world of Armenia, the clash of traditions of the past and present.' She also notes the importance of the music in the film. 'The soundtrack to the film was created by American composer Steve Brand,' known for his ambient music with tribal and ritualistic vibes, the director says. 'His magical music perfectly emphasizes the spirit of modern Armenian aesthetics.' The idea for the film first came to her in 2022 after relocating to Armenia. 'I was deeply moved by this country – its culture, nature, and people. Contemporary Armenia holds within it layers of both the past and the present, coexisting in a constant, unresolved tension, and yet somehow complementing one another,' she recalls. 'Through the story, I wanted to symbolically reflect the clash between the archaicmindset of a traditional society and the quiet rebellion of a younger generation.' The KVIFF description of the film also notes: 'This cryptic, visually and aurally mesmerizing film, viewed through the eyes of a child forced to grow up too soon, is dominated by the all-pervading motif of the wind. Its rustling stirs the tension in a radicalizing conservative society, while its wailing heralds the irreversible consequences of raging human emotion.' Watch the trailer for Thus Spoke the Wind below to get a first taste for its visual and audio style, as well as its characters. Best of The Hollywood Reporter 13 of Tom Cruise's Most Jaw-Dropping Stunts Hollywood Stars Who Are One Award Away From an EGOT 'The Goonies' Cast, Then and Now
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Jirí Bartoska, Czech Actor and Longtime Karlovy Vary Film Festival President, Dies at 78
Jirí Bartoska, a major star of pre-Velvet Revolution Czech theater, TV and film who helped save the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival before serving as its president and public face for decades, died Thursday. He was 78. Bartoska died in Prague following a long battle with lung cancer, KVIFF executive director Krystof Mucha told The Hollywood Reporter. More from The Hollywood Reporter The Hollywood Reporter's Access Canada Summit to Launch During Toronto Film Festival Cardinal Robert Prevost Becomes First American Pope, Takes the Name Leo XIV Cannes Late Additions Include Eugene Jarecki's Julian Assange Doc 'The Six Billion Dollar Man' Bartoska was born on March 24, 1947 — just months after the inaugural Karlovy Vary International Film Festival — in Decín, Czechoslovakia. Upon graduating from high school, he enrolled at the Janacek Academy of Music and Performing Arts in Brno to pursue a career in theater, and he was a student there when the Soviet occupation of the country began in 1968. While at Janacek, Bartoska began visiting Karlovy Vary, a Bohemian spa town — also known by its German name of Carlsbad — some 70 miles outside of Prague. One such visit led to him being cast by director Frantisek Vlácil in the project that launched his film career: Shadows of a Hot Summer, which went on to be awarded the top prize, the Crystal Globe, at KVIFF in 1978. In the 1980s, through appearances on TV shows including Sanitka, Cirkus Humberto and My Vsichni Skolou Povinní, Bartoska became a household name in Czechoslovakia. At the time, the country had one TV network and one magazine, so being featured on either — and he was on both — resulted in major celebrity. He also became close to actor Václav Havel, who would go on to become the last president of Czechoslovakia (1989-92) and, after the 1993 split of the country into two nations, the first president of the Czech Republic (1993-2003). The Bartoska/Havel relationship would prove pivotal when KVIFF fell upon hard times. KVIFF had launched in 1946 — the same year as the Cannes and Locarno festivals — in the immediate aftermath of World War II, two years before the Soviet-backed communist takeover of Czechoslovakia. (The only European film festival that predates 1946 is Venice's, established in 1932.) Initially called the Czechoslovak Film Festival, the first edition was held in Mariánské Lázne; then in Mariánské Lázne and Karlovy Vary; and then solely in Karlovy Vary. By 1956, it had found its footing and was declared an 'A-category' festival — the same designation that was bestowed upon Cannes — by the International Federation of Producers Associations. Even so, starting in 1959, that organization forced it to alternate each year with the Moscow International Film Festival. The fest consistently attracted major figures from world cinema — among them Frank Capra, Henry Fonda, Tony Curtis, Claudia Cardinale and Bernardo Bertolucci — but was only open to Karlovy Vary residents and industry insiders and struggled to break even financially. In 1993, the government of the new Czech Republic withdrew financial support for many cultural events, arguing they should become financially independent, and it looked as if KVIFF might go away. In response to massive backlash, the Ministry of Culture convened a group of influential citizens to figure out a way forward. Bartoska later recalled, 'I was approached by Igor Sevcik from the Ministry of Culture, along with a couple of other people who had hoped to re-establish the credit and status of KVIFF.' Bartoska and veteran film journalist Eva Zaoralová were among those who worked with the Ministry of Culture, the city of Karlovy Vary and the historic Grand Hotel Pupp (later the inspiration for Wes Anderson's Grand Budapest Hotel) to establish the Karlovy Vary Film Festival Foundation. Their efforts helped the fest move forward in 1994 with 70 percent of its funding from private donors (a young Leonardo DiCaprio was a guest that year) and with the intention of turning it into an annual event. In 1995, Bartoska became the festival's president and Zaoralová its program director (a position she held until her death in 2022). But that year, the fest faced a new existential threat: the International Federation of Producers Associations, having learned about KVIFF's financial turmoil, revoked its A-category status and transferred it to Golden Golem, a fest being launched that year in Prague, two weeks before KVIFF, with Meryl Streep attending. It was clear the Czech Republic could not sustain two major film festivals, and citizens watched with bated breath to see which would survive. It was in this moment that the friendship of Bartoska and Havel proved crucial. Havel declined to visit the fest in Prague but showed up on opening night to KVIFF. 'That was the moment that changed the whole game,' Mucha recalls. Two years later, the Golden Golem was gone, and KVIFF embarked on a new golden age. Over the decades, the festival has become known as the 'Woodstock of the East,' with Czech citizens flocking there, often camping in tents alongside the River Teplá and lining up for hours to see provocative films from abroad like Trainspotting, to see homegrown works or to catch a glimpse of honorees. Bartoska became the face of the fest (Zaoralová preferred to remain behind the scenes), particularly to such A-list visitors as Robert Redford (2005), Robert De Niro (2008), John Travolta (2013), Mel Gibson (2014), Julianne Moore (2019), Michael Caine (2021), Russell Crowe (2023) and Clive Owen (2024), greeting them upon their arrival at the Pupp, toasting them at formal dinners and presenting them with their honors at the fest's black-tie opening- and closing-night ceremonies. In recent years, he received the same sort of standing ovations that they did. In 1998, 20 years after Shadows of a Hot Summer won KVIFF's Crystal Globe and made Bartoska a star, he presented director Vlácil with a special prize from the fest for outstanding contribution to world cinema. 'For me,' Bartoska later said, 'the circle was complete.' (Vlácil died less than a year later.) Bartoska continued to act, in 2000 winning the best supporting actor prize at the Czech Lion Awards, the nation's version of the Oscars, for his performance in All My Loved Ones. But in November 2014, at 67, he was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma. He told the publication Vunela: 'I had been filming the series Ja, Mattoni for about 10 days. All of a sudden, I did not feel well, so I went to see a doctor for a check-up. I had an X-ray examination and cancer was detected.' Since then, the cancer was treated but returned. Bartoska continued to attend KVIFF, though he stepped back from day-to-day work. In 2017, at the Czech Lion Awards, he was presented with an honorary prize for unique contribution to Czech film. Czech president Petr Pavel presented him with the Medal for Merit 1st degree in 2023. And in March, he made one of his final public appearances at the Czech Lion Awards. Bartoska is survived by his wife, Andrea, whom he married in 1976, and their children, Katerina and Janek. The 59th edition of KVIFF will take place July 4-12. Mucha, who first met Bartoska in 1997 and began working at the fest in 2004, tells THR, on behalf of himself and festival artistic director Karel Och: 'Karel and I were in our twenties, and he gave us a chance to work with him. We will miss him terribly. He was an incredibly special person who treated everyone the same way — he spoke the same way to the president of the country and a driver at the festival — and he was a great friend. As a festival president, he cannot be replaced. We will try to continue the festival in the way that he would have wanted.' Best of The Hollywood Reporter 'The Goonies' Cast, Then and Now "A Nutless Monkey Could Do Your Job": From Abusive to Angst-Ridden, 16 Memorable Studio Exec Portrayals in Film and TV The 10 Best Baseball Movies of All Time, Ranked
