Announcement of Winners at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival’s Eastern Promises Segment
The Eastern Promises industry section of the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival has recently announced the winners of its project showcase. The event, which began on July 6, concluded today.
The festival this year showcased a diverse range of 40 film projects, spanning the segments Works in Development – Feature Launch & Focus Queer and KVIFF Talents. Additionally, this year introduced the Pop Up Series Incubator pitching session and KVIFF Central Stage. The latter is a new initiative focusing on seasoned directors and Central European co-productions, structured in collaboration with various national film institutes from the area.
Within the Works in Progress category, the MIDPOINT & KVIFF Development Award was granted to History of Illness from Croatia, a project directed and penned by David Gašo, with Marta Eva Mećava producing. The award, which includes a EUR 10,000 cash prize to aid further development, is funded jointly by MIDPOINT, Barrandov Studio, and KVIFF.
The jury comprising Martin Horyna, Danijel Hočevar, and Egle Vertelyte commented on the film, noting, “Film narratives are often character-driven but can also manifest as a dynamic interplay of space and time—characterized by distinct colors, shapes, and tones. We selected this captivating project that delves into human discomfort, threading it through a comically absurd maze where anxiety subtly emerges.”
Please see below for a comprehensive list of this year’s winners. The Karlovy Vary Film Festival will conclude on Sunday.
Winners in Various Categories
Works in Development – Feature Launch & Focus Queer
The MIDPOINT & KVIFF Development Award went to History of Illness, directed and written by David Gašo and produced by Marta Eva Mećava. This project, along with fourteen others in the MIDPOINT – Feature Launch and MIDPOINT – Focus Queer programs, received mentoring and development support aimed at fostering diverse storytelling and aiding filmmakers in the queer narrative space.
Connecting Cottbus Award
The Connecting Cottbus Award was presented to RadioAmateur from Poland, directed and written by Tomasz Habowski and produced by Marta Szarzyńska. This project will have the chance to be pitched at the East-West co-production market during the Film Festival Cottbus.
Rotterdam Lab Award
Ondřej Lukeš, producer of Restless from the Czech Republic, won the Rotterdam Lab Award and will participate in the Rotterdam Lab professional training program for producers at the International Film Festival Rotterdam.
Marché du Film Producers Network Award
Michelle Brøndum Hauerbach, producer of Soyboy from the United Kingdom, and Genovéva Petrovits, producer of Democracy: Work In Progress from Hungary, Czech Republic, and Germany, were chosen for this award. They will attend the Marché du Film and Producers Network at the upcoming Cannes Film Festival.
KVIFF Talents and Pop Up Series Incubator
The KVIFF Talents showcased six projects—three feature films and three series concepts—selected from over 200 submissions. These creators will receive financial support, mentoring, and various opportunities to develop their projects further.
The Pop Up Series Incubator, a new program aimed at supporting European producers and scriptwriters, showcased five series projects. These projects received comprehensive development support and were presented in Karlovy Vary to a host of industry professionals.
As the festival wraps up, these acknowledgments and programs highlight the vibrant future of film and series production in the region, paving the way for unique and compelling narratives in the global cinema landscape.
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