KARLOVY VARY: The 57th edition of the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (30 June - 8 July 2023) kicked off with a star studded opening ceremony and gala party with Russell Crowe and his band The Indoor Garden party giving a free outdoor concert despite the traditional opening night downpour of rain earlier in the evening. The music went on until well after midnight with Crowe joking with the audience who cheered and shouted their approval.

KARLOVY VARY: Four projects (co)produced by Slovenia, Czech Republic, Hungary, North Macedonia, Croatia, Serbia, Slovakia and Romania are among the eight projects from the 8th edition of First Cut+ to be showcased at Eastern Promises (2 - 5 July 2023) within the 57th Karlovy Vary IFF (30 June – 8 July 2023).

CANNES: The Hungarian/French coproduction 27 by Flóra Anna Buda received the Palm d’or for a short film at the 76th Festival de Cannes (16 – 27 May 2023). Polish minority coproduction The Zone of Interest by Jonathan Glazer received the Grand Prix of the Competition as well as the FIPRESCI International Critics Prize.

CANNES: Sixteen documentaries have been selected by Doc Alliance, the creative partnership of seven European documentary festivals including the Ji.hlava International Documentary FF, for the Doc Alliance Award 2023. The announcement was made during the Doc Day of the Marché du Film in Cannes at the Cannes Film Festival on 23 May 2023.

BERLIN: Director Rebecca Miller’s She Came To Me opens the 2023 Berlinale and her fans are hoping it will mean a return to form for the director who had an international hit in 2022 with her film Personal Velocity but whose more recent outings have failed to score equally high marks.

BERLIN: Director Todd Field’s Tar starring Cate Blanchett has earned itself a slot in the Berlinale lineup as a Special Gala screening. With Cate Blanchett as the driving force behind this film it comes as no surprise.

BERLIN: South African director John Trengove’s UK/USA coproduction Manodrome screens in the main competition of the Berlinale starring Adrien Brody and Jesse Eisenberg. 

BERLIN: An new film by Steven Spielberg is always a special event and with the American director receiving an Honourary Golden Bear at this year’s Berlinale the out of competition gala screen of Spelberg’s latest The Fabelmans promises to be one of the highlights of this year’s festival.

BERLIN: New York based playwright, director and screenwriter Celine Song makes her cinematic debut with Past Lives which screens in the main competition in Berlin.  The film already screened in Sundance earlier this year where it garnered rave reviews.

CANNES: Films from Hungary and Poland are among the 11 titles selected for Cannes’ Short Films competition, while the La Cinef selection counts 16 films among which two are from the Czech Republic.