25-06-2012

FURTHER GUESTS AT THE 47TH KARLOVY VARY IFF

    THE KARLOVY VARY FESTIVAL WILL BE ATTENDED BY DIRECTOR DARIO ARGENTO

    The 47th Karlovy Vary IFF will be hosting Italian director DARIO ARGENTO, who will introduce the film Dario Argento's Dracula included in the section Midnight Screenings. The film will be screened in 3D.

    The Italian director and screenwriter has long been one of the most distinctive names in horror, a genre in which he had a major influence. His work is respected and appreciated in traditional bastions of the horror genre, such as the USA, Germany and Japan. A number of successful filmmakers, particularly Quentin Tarantino, have sought Dario Argento as a source of inspiration.

    Dario Argento began as a co-screenwriter on Sergio Leone's legendary film Once Upon a Time in the West (1968). Although he never studied filmmaking, he began working as a co-director and, after gaining experience on several films, his father, producer Salvatore Argento, enabled him to make his first film as director.

    The success of the film The Bird with the Crystal Plumage (L' Uccello dalle piume di cristallo, 1970) launched the young filmmaker on a promising career, the initial culmination of which was the 1975 thriller Deep Red (Profondo rosso, 1975) starring David Hemmings.

    Argento's name gradually became synonymous with the horror film genre in its various modes, from the thriller and the Italian giallo genre, to classics such as The Phantom of the Opera (Il Fantasma dell'opera, 1995) featuring Julian Sands and the director's daughter Asia Argento in the lead roles. The latter also appears in the film Dario Argento's Dracula, in which the celebrated filmmaker returns to the Gothic roots of the story, yet giving it a modern twist.

    The 47th KVIFF PRESENTS RISING STAR KARA HAYWARD

    Discovering young stars who might later become the big acting names of the future has become a tradition for the Karlovy Vary festival. Previous guests at KVIFF have included the likes of Keira Knightley, Scarlett Johansson and Ellen Page. This year's KVIFF welcomes the young actress KARA HAYWARD, who plays the lead in the film Moonrise Kingdom.

    The role of Suzy in Wes Anderson's film Moonrise Kingdom, screened at this year's Cannes IFF, provided the first acting break for talented actress from Boston, Kara Hayward. In the film she was given the opportunity to learn from major acting names, such as Frances McDormand, Tilda Swinton, Bill Murray and Bruce Willis. According to her reception in the press and elsewhere, Kara Hayward, who was only twelve at the time of shooting, has shown extraordinary talent. Model agencies and fashion houses have already expressed great interest in working with her as well.

    THOMAS BO LARSEN WILL PRESENT THE NEW FILM BY THOMAS VINTERBERG

    THOMAS BO LARSEN, one of Denmark's best known actors, is expected at the 47th KVIFF, where he will present the successful film by director Thomas Vinterberg The Hunt (Jagten).

    The fact that Thomas Bo Larsen is coming to Vary to present Vinterberg's latest opus, which enjoyed a glittering reception at Cannes, is no coincidence. The leading Danish stage and film actor is one of his key players, and a large part of Larsen's film career is associated with Vinterberg's works.

    Thomas Bo Larsen grew up in a blue-collar district and worked his way through a series of jobs and had various life experiences before deciding to embark on a drama course in Odense.

    He met Thomas Vinterberg at the beginning of the 1990s, when he played the main role in the young director's short film Last Round (Sidste omgang), which captured the imagination of the film world. Their joint filmography includes the comedy The Biggest Heroes (De Største helte), the Dogme movie The Celebration (Festen), screened at the Karlovy Vary IFF, and the English dialogue film It's All About Love. Larsen also starred in the comedy A Man Comes Home (En Mand kommer hjem), which saw Vinterberg returning to Danish cinema. For his appearances in the films The Biggest Heroes and The Celebration Larsen was presented with the Robert award, Denmark's national film prize.