The arrival of one of the greatest personalities in the film world to Prague on Tuesday was just as classy as the actor, director, and producer himself. His smiling face as he got off the Pendolino train was printed in all of yesterday’s papers and appeared on numerous websites. His arrival at the festival also generated a great deal of excitement in Karlovy Vary.
I’m talking about one of the most anticipated guest to the festival this year John Malkovich, of course. Today, you can catch the actor at numerous places and I’ll some them up for you here:
Apart from the usual press conference, John Malkovich will also hold a Master Class available to everyone, which will be held today at 7pm at the Zender Hall, Lazne 1. Be on time as the doors close at 7pm sharp and the seats are limited.
On Friday, John Malkovich will be present at the screening of his directorial debut from 2002, The Dancer Upstairs, starring the Academy Award winner Javier Bardem, at 5 pm at the Grand Hall. A feature-length documentary co-produced by John Malkovich’s production company Mr. Mudd portraying three children on their journey in Latin America Which Way Home to be released this autumn directed by the award-winning Rebecca Cammisa will also be screened on Friday and Saturday.
Apart from that, arrival of Antonio Banderas is also expected today, who will greet the crowds on the red carpet and introduce his El camino de los ingleses (Summer Rain) screening at the Grand Hall of Hotel Thermal on Friday, 9:30pm.
As the premieres of the main competition go on, the anticipated premiere of Nem vagyok a barátod (I Am Not Your Friend) of the controversial director György Pálfi was screened yesterday. The director introduced the film to the packed hall as a “no budget” film and encouraged everyone just to grab a camera after the screening and shoot their own film. “You all can be standing here instead of us next year”, Pálfi said. “All acting and camera was fully improvised and nearly all scenes shot on only one take, so if the actor decided to take the story from the apartment to the street, the camera had to follow”, he told the reporters earlier.
Shot only in twenty days, I was surprised how well the film has turned out and how excellent the actors were. Indeed, all is possible with a little bit of guts, invention, and a team of people who can stick it through together till the end and make a project come through.
As the weekend approaches, the crowds are slowly returning for the peak of the festival, so here are some more tips on what’s on tomorrow outside of the screening halls.
Since the festival has begun, Poštovní dvůr has held several concerts and tomorrow won’t be any exception, so you can drop by for a performance of a Czech band Laura a její tygři or if you feel like “rocking the show”, you can spend the evening at the Voskar Rock Fest in Březová near the town.
And, since I know one can’t go to bed with empty stomach, I have another option where to dine if you feel like having a bite as late as 11 pm and have already had enough of sausages and halušky. Stop by at the Italian restaurant Pizzeria Re Carlo, Moskevská 910/5 (5 minutes walk from Hotel Thermal). They’re open non-stop throughout the festival and will serve you your favourite pizza, pasta, or salad and a nice glass of wine even before midnight.
