Karlovy Vary Film Festival Honors Talent Working in Front of and Behind the Camera

Casey Affleck
President’s Award
An Academy Award-winner for his role in “Manchester by the Sea” (2016), Affleck will receive his kudo prior to a screening of “A Ghost Story,” in which he stars. Affleck, along with helmer-writer David Lowery, will introduce the film. Affleck starred in Lowery’s debut film “Ain’t Them Bodies Saints” (2013) and recently completed production on Lowery’s “The Old Man and the Gun.”

Like his older brother, multi-hyphenate Ben, Casey Affleck has a parallel career as a writer-producer-director. He is in post on his second feature as a helmer-writer, “The Light of My Life,” in which he also stars.

James Newton Howard
Crystal Globe
American composer and songwriter Howard will conduct the Czech National Symphony Orchestra in a performance of his music for the film “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them” in front of Hotel Thermal on June 30, during the fest’s opening. Howard is currently preparing for his first live concert tour, a celebration of career highlights, with music, spoken word and video, that will visit 20 European cities.

Howard has composed music for more than 120 films, including Academy Award-nominated scores for “Defiance,” “Michael Clayton,” “The Village,” “The Fugitive,” “The Prince of Tides” and “My Best Friend’s Wedding” — not to mention Oscar-nominated songs for “Junior” and “One Fine Day.”

In addition to his contributions to film and television music, the Emmy- and Grammy-winning Howard has also composed concert pieces for the Pacific Symphony.

Paul Laverty
Crystal Globe
Laverty wrote the scripts for 12 features and two short films directed by Ken Loach, beginning with “Carla’s Song” (1996). Their most recent collaboration, “I, Daniel Blake” (2016), won the Palme d’Or at Cannes.
Laverty wrote the screenplay for Loach’s first Palme d’Or winner, “The Wind That Shakes the Barley” (2006). His credits with Loach include “My Name Is Joe,” (1998), a Cannes lead actor-winner for Peter Mullan and Cannes screenplay winner “Sweet Sixteen” (2002).
He also writes screenplays for his partner, the Spanish director and actress Icíar Bollaín.

Ken Loach
Crystal Globe
An activist as well as one of Britain’s most celebrated directors, Loach worked briefly in theater before starting as a director for BBC television in the early 1960s. There, he helmed ground-breaking dramas such as “Up the Junction” and “Cathy Come Home.” The impact of the latter led to a change in Britain’s homeless laws. Acclaimed early features such as “Poor Cow” (1967) and “Kes” (1969) brought his trademarks of social realism and compassion to the big screen.

Even though Loach’s 50-plus-year career includes a dark period when he couldn’t get a project off the ground and he directed commercials to support his family, he has been extraordinarily prolific. Undoubtedly, this is due in part to his on-going collaboration with producer Rebecca O’Brien and long-term partnerships with screenwriters including Barry Hines, Jim Allen and perhaps most fruitfully, Paul Laverty. Loach is also known for introducing exciting new acting talents.

Jeremy Renner
President’s Award
Actor, producer, musician and two-time Oscar-nominee Renner will receive his kudo at the fest’s closing gala on July 8. Renner will also introduce the crime thriller “Wind River,” directed by Taylor Sheridan.

Known for his intensity and ability to fully embody the characters he portrays, Renner received early critical acclaim as a serial killer in “Dahmer” (2002). He later established himself through roles in action and war movies, garnering an Oscar nomination for lead actor in Kathryn Bigelow’s war tale “The Hurt Locker” (2008). A supporting actor nom followed two years later for Ben Affleck’s bank heist drama “The Town” (2010).
Renner’s extensive filmography balances big-budget blockbusters such as “The Avengers” and “Mission: Impossible” series with more complex roles in “American Hustle” and “Arrival.”

In 2012, he formed the production company The Combine, with partner Don Handfield, to create, develop and produce high-quality, character-driven content for mainstream audiences.

Uma Thurman
President’s Award
The sensual, statuesque American actress and producer Uma Thurman will receive her honor on June 30, during the fest’s opening night. An Oscar-nominee for Quentin Tarantino’s “Pulp Fiction” (1994), Thurman’s memorable acting career is notable for her collaboration with iconic helmers.

Thurman was only a teenager when she made an impact in Stephen Frears’ “Dangerous Liaisons” (1988) and Terry Gilliam’s surreal “The Adventures of Baron Munchausen” (1988). However, the part of Mia Wallace in Tarantino’s sensational “Pulp Fiction” marked a turning point, garnering her numerous awards and nominations. Another successful Tarantino collaboration followed nearly a decade later with the cult double-header: “Kill Bill: Vols. 1 and 2” (2003, 2004). She received two Golden Globe nominations for her role as The Bride.

Thurman ultimately nabbed a Golden Globe for for her role in Mira Nair’s made-for-TV feature “Hysterical Blindness” (2002). She produced “The Accidental Husband” (2008) and the forthcoming “Girl Soldier.”

Václav Vorlíček
President’s Award
Renowned for his work for younger audiences, director-writer Vorlíček, 87, will receive an honor for his artistic contribution to Czech film.
Vorlíček teamed with writer and director Miloš Macourek, to form an original creative partnership responsible for a distinctive chapter in the development of Czech film. Their poetic vision, in which real life comes up against elements of fantasy, remains unique to this day.

Prime examples of Vorlíček and Macourek’s work include the “comic book” comedy “Who Wants to Kill Jessie?” (1966); the sci-fi comedy “You Are a Widow, Sir!” (1970).
Another comedy that employs fairytale motifs in contemporary Prague titled “How to Drown Dr. Mracek, the Lawyer” (1974); the TV series “Arabela” (1979-80); and “Rumburak” (1985).
Vorlíček is also known for his fairytale films, especially the comedy “The Girl on the Broomstick” (1971) and “Three Wishes for Cinderella” (1973), now a perennially popular Christmas classic on Czech television.

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