#Karlovy Vary Eastern Promises Winners Include ‘Virtual Girlfriends,’ Turkish Sports Drama

The Karlovy Vary International Film Festival’s Eastern Promises industry section and film market, focusing on works in progress or development handed out its awards Tuesday evening.

KVIFF Eastern Promises describes its mission as “bridging the gap between talented filmmakers and their potential partners, festivals and audiences.” The awards are open for producers and directors from the countries of Central and Eastern Europe, the Balkans, the former Soviet Union, the Middle East and North Africa introducing new films that will premiere after the Karlovy Vary festival.

This year, 39 projects competed for awards with a total value of 115,000 euros ($125,000) in three programs: Works in Progress, Works in Development – Feature Launch and First Cut+.

Last year, Klára Tasovská’s I’m Not Everything I Want to Be, about a female photographer on a journey towards freedom after the Soviet invasion of Prague, and Assel Aushakimova’s Bikechess, which explores government influence and journalistic ethics, won key Works in Progress honors. I’m Not Everything I Want to Be is part of the Special Screenings program of this year’s 58th KVIFF.

The 58th edition of the Karlovy Vary fest runs June 28-July 6. Its competition will be judged by a jury including indie film producer Christine Vachon and Geoffrey Rush.

Check out the complete list of winners below.

Works in Progress

Each winner gets a cash prize of 5,000 euros ($5,360).

Works in Progress Visual Post-Production Award

Amedspor (Turkey), directed by Rezan Yesilbas and produced by Ahmet Gurata.

Jury statement: “An important and enthralling look at the intersection of sports and politics in modern day Turkey as a minor league [soccer] team works to reclaim its identity despite the conflict and likely repercussions. It is an important reflection of the Turkish-Kurdish conflict, telling the story not in a direct political way but through [soccer].”

Works in Progress Karlovy Vary International Film Festival Award

Virtual Girlfriends (Czech Republic, Slovak Republic), directed by Barbora Chalupová and produced by Pavla Klimešová, Monika Lošťáková and Simona Hrušovská.

Jury statement: “A revealing, touching and complex depiction of individuals in the Czech Republic who have turned to the world’s oldest profession (with a twist) on today’s online and social marketplace, questioning identity, sexuality, normality, performance and more in the effort to make a living.”

Works in Progress Sound Post-Production Award

Lover, Not a Fighter (Slovak Republic, Czech Republic), directed by Martina Buchelová and produced by Michaela Kaliská, Erika Paulinská and Julie Marková Žáčková. 

Jury statement: “The award goes to a young and talented team for their fresh and honest depiction of young love and for a tender, cruel and crazy coming-of-age trip.”

Works in Development – Feature Launch & Intensive Queer; KVIFF Talents

The winner of the first award gets a cash prize of 10,000 euros ($10,720).

Klára is Here (Hungary), directed and written by Dávid Csicskár and produced by Balázs Zachar.

Feature Pool (120,000 CZK for further development):

Inbetween Worlds (Czech Republic, Slovakia), directed by Diana Cam Van Nguyen, written by Diana Cam Van Nguyen, Milada Těšitelová and produced by Karolína Davidová and Jakub Viktorín

Letters to the Future (Czech Republic), directed and written by Myro Klochko, produced by Marek Čermák, Karolína Fránková; Rusalka (Czech Republic), written by Hana Neničková.

Creative Pool (50,000 CZK for further development):

Casting (Czech Republic), limited series directed by Terézia Halamová, written by Jan Černý and produced by Natália Pavlove

Into the Endless Unknowns (Czech Republic), miniseries written and directed by Veronika Jelšíková and Petr Vlček; Spectrum (Czech Republic), dramedy series directed by Igor Smitka, written by Adél Škvrna, produced by Klára Mamojková, Wanda Kaprálová and Matej Sotník.

Connecting Cottbus Award

Eli and Them (Czech Republic), directed and written by Petr Pylypčuk and produced by Kryštof Burda.

Rotterdam Lab Award

Martina Knoblochová, producer of the film Antonie(Czech Republic).

First Cut+ Works in Progress Award

The award comes with a cash prize of 5,000 euros ($5,360).

Numakage Public Swimming Pool (Japan), directed and written by Shingo Ota and produced by Kyoko Takenaka

Special mention: Mayflies (Hungary, Slovak Republic), directed and written by Emília Goldberg and produced by Ferenc Pusztai and Linda Pfeiffer.

KVIFF Eastern Promises – Marché du Film Producers Network Award

Lover, Not a Fighter (Slovakia)

Patryk Sielecki, producer of Anxiety of the Heart (Poland)