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Malkovich, Banderas lead prize roster at Czech filmfest
2009-06-23
PRAGUE (AFP) - John Malkovich, Antonio Banderas and Isabelle Huppert will receive special prizes at the 44th Czech international Karlovy Vary film festival starting next week, organisers said Tuesday. American actor John Malkovich and French star Isabelle Huppert will receive the Crystal Globe at the event held in the western Czech spa town of Karlovy Vary on July 3-11. Banderas, who found fame in Pedro Almodovar's Spanish movies before conquering Hollywood, will receive the President's Prize. Malkovich will present political thriller "The Dancer Upstairs," (2002) his first work as director, starring Javier Bardem and Laura Morante, and the documentary "Which Way Home," which he produced and which won a prize at the recent Sundance Festival. Czech-born Hollywood director Milos Forman will also return to his home country for the festival to present the film version of "Well-Paid Stroll," a jazz opera that he directed in Prague's prestigious National Theatre. This year, the festival will bring together more than 800 producers, film buyers and sellers, distributors and filmmakers, and its official competition lists 19 world premieres, including "Villa Amalia" starring Huppert. Besides the official competition with 14 feature films and 16 documentaries, the festival will feature the "East-West" competition of films shot by young filmmakers from eastern Europe. In 2008, the festival attracted 145,000 cinemagoers.
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