Which Greatest Stars Have Marked this Year's Karlovy Vary Film Festival?

Past famous personalities

Although the history of the film festival goes back to the 40´s, the festival only won its worldwide fame in 1994, when it was headed by actor Jiří Bartoška and Eva Zaoralová. That same year KArlovy Vary was visited by the then 19-year old Leonardo DiCaprio. He was nominated for an Oscar for What´s Eating Gilbert Grape. Only after his visit of Karlovy Vary he was awaited by Titanic, The Aviator and the dream Oscar brought by Revenant Resurrection. Another, fresh 16-year old visitor, was Scarlett Johansson or one year older Keira Knightley.

The famous actors here included for example Robert De Niro, Antonio Banderas, Judi Dench, Michael Douglas, Richard Gere, John Travolta or Mel Gibson. Read our article from the historic festival star visitors at celebrities at KV IFF over the last decade. This year´s festival was honoured by the visit of Tim Robbins, Anna Paquin, Terry Gilliam or Robert Pattinson. 

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Tim Robbins

As the greatest star of this year´s festival may be considered the actor, director, screenwriter, producer and musician, Tim Robbins. An Oscar nominee for best male performance in a supporting role in Mystic River and Oscar nominee for Best Director of Dead Man Walking was awarded by the Crystal Globe for extraordinary artistic contribution to world cinematography. Tim Robbins became known to general public through the drama The Shawshank Redemption. This film was also screened by the local Summer Cinema. At the festival Robbins presented his two original films Bob Roberts and Wind Through The Cradle and showed himself off also as musician; at a special concert at the Municipal Theatre.

Terry Gilliam

Also announced was a visit of a world-famous director and also a member of the legendary comedy group, Monty Python, who at the festival presented his dream film, The Man Who Killed Don Quixote. Gilliam had already worked on the picture at the end of the 80's, after which he came up against perhaps all possible problems which a filmmaker can encounter. But now the film is really completed; having had a premiere at the Festival of Cannes.

Robert Pattinson

The announcement of participation of the famous young British actor and musician at this year's festival was left by the organisers as a last minute surprise. Pattinson remained in the minds of film enthusiasts as vampire Edward from the teenage series Twilight; however the actor has been lately doing anything possible to break out of this mould. This year, the festival visitors saw him in the Western comedy novelty by brothers Zellner, Damsel.

Richard Linklater

This author got into the hearts of his fans particularly because of the romantic trilogy Before Sunrise, Before Sunset and Before Midnight. However, he also directed for example the mainstream comedy School of Rock with a popular comic Jack Black in the leading role.

Barry Levinson

Seventy-six year old American director, who won the golden statuette for the famous drama, Rain Man, the ultimate work of his career. But he has more behind his belt, such as the comedy Good Morning, Vietname, American legal crime drama film Sleepers or political satire Wag the Dog. Visitors can look forward to the projection of three of his films. At the festival the director introduced his novelty, drama Paterno; with the said classics Rain Man and Wag the Dog also on the programme.

Taika Waititi

The New Zealand director last year directed his first Hollywood blockbuster. He managed to sneak in tonnes of his unique sense of humour event into the marvel comics, Thor. The director stopped by in Karlovy Vary during his shooting of Jojo Rabbit, which is just taking place in the Czech Republic.

Anna Paquin, Stephen Moyer, Denis O´Hare and Cerise Hallam Larkin

The film The Parting Glass features actress Anna Paquin, who in 1994 became the youngest Oscar winner in history for her performance in the melodrama Piano. Her name became known mainly for her role in the X-Men trilogy. Denis O'Hare then delighted his fans for example by theAmerican Horror Story.

Caleb Landry Jones

The actor from popular series Twin Peaks or Breaking Bad, or from this year's Oscar winner Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, came to present a competitive film, To the Night.

And who will come in 2019? We won´t find out until next year. From 28. June to 6. July 2019 is to take place the 54. year, which is sure to bring again its own surprises.