Karlovy Vary pitches include detective thriller and bandit adventure

The jury of experts featured Matthieu Darras from the Torino Film Lab, producer Mike Downey of the UK’s F&ME, Loic Magneron of Wide Management, Riina Sildos from the Baltic Event and Brigitta Manthey of Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg.

The projects pitched are:

The Red Captain (Cerveny Kapitan) (Slovakia)
Dir. Michal Kollar, prods Kollar, Viktor Taus

A slow burning thriller adapted from the bestelling detective novel novel by Dominik Dan. The film is set in the early 1990s when a homicide detective investigates the former secret service and the religious elite. The first Slovak feature supported by MEDIA single project support.

Little Crusader (Krizacek) (Czech Republic)
Dir. Vaclav Kadrnka, prods Kadrnka, Alice Tabery

The Eighty Letters filmmaker returns with this drama about a father and son’s relationship during the children’s crusades.

Lips Tullian (Czech Republic)
Dir. Vit Karas, prod Veronika Finkova

An adaption of comics that delve into the adventure of a bandit who battles a powerful vice regent to get to the woman he loves. Partners include Barrandov Studios and Zentropa Denmark.

Fifth Boat (Piata Lod) (Czech Republic)
Dir. Iveta Grofova, prod Jiri Konecny and Eike Goreczka

This drama follows a nine-year-old girl neglected by her mother who forms a childlike family in an abandoned garden hut.

Running Head (Slovak Republic)
Dir. Patrik Lancaric, prod Peter Kelisek

This road movie is about three young teenagers who run away from home while their parents and police search for them.

The Unloved
Scr Giles Smith, prod Tomas Belohradsky

This drama, with a budget of €4.5m, will be an adaptation of Arnost Lutig’s novel, about a beautiful 17-year-old girl who becomes a prostitute while living in a concentration camp. No director is confirmed yet and the producer is looking for co-production partners. Hollywood Classic Entertainment is already on board for distribution in the Czech and Slovak Republics.

Out (Vychladnutie) (Slovak Republic)
Dir. Gyorgy Kristof, prod Marek Urban

This debut feature is an absurdist drama about a 50-year-old man who loses his job and tries to work abroad. The team previously worked on Berlinale selection Matchmaking Mayor.

Also, at Docu Talents from The East, these 13 projects were presented:

300 Tons of Gold (300 Tonna Arany)
dir Tibor Kocsis (Hungary)
About a farmer trying to save his land when a Canadian company wants it for a goldmine.

Agfa 1939
dir Michal Wnuk (Poland)
The director finds a chest of Second World War era photos and has to confront a family secret.

Excursions (Exkurze)
dir Jan Gogola (Slovak Republic)
Looking at the school excursions of children and what values they are presented with.

Felvidek. Stuck In The Middle (Felvidek. Horna Zem)
dir Vladislava Plancsikova (Slovak Republic)
Feature debut about the director’s family history coming from Hungary to Slovakia.

Gottland
dirs. Lukas Kokes, Petr Hatle, Rozalie Kohoutova, Viera Cakanyova, Radovan Sibrt, Bohdan Blahovec, Klara Tasovska.
Seven students from FAMU observe Czech history from the loser’s point of view. Based on several parts of the book by Mariusz Szcygiel.

Jazz Wars (Jazzove Valky) (Czech and Slovak Republics)

Dirs Robert Kirchhoff, Filip Remunda
About three Czech jazzmen – Laco Deczi, Jan Jankeje and Lubo Tamskovic – trying to reunite for a concert to mark the anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. From the company behind Czech Dream.

Jesus Lives In Siberia (Jeesus ElabSiberis)
dirs. Jaak Klimi, Arbo Tammiksaar (Estonia)
A child’s point of view on the world’s oldest spiritual commune.

My Latest 150,000 Cigarettes (Mych Poslednich 150,000 Cigaret)
dir Ivo Bystrican (Czech Repulblic)
A video diary of the director’s attempt to quit smoking while also looking at the the tobacco industry.

Returns of Agnieszka H (Powroty Agnieszki H)
dirs. Krystyna Krauze, Jacek Petrycki (Poland-Czech Republic)
A look at Agnieszka Holland’s youth, studies at FAMU and her fascination with Czech culture.

Putin’s Olympia: An Exclusive Look Behind The Scenes of the Sochi 2014 Olympics
Dir Alexander Gentelev (Germany)
How the Russians are transforming the resort city of Sochi into a winter sports paradise.

Sugar Blog
dir Andrea Culkova (Czech Republic-Germany)
An exploration of sugar consumption and sugar addiction.

The Great Night (Velka Noc)
dir Petr Hatle (Czech Republic)
A study of nightlife and sleeplessness.

Wolf
dir Claudio Giovannesi (Italy-Czech Republic)
Rabbi Benjamin Murmelstein – interview of Claude Lanzmann – was suspected of collaborating with the Nazis; his son Wolf wants to redeem his father’s image.