The main protagonist of the new trailer for the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival is Oscar-winning actor and producer Benicio del Toro, recipient of the KVIFF President’s Award in 2022. The short film, which will have its premiere at the festival’s opening ceremony, was written and directed by long-time creator of KVIFF trailers Ivan Zachariáš.
“We filmed with Benicio del Toro in May in Berlin, where he took time out for us while shooting Wes Anderson’s new film. His first response was: ‘It’s a great idea, but we have to be quick.’” recalls Zachariáš. “Benicio was a pro. He immediately understood what I wanted from him, and so we got most of the shots in one go. We were prepared in advance, we marked all the camera positions and lenses before the shoot, and in the end Benicio himself was surprised at how we managed it all,” adds Zachariáš, who collaborated on the trailer with cinematographer Jan Velický and editor Filip Malásek. Zachariáš himself composed the music.
“We are glad that Benicio del Toro could join the friends of KVIFF who have supported the festival by appearing in our trailer. He thus joins the likes of Casey Affleck, Miloš Forman, Jude Law, Mel Gibson, and Helen Mirren, who have all performed in festival trailers,” says KVIFF’s Executive Director Kryštof Mucha. “It’s not always easy in terms of organization, but the result is a unique series of trailers featuring world-famous personalities that has no equal at any other international festival.”
The idea of shooting festival trailers featuring distinctive representatives of world cinema was born sixteen years ago. In the past, the creative minds behind these micro-stories showing their subjects’ connection with the festival were directors Ivan Zachariáš and Martin Krejčí.
The new trailer starring Benicio del Toro will have its premiere on 28 June 2024 at the opening ceremony of the 58th Karlovy Vary IFF. At the same time, it will also be made available online, exclusively on KVIFF.TV.
