Central Europe center stage at Karlovy

Fest provides launching pad for productions

By CATHY MEILS

KARLOVY VARY, Czech Republic -- It's still light years away from the big market festivals, but Karlovy Vary shows signs of becoming an attractive spot for business on an intimate scale.

At the end of its opening weekend, the Czech fest, which runs through Saturday, is proving a launch pad for productions, panels and press conferences aimed at promoting business in Central Europe.

One of the hottest tickets (aside from the fun, sweat and dancing frenzy stirred up by Emir Kusturica's No Smoking Band) was for a panel on production in Central Europe co-sponsored by Variety and Prague Studios, the newest film studio to open in the region.

Local biggies

Reps from local powerhouses such as Etic, Stillking and Milk & Honey, who measure their business in tens of millions, schmoozed with high-profile producers including Andy Vajna and Peter Hoffman.

Other companies taking advantage of Karlovy Vary to reach target Central European audiences include the following:

• Apple Film: Producer Dariusz Jablonski, founder of 10-year-old Apple Film in Poland and one of the first private film producers in Central Europe, skipped the market in Cannes and headed for Karlovy Vary for the first international screening of the Filip Bajon film "The Spring to Come."

  Jablonski is banking on a higher profile due to the special event screening for the epic, which has seen 2 million admissions and $5 million box office in Poland.

• Art for Art: The Vienna costume and properties workshop, which has a 200-year-old collection, announced it will enter the profitable film market in the region, meeting with reps from the Czech, Polish, Slovak and Lithuanian film industries, among others.

  The largest collection in Europe, Art for Art opened to theatrical clients just 18 months ago.

• Unifrance: Cannes' loss was Karlovy Vary's gain when the French film promotion body sent "Amelie From Montmartre" for competition here. Jean-Pierre Jeunet's comedy wowed local audiences and is poised for theatrical release here in the fall.Still to come: The Variety Critics' Choice, a popular meeting point for film industry execs, and a Fipresci-sponsored panel on East-West co-productions.