The international film festival is returning to the Czech spa of Karlovy Vary after it was delayed by the coronavirus pandemic.
The 55th edition of the festival will honor Oscar-winning British actor Michael Caine for his outstanding contribution to world cinema at its start on Friday night.
Caine won two Academy Awards for best supporting roles in "Hannah and Her Sisters" in 1987 and "The Cider House Rules" in 2000.
He will also present "Best Sellers" (2021), a comedy in which he stars, at the festival.
Organizers will also honor U.S. actor, director and writer Ethan Hawke.
Actor Johnny Depp will present two movies he produced: "Crock of Gold: A Few Rounds with Shane MacGowan" and "Minamata."
Depp's planned presence at Karlovy Vary and a decision by the The San Sebastian International Film Festival in Spain to award the actor its highest honor in September have been criticized by British domestic abuse charities.
Last year, Depp lost a libel case against a British newspaper that accused him of domestic violence, with a judge ruling the allegations were "substantially correct."
The Karlovy Vary International Film Festival runs through Aug. 28 under strict conditions for the visitors, who must cover their face with a quality respirator. They also need to be vaccinated, or have recovered from Covid-19 or have tested negative for the coronavirus.
The festival's grand jury will consider 12 movies for the top prize, the Crystal Globe.
SMPTE elects board officers, regional governors
SMPTE®,the home of media professionals, technologists, and engineers, has revealed the board officers and regional governors who will serve terms beginning in January 2025.
Three new officers--Richard Welsh as SMPTE president, Eric Gsell as SMPTE executive VP, and Polly Hickling as SMPTE Education VP--have been elected for a two-year term from Jan. 1, 2025, to Dec. 31, 2026. One SMPTE officer, Lisa Hobbs, will be continuing her service as SMPTE secretary and treasurer for another two-year term. Additionally, Raymond Yeung will be stepping into the role of standards VP on Jan. 1, 2025.
“SMPTE’s membership has spoken,” said SMPTE interim executive director Sally-Ann D’Amato. “These officers have been tasked with an important responsibility, one each of them is prepared to tackle head-on. These next two years are looking bright for SMPTE!”
In addition to the officers, 10 regional governors were elected by the Society to serve two-year 2025-2026 terms.
These include the following regional governors, re-elected to continue their service:
Asia-Pacific Region Governor
Tony Ngai, Society of Motion Imaging Ltd.
EMEA - Central & South America Region Governor
Fernando Bittencourt, FB Consultant
United Kingdom Region Governor
Chris Johns, Sky UK.
USA - Central Region Governor
William T. Hayes, Consultant
USA - Eastern Region Governor
Dover Jeanne Mundt, Riedel Communications
USA - Western Region Governor
Jeffrey F. Way, Open Drives
Also elected were four newcomers to the SMPTE Board:
Canada Region Governor
Jonathan Jobin, Grass Valley
USA - Hollywood Region Governor
Allan Schollnick, Voxx... Read More