Iranian movie 'Summer With Hope' wins 2022 Karlovy Vary film fest

Summer With Hope, a Canadian-Iranian co-production from director Sadaf Foroughi, won the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival's top prize Crystal Globe during a closing ceremony at the Czech city's Hotel Thermal on Saturday evening.

The movie, set in Iran, follows a young swimmer training for the national championships with his new coach. The alliance between the two young men elicits disapproval from the people around them.

The movie had its world premiere at this year's festival in Karlovy Vary.

Foroughi was presented the award for Best Film from the festival’s president, Jiří Bartoška. Australian actor Geoffrey Rush also congratulated her. Earlier during the ceremony, Rush received a Crystal Globe for contribution to world cinema.

The festival's main prize, which also carries a monetary reward of $25,000, is given jointly to the winning film's director and producer.

A total of 12 films, including dramatic features and documentaries, competed for the main prizes at this year's festival. Hundreds of other films also played out-of-competition during the fest.

You Have to Come and See It, from Spanish director Jonás Trueba, was awarded the festival's Special Jury Prize, which includes a monetary reward of $15,000.

Czech cinema was also represented at this year's festival. Filmmaker Beata Parkanová took home Best Director for her movie The Word (Slovo), while Martin Finger won Best Actor for his lead performance in the film.

The festival's award for Best Actress was jointly given to Taki Mumladze and Mariam Khundadze from the Georgian-German co-production A Room of My Own.

The Czech documentary PSH: Neverending Story, from director Štěpán Vodrážka, won the festival's audience award. The film follows the legendary rap band Peneři strýčka Homeboye.

For the first time this year, the Karlovy Vary festival unveiled a new competition titled Proxima to award lesser-known films and filmmakers; the new section replaced an "East of the West" competition from previous years, which was limited to films from countries behind the former Iron Curtain.

The Czech documentary Art Talent Show, from filmmakers Adéla Komrzý and Tomáš Bojar won the Crystal Globe at the inaugural Proxima competition, while the Spanish-Argentinian film La Piedad by Eduardo Casanova won the Special Jury Prize.