Jesse Eisenberg will receive Polish citizenship within days and plans to spend more time making films in Central Europe, he announced Saturday at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival in the Czech Republic. The Hollywood Reporter covered his remarks, which came as he accepted the festival's President's Award before a screening of The Double, the 2013 film directed by Richard Ayoade in which Eisenberg plays the lead.
Speaking in the Grand Hall of the Hotel Thermal, Eisenberg said: "Being here has particular meaning for me right now, because in exactly one week I am receiving my Polish citizenship. I pursued Polish citizenship because of my family's heritage, but also because I want to spend more time in my life and my career working in Europe, specifically Central Europe."
He continued: "In America, many of the kind of films that I love so much – human scale, strange mid-budget films – have become increasingly difficult to make, but in Europe, those movies are thriving and celebrated."
Eisenberg called it "wonderfully strange" to be introducing The Double, which he described as a film that "owes so much to Central European cinema."
His next project as writer and director is The Debut, starring Julianne Moore and Paul Giamatti. Eisenberg also co-stars in the film and wrote the music and lyrics for a musical-within-the-movie. A24 will release it in the fall.
Eisenberg was not the only major name honored at the festival this week. The 60th edition of KVIFF, which also marks the 80th year of the Czech festival, opened Friday with Dustin Hoffman receiving the Crystal Globe for Outstanding Artistic Contributions to World Cinema. Maggie Gyllenhaal received the President's Award on opening night. Harvey Keitel was also among those walking the red carpet in the Czech spa town. The festival runs July 3 through July 11.
Variety also reported on the festival's Future Frames program, a showcase of short films by students and recent graduates from European film schools. Ten filmmakers were selected this year, representing countries including Lithuania, Slovenia, Spain, Finland, the Netherlands, and the Czech Republic. Greek director Christos Nikou, known for Apples and Fingernails, is mentoring the group. Screenings are scheduled for July 6 and 7.
One of the films drawing attention at the festival is Chica Checa, written, directed, and scored by Czech filmmaker Šimon Holý. The film, which screens Saturday in the Crystal Globe Competition, follows a drag queen who hides his identity from his small-town mother until his grandmother's dying wish forces him to reveal it. According to Variety, Holý spent seven or eight years developing the project. He described its origins: "So I took it as a challenge, and one day I had a dream where I saw basically most of the film, and I woke up, and I wrote it in my diary." Holý said he and his producer did not initially see the film as political, but changed their view in the editing room. Festival director Karel Och told them directly: "This is a very political film."
