Karlovy Vary presents a project of Paul Kester’s upcoming film at the festival in the Czech Republic / Article

Director Pauls Ķesteris and screenwriter Gatis Mūrnieks are participating in the industry program “Eastern Promises” of the 55th Karlovy Vary Film Festival with the upcoming criminal drama project “The Blaster”, the representatives of the studio “Mistrus Media” informed.

The industry program of the 55th Karlovy Vary Film Festival starts in the Czech Republic on Wednesday, July 28, with the new director Paul Kester and screenwriter Gatas Mūrnieks’ upcoming feature-length crime drama project “The Blaster” participating in the industry program section “Works in Development – Feature Launch ”. In cooperation with the Midpoint Film Institute of Central Europe, European film producers and distributors present nine ideas for new feature film projects from various European countries, including Latvia, Israel, Lithuania, Italy, Estonia, the Czech Republic, Montenegro and Croatia.

As explained in the film’s application, “The Blaster” is based on the events of the summer of 1997, when members of a nationalist organization unsuccessfully tried to blow up the Victory Monument in Riga and two of its members died.

The script of the film is the authors’ interpretation of the participants and those involved in the blasting, including the consequences that such radical actions may have on family members and their later lives. ”

Last December, the Explosive’s creative team passed the competition and got the opportunity to improve their project for six months under the supervision of internationally recognized experts in the Midpoint Institute’s scenario development program.

The industry section of the Karlovy Vary Film Festival, as noted by Mistrus Media, is a good opportunity to draw attention to young authors and emerging film stories in Europe. This year, the session takes place both remotely and in person from July 28 to August 12. The upcoming film project will be presented by film director and screenwriter Pauls Ķesteris, screenwriter Gatis Mūrnieks and film producer Inese Boka-Grūbe. The festival will take place from August 20 to 28.

The project is intended as a co-production of three countries. The development of the project “The Blaster” is already supported by the Creative Europe Media Foundation, the State Cultural Capital Foundation and the National Film Center. The film is made in cooperation between Latvian film studios “Film Office Latvia” and “Mistrus Media”.

This will be the first feature film for director Paul Ķester. In 2021, the director’s documentary short film “Transfer” (LTV program “Latvian Code”) was made, but the feature short film “Diva” was awarded at the 2021 Moscow Moscow Short Film Festival “Moscow Shorts”.

For the screenwriter Gatis Mūrnieks, this is his film debut. Until now, he has worked for an advertising agency in Moscow, where he has been awarded many times for screenwriting and filming.

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