Oscar-winning actress Alicia Vikander is the latest special guest to be confirmed for this year’s Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, festival organizers revealed today. The actress joins an impressive lineup of special guests at this year’s festival that includes Russell Crowe, festival judge Patricia Clarkson, Ewan McGregor and his daughter Clara McGregor, whom organizers have also just revealed will be on hand.
Vikander will attend the festival’s opening ceremony on June 30, where she will be presented the KVIFF President’s Award. She’ll also present the festival’s opening night film, director, in which she stars alongside Jude Law.
Born in Sweden, Vikander first drew attention for her performance in director Nikolaj Arcel‘s A Royal Affair alongside Mads Mikkelsen. The movie, which was filmed on location in the Czech Republic, earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Foreign-Language Film.
Vikander quickly transitioned to English-language features including Anna Karenina for director Joe Wright, The Man from U.N.C.L.E. for Guy Ritchie, and Ex Machina for Alex Garland. She won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her role in 2015’s The Danish Girl.
Vikander more recently took on the role of Lara Croft in the video game adaptation Tomb Raider, and has starred in The Glorias opposite Julianne Moore, The Green Knight alongside Dev Patel, and Blue Bayou for director Justin Chon.
In 2021, Vikander starred in and exec produced the HBO miniseries Irma Vep with director Olivier Assayas, adapted from the filmmaker’s cult 1996 indie film.
Vikander will open the 2023 Karlovy Vary International Film Festival with a screening of her latest film, Firebrand, director Karim Aïnouz’s adaptation of the novel Queen’s Gambit by Elizabeth Fremantle.
In Firebrand, Vikander stars as Katherine Parr, the last of King Henry VIII’s six wives, who is named Regent while her husband is fighting overseas. Tensions flare up when the ailing and paranoid king returns, and Katharine fears meeting the same fate as his previous wives.
Firebrand co-stars Jude Law as King Henry VIII, reuniting Vikander with her co-star from Anna Karenina. Eddie Marsan, Sam Riley, Simon Russell Beale, and Mia Threapleton, daughter of actress Kate Winslet, also appear in the film. Firebrand premiered in competition at this year’s Cannes film festival.
This year’s Karlovy Vary International Film Festival will take place in the Czech spa town from June 30 through July 8. A full schedule has yet to be announced; keep an eye out for future updates including when to expect the stars to attend.
