The Karlovy Vary Intl. Film Festival, the second oldest film festival in the world after Venice, is preparing to celebrate two milestones: 80 years since the first festival, and its 60th edition.
Among the events planned to commemorate the anniversaries is the exhibition titled “KVIFF 60/80 (1946–2026),” in which the festival looks back on its rich history with an exhibition of photographs focusing on its early years, the atmosphere of its pre-1989 editions, important moments and festival guests.
Thirty outdoor panels, located along the path between two of the festival’s iconic venues – the Grandhotel Pupp and the Hotel Thermal – will take visitors on a journey through the festival’s history and allow them to witness the changes it has undergone.
The Out of the Past section will “consist of 20 carefully selected films from previous editions of the festival, which are firmly linked to its history as milestones key to the KVIFF’s identity and reputation,” the festival’s artistic director, Karel Och, said.
The include Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger’s “A Matter of Life and Death,” which screened at the festival in 1947, and Ken Loach’s “Kes,” which won the top prize in 1970. Other films include Emilio Fernández’s “Río Escondido” in 1948, and Konrad Wolf’s “Lissy” from 1957.
The twin-city format of the festival’s first edition will be recalled in the form of a special preview screening of a selected film from this year’s program on July 1 at the historic Municipal Theatre in Mariánské Lázně.
As a gesture of thanks for playwright, author and Czech president Václav Havel’s long-term support and goodwill, the festival is marking what would have been his 90th birthday with a photographic exhibition at the Hotel Thermal commemorating his visits to the festival and his meetings with various representatives of world cinema.
For this and future editions, the Karlovy Vary festival is redesigning the area around the entrance to the Hotel Thermal’s Grand Hall with a new architectural design that will allow audiences to “more intensely experience and share in the festival atmosphere during the festival’s opening and closing ceremonies as well as at festival screenings.” Guest arrivals with live commentary will bring the festival action “closer to visitors and add interesting behind-the-scenes observations.” Screenings in the Grand Hall will offer audiences “a natural opportunity for a glamorous red carpet entrance.”
This year’s edition of the festival will present a gala screening of a digitally restored copy of Věra Chytilová’s tragicomedy “Tainted Horseplay,” which was shot in 1988.
At the center of this generational portrait of thirty-somethings is a group of friends who engage in regular drinking sessions, the occasional borderline prank, and casual sexual adventures – until, that is, the wild and promiscuous Pepe ends up in the hospital.
The group of friends subsequently undergo an anonymous blood test, which shows that one of member of their wild gang is HIV positive. This harsh confrontation with reality leads to a radical crisis of friendship.
Slovak actress Magda Vášáryová will receive the President’s Award at the festival, and in her honor it will screen Juraj Jakubisko’s “Birds, Orphans and Fools,” shot in the turbulent year of 1968. Its three main protagonists – Yorick, Marta, and Andrej – manage to survive in a world full of hopelessness and disillusionment thanks to “foolishness,” light-hearted play, and a philosophy of joy that, in their view, is the only possible path toward happiness.
Future Frames – Generation NEXT of European Cinema, a program organized by the Karlovy Vary and European Film Promotion, which has been helping talented European directors start their careers in the film industry since 2015, will return once again.
For the fourth year in a row, the program has been able to expand the opportunities it offers thanks to its partnership with lottery and entertainment company Allwyn, and also by collaborating with U.S. talent agency UTA and Range Media Partners, which provide young filmmakers with expert guidance and the chance to make important contacts.
Karlovy Vary’s programming team selects 10 film school students and graduates for Future Frames from a pool of candidates nominated by member organizations of European Film Promotion. The participating filmmakers present their short and medium-length films at the festival and take part in a mentoring program that includes training, networking and promotion.
This year’s Future Frames will take place from July 5 to 8 at the Hotel Thermal, which will once again host the creative and networking space that is the Allwyn Lounge. Here, participants will attend training sessions and individual meetings with representatives from UTA and Range Media Partners, who will provide them with feedback and subsequently select one director for a residency in Los Angeles sponsored by Allwyn. Last year’s winner was German director Simon Schneckenburger.
English (US) ·