The Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (KVIFF), the Czech Republic's largest cultural event, opened this week in the spa town of Karlovy Vary, celebrating its diamond 60th edition with a tribute to Dustin Hoffman. The American actor, along with Maggie Gyllenhaal, Jesse Eisenberg, Juliette Binoche, Jeffrey Wright, Harvey Keitel, Kyra Sedgwick, Kevin Bacon, and cinematographer Robert Richardson, are among the stars attending the annual gathering to receive the Crystal Globe for outstanding contributions to world cinema.
This year's program features 12 films in the main competition, 12 in the Proxima competition, 12 special screenings, and dozens of other feature-length fiction and documentary films, totaling up to 200 films. The festival, which runs through July, is known for its accessibility: tickets cost less than €3, making it a magnet for young audiences and cinephiles alike.
A History of Resilience
KVIFF is the second-oldest film festival in the world after Venice, founded in 1946. However, this is only its 60th edition because from 1959 to 1993 it was forced to alternate annually with Moscow as the only Category A festival designated for the Eastern Bloc. It survived the harsh communism of the 1950s, the 1968 Soviet-led invasion, and the subsequent normalization period of the 1970s and 1980s.
After the Velvet Revolution in 1989, the festival nearly disappeared. A rival event, the Golden Golem festival in Prague, emerged but folded after two years. In 1994, popular Czech actor Jiří Bartoška and film expert Eva Zaoralová revived KVIFF, breaking away from Moscow and ensuring it remained in Karlovy Vary. Bartoška's vision was clear: a big city dilutes the festival. As he said in the documentary Musíme to zarámovat! (We've Got To Frame It!), Karlovy Vary—which Le Corbusier described as a 'gathering of Art Nouveau cakes'—encloses you. In Prague, a journalist might say, 'It's three o'clock; I'll just feed the kids and pop by the dry cleaner's.' Not in Karlovy Vary—there you have to be there, and you have to talk about film.
The revival was difficult. The culture minister at the time refused to support the festival, forcing Bartoška to sign a large promissory note to make it happen. He honored it in good faith, and the festival thrived. Executive Director Kryštof Mucha noted that Bartoška's fame as an actor and his close connections to Václav Havel and Václav Klaus helped attract private sponsors and investors.
Bartoška died before the 59th edition in 2024. The festival is now led by a triumvirate: Executive Director Kryštof Mucha, Artistic Director Karel Och, and Production Director Petr Lintimer. They manage a budget of about €10 million (250 million Czech Crowns), funded 70% by private sponsors, 20% by the government, and 10% by the city and region of Karlovy Vary—a reversal of the typical funding model for similar festivals.
Accessibility and Youth Appeal
Last year's edition attracted nearly 10,000 accredited visitors, 411 filmmakers, 1,055 professionals, and 557 journalists. There were 465 screenings with more than 128,000 tickets sold, including 175 films (108 fiction features, 23 documentaries, 44 shorts). Delegations introduced 156 screenings in person.
Mucha emphasizes what sets KVIFF apart: everyone can come and buy a ticket for less than €3. You don't have to be a professional or in the industry. This openness explains its popularity, especially among young people. Thousands attend each year, and the festival's tradition of screening over 180 feature-length films and dozens of shorts from around the world continues to draw a diverse audience.
For those exploring European cultural events beyond the mainstream, the festival offers a unique blend of history and accessibility. As the continent's film scene evolves, KVIFF remains a testament to resilience and community, much like the hidden gems and cultural festivals found across Croatia.
