Healing springs, private spas and Russian mansions. That is the Karlovy Vary as you might know it throughout most of the year. But for one week every summer, the town turns into a mecca for aficionados of independent cinema from all over the world.
From red-carpet celebrities to backpackers, the festival has attracted tens of thousands of visitors each year, and the number is constantly growing with over 140,000 tickets sold only last year.
This year the festival will screen more than 200 films and host such film icons as John Malkovich, Antonio Banderas, who will accept awards for their life-long work, while renowned directors, such as Patrice Chéreau, Scott Sanders, and Paul Schrader, will introduce their new films as well. Also be on the lookout for the shooting stars in the world of cinema, such as Shana Feste and Cary Fukunaga. What’s more, actresses Laura Morante, Hilary Bevan Jones have just confirmed their presence at the festival.
Don’t miss our daily tips and reports from the latest events. Today you shouldn’t let Bába, a film that won the La Cinéfondation award as the best student film in Cannes, slip through your fingers and, of course, try and catch the grand opening tonight at 8 pm at Grandhotel Pupp, where Shana Feste will introduce her film The Greatest in an international premiere.
Apart from a special focus on central and eastern European films, I’d also like to show the spa town’s different face, as we join the crowds outside cinema halls and bring you tips of what to do after dark.
