poster for the first edition of the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival in 1946

Courtesy of Film Servis Festival Karlovy Vary

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The Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (KVIFF) will celebrate two key milestones during its 2026 edition, organizers said on Tuesday. It will mark the fest’s 60th edition, as well as 80 years since the first festival. Classic films from the likes of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, as well as Ken Loach, will be among the ways the fest will fete the dual anniversaries, along with an exhibition, a photo exhibition honoring later former president Václav Havel.

Plus, audiences can expect a redesign of an iconic fest space. “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,” organizers explained. “Guest arrivals with live commentary will bring the festival action closer to visitors and add interesting behind-the-scenes observations.”

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KVIFF also unveiled a gala screening of a digitally restored copy of Věra Chytilová’s 1989 tragicomedy Tainted Horseplay, which became the Czechoslovak entry for what was then called the best foreign- language film at the Oscars. Plus, actress Magda Vá&scaron;áryová will receive the President’s Award at KVIFF 2026, which runs July 3-11. “The festival aims not just to express its respect for the performances of one of the greatest Slovak actresses of all time, but also to remember the unique artistic connection between the Czech and Slovak filmmakers who shaped our two countries’ shared cinematic history,” the fest said.

More programming for the dual anniversary year will be unveiled in the near future. “The Karlovy Vary festival is an event at which long-term tradition and the format of a modern film festival come together in a unique way,” said KVIFF executive director Kry&scaron;tof Mucha on Tuesday. “Few domestic cultural events can boast such a rich and varied history. This is thanks in part to the distinctive personalities who have shaped its identity at various points in its history. There is much that has formed its character over the course of its 80-year history, but it is up to historians to assess the extent to which the state’s cultural policy, the international situation, and various other factors have influenced the festival’s organizational and artistic qualities.”

That said, he emphasized that “the foundations laid by the festival’s first editions in the post=war years have given rise to an event that has managed to survive despite all internal tensions and external influences, that has withstood attempts at ideological control and efforts to abolish it, and that has succeeded in transforming itself into an internationally recognized showcase and a venue where filmmakers and audiences can meet in a unique atmosphere of harmony. It has become a festival that honors its legacy and that manages to reflect the present while confidently shaping the future of cinema.”

One of the oldest film festivals in the world, Karlovy Vary was part of the so-called “first wave” of post-war European film festivals. Its first edition was held in 1946 as a non-competition event with 13 features, including international participation, organized by the spa towns of Mariánské Lázně and Karlovy Vary during the first half of August. Organizers noted that it took place “before the inaugural editions of the festivals in both Cannes and Locarno and even predates the first post-war edition of the world’s oldest film festival, the Venice Film Festival (founded 1932, renewed 1946),” making KVIFF the second-oldest fest.

Ken Loach’s ‘Kes,’ courtesy of Park Circus, Amazon MGM

After presenting awards for the first time in 1948, in 1950, the fest moved permanently to Karlovy Vary. “The earliest editions had to contend with political realities that significantly intervened in its programming decisions,” organizers highlighted. “One key figure who determined the festival’s character for several decades was the journalist, educator, and internationally respe

Karlovy Vary 2026 Anniversary Plans: Vaclav Havel Pics, Ken Loach Film