Yep, The Karlovy Vary Film Festival is Still One of the Best in the World
by Alex Billington
July 7, 2023
If you know, you know… If you’ve been, you’ll always want to go back… At least that’s how I feel. There is a wonderful film festival in Czechia called the Karlovy Vary Film Festival – they’re celebrating their 57th year, making it one of the oldest festivals in the world (it was originally founded in 1946). This is my fifth year attending KVIFF (as it’s known – the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival), returning to this lovely little spa town in the middle of the summer to watch more films and enjoy the full-on cinema lovers party ambience. Karlovy Vary is a famous town in the hills of west Czechia, right near the border of Germany. It’s only 6 hours by train from Berlin, where I live, and even less if you go directly from Prague. They’re an A-list event and the first major festival after Cannes in May to play the best of Cannes’ selection, including all the awards winners – Anatomy of a Fall, Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell, Perfect Days, and many others. I write about KVIFF every year nowadays, because this humble festival really is one of the best in the entire world.
What makes this particular film festival stand out from so many others is how much it really feels like going to cinema heaven. In addition to the picturesque town where it takes place, as well as their always-amazing selection of films from around the world, the audience at every screening at KVIFF is full of genuine film-loving fans. No matter what time it is or what film may be showing, every screening is completely packed. Sometimes they even let in extra people who sit on the floor or stairs just because they’ll sit anywhere and don’t want to miss whatever is showing. These audiences are also respectful of the experience, very rarely ever taking out their phone or chatting, and they always seem completely engaged in and focused on the film on the screen in front of them. It’s actually kind of awe inspiring to see, especially since phone use in movies has been getting really bad again post-pandemic. This festival is Czechia’s chance to dive head first into the world of cinema, with tons of Czech people pouring in from every corner of the country to watch new films.
My biggest complaint – the chairs suck. After spending a few days the festival, my back starts to hurt because the chairs in most of the venues are terrible. There are about four venues at the festival that are actual movie theaters they takeover and use for screenings. The rest of their key venues are gorgeous old hotels (like the Grandhotel Pupp) or vintage spa palaces (like the Lazne III) or big conference rooms. Unfortunately they put the cheapest plastic chairs in these places and it’s tough to sit in them. This year I went to watch the three-hour-long Argentinian film The Delinquents (which I loved) at a venue with chairs that barely have a rigid back on them and it was tough to make it through. I doubt my complaining will make them change the chairs, but I hope one day they’ll put some better seating in. At least the “Grand Hall” (which is their version of Cannes’ Grand Théâtre Lumière), located inside the famously clunky Hotel Thermal, is a nice place with nice seats and a huge screen. All that really matters is that I can get tickets & get in to watch all these films.
I was first introduced to the Karlovy Vary Film Festival by a film critic friend years ago. Ever since I started attending in 2017, I’ve been passing the torch and doing my best to introduce it to more people. I also follow film critic Robert Daniels, who went for his first time in 2022 and is back again in 2023. I love his writing anyway, but his coverage of KVIFF is especially invigorating. He opens his first review article from this year with this lovely intro: “oh, how I have missed its winding cobblestone streets, its canals, and its resplendent Renaissance style. But most of all, I’ve missed the jubilant crowds and bountiful movies.” Indeed, Robert, indeed. Even if you don’t believe me, I’m not the only one going on and on about how delightful this Czech film festival is. His wrap up article from 2022 also eloquently captures what makes KVIFF so unforgettable once you attend: “I was struck by the jubilant mood of the event, and the graciousness shown by the heads of the festival—the Festival President Jiří Bartoška, Executive Director Kryštof Mucha, and Artistic Director Karel Och—along with a film community so eager, so passionate to share their festival with the world.” Yep.
In addition to coming to Karlovy Vary to watch the Cannes films I might’ve missed, or a few world premieres of something that might be the next big international breakout, their retrospective selections every year are always remarkable. I caught a total of 11 films over the five days I was in town, with a few more screeners to catch up with this weekend as the fest winds down. I always make sure I watch at least one old film on the big screen – this is one of the most important aspects of great film festivals. This year’s key retrospective is a tribute to the movies of the Japanese master Yasuzô Masumura. Most have probably never heard of this filmmaker or seen his movies before, and I admittedly only learned about him from the festival itself. I was lucky to catch one of the 11 films they showed, called Kisses (from 1957), and it was splendid. Of course, as soon as it was over I checked the schedule to see if I could catch any more of Masumura’s films before leaving, alas, there was no way to fit them in. In the past I’ve watched some Czech classics on the big screen and it’s always a delight. It’s a refreshing experience to watch old films this way with an entranced audience.
There’s only so much I can write in a post like this before I start to sound too arrogant. Above all else, if you love film festivals, you have to book a trip to KVIFF one year and experience it for yourself… As long as it’s possible, I’ll continue to return. It feels so surreal, escaping from my apartment to visit this cute spa town to watch some excellent films every summer. It’s an enriching experience that feels vital to my yearly routine nowadays, reaffirming why I love doing this (talking about movies for a living) and reminding me why I am still so addicted to film festivals. Even if the seats suck, even if it’s hard to get good vegan food in Karlovy Vary, it’s still worth it. The films matter, the audiences matter, the festival matters. Cinema still matters. And it still has the power to pull us into unforgettable stories, to bring us all together, to teach us about the world, and different cultures, different perspectives. KVIFF is a testament to the true potential of festivals and how important they are in the world of cinema. For more info or to view their line-up, visit kviff.com.
