Karlovy Vary Film Festival Highlights 80-Year History as Second-Oldest
9 reported
The Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (KVIFF) is celebrating its 60th edition and 80th anniversary in 2026, with organizers emphasizing the festival’s legacy as the world’s second-oldest film festival. Executive director Kryštof Mucha stated that the festival is proud of this status, noting that it is older than the festivals in Cannes and Locarno by a few days. The first edition was held in 1946 as a non-competitive event in Mariánské Lázně and Karlovy Vary, before the inaugural editions of Cannes and Locarno. The Venice Film Festival, founded in 1932 and renewed in 1946, is older. The anniversary will feature a street exhibition covering the festival’s history from 1946 to the present, as well as a presentation honoring former Czech president Václav Havel, who would have turned 90 in 2026. Mucha highlighted Havel’s role in supporting the festival during difficult times, including when the Czech government withdrew financial support in 1993. The festival’s long-time president Jiří Bartoška, who died in May 2025, was also a key figure, and his death prompted organizers to remind the public of the festival’s history.
What’s reported
KVIFF is celebrating its 60th edition and 80th anniversary in 2026.
The festival’s first edition was held in 1946 as a non-competitive event with 13 features.
The first edition took place before the inaugural editions of Cannes and Locarno.
The Venice Film Festival, founded in 1932 and renewed in 1946, is older.
Jiří Bartoška, festival president for over three decades, died in May 2025.
Václav Havel, former Czech president, died in 2011 and would have turned 90 in 2026.
In 1993, the Czech government withdrew financial support for many cultural events, putting KVIFF at risk.
The festival was biannual during the Soviet era, alternating with Moscow.
The anniversary program features “extraordinary geographical diversity.”
Misconceptions
The source article notes that after Bartoška’s death, many people asked if he was the founder of the festival, indicating a misconception about the festival’s origins.
Key figures
Kryštof Mucha, executive director and chairman of the board of the KVIFF Group
Jiří Bartoška, long-time festival president (died May 2025)
Václav Havel, former Czech president (died 2011)
Eva Zaoralová, former program director (died 2022)
A. M. Brousil, long-time director of programming and one of the festival’s founders
Sources: The Hollywood Reporter
