The Karlovy Vary International Film Festival is set to mark its 60th edition this July. Artistic director Karel Och described the program as prepared in a spirit of humility to honor the event's history.
The festival, founded in 1946, takes place annually in July in the Czech spa town. Och, who has led the event since 2010, noted its continuity despite past challenges under communism. He highlighted that Ken Loach’s “Kes” won in 1970, two years after Soviet tanks entered Czechoslovakia.
The 60th edition will include an Out of the Past sidebar screening historical titles such as “Kes,” “Barravento” from 1961 and “A Matter of Life and Death.” Northern Irish director Mark Cousins will premiere episodes 7 and 8 of “The Story of Documentary Film” in the special screenings section.
Och also discussed the Proxima competition, which replaced the East of the West section in 2022 and now features films from India, Japan, Argentina and Mexico without geographic limits. He observed trends including more filmmakers working outside their home countries and stories centering women.
