The 60th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (KVIFF) kicks off the festival’s 80th year from 3 to 11 July.
The Czech festival’s Crystal Globe and Proxima competitions, as well as other selections, are filled with films from around the world. And that’s what KVIFF artistic director Karel Och and his team like.
In a conversation previewing the film lineup for KVIFF 2026, Ochs discussed how he approached the double anniversary edition, a number of firsts and how the global scope of the program relates to the festival’s already ambitious and early days.
Happy 80th anniversary and happy 60th edition, Karlovy Vary! Did you approach this year’s choice of double anniversary differently?
I would say that the anniversary did not change the usual approach to the official selection. Maybe I did it somehow unconsciously in some way. I personally spent many hours in the National Film Archive while preparing the From the Past program, reviewing all possible and existing documents of the festival since 1946, especially internal documents, but also the festival’s daily newspapers. I guess I had to keep that in mind somehow, but that was more for the Classics section.
This year your collection includes the first KVIFF films from Myanmar and Colombia, as well as your first ever film in the Swiss Crystal Globe competition. Can you share any insight into those firsts?
When it comes to selecting contemporary cinema, we are proud to feature Colombia and Myanmar for the first time.
I think of one of my predecessors in office, Mr. A.M. Brussels [who was one of the festival’s founders and its long-time director of programming]I always take great pride in reiterating the fact that in 1962, this guy actually created a programming section called the Symposium for Young and New Cinematographers of Asia, Africa and Latin America.
Not only did he program the films, he also brought the filmmakers to Karlovy Vary, which was not common in the early 1960s. That is why Glauber Rocha from Brazil was able to meet and become friends with Pier Paolo Pasolini from Italy in Karlovy Vary.[TheauthorsscreenedtheirdirectorialdebutatKVIFFin1962bringinginPasolini[ThetwoauteursscreenedtheirdirectorialdebutfilmsatKVIFFin1962withPasolinibringingAccatonehis provocative drama about a pimp living on the outskirts of Rome, and Roscha brought his social and political drama to life. Paravento.]
So this global perspective is part of KVIFF’s DNA?
In a way, we have always strived to bring films from as many countries of the world as possible into the main competition. But this year, I have to focus specifically on the works-in-progress sessions as a source for selected films.
There we found two of the films we mentioned. Colombian film Five years and four months [from directors Esteban Hoyos García and Juan Miguel Gelacio]We scouted the film in San Sebastian, and I’ve been in contact with the filmmakers ever since. And the Swiss film[Jan-EricMack’s[Jan-EricMack’sHappy family]at the Les Arcs Film Festival I saw works in progress [showcase] In France in December.
The fact that we were able to choose these films is a result of the world knowing that we are open to supporting any potential country in the world, but it is also a result of the industry platforms being open to the entire world.
This is a nice benefit!
The world has become smaller somehow. We often complain that social media and the Internet cause a lot of chaos, but on the other hand, we can connect more easily, we can communicate more easily, we can travel and discuss films with Colombian filmmakers or Myanmar filmmakers, and participate in film production.
I’m glad you mentioned that because I wanted to ask you about a comment you made when the official selection for 2026 was revealed. You highlighted that the filmmakers showing their work in Karlovy Vary this year are “pushing the boundaries both spiritually and physically.”
What my colleagues and I have noticed is that you often see films made by a director who was born in one country and directed in another country, and maybe they’re about a community from a different country.
For example, the film competition Cupping [directed by Nader Saeivar and produced and edited by Jafar Panahi] A German film directed by an Iranian director, set in the Turkish community in Germany, and it feels quite natural, because the story and approach are deeply human. So, all of this increases the diversity of stories and cultures.
Before I let you go, please tell me about the benefits and pressures of having as many films submitted as KVIFF receives each year? Is the number still around 1500 plus?
We’re always somewhere between 1,800 and 2,000 orders these days. The line where it became too difficult and time-consuming was the 1,500-film mark. But at the same time, we’re really happy about it, because the more entries you submit, the greater the chance of discovering a hidden gem. Therefore, numbers, no matter how large, are a source of joy for us, not a source of frustration. It is always a great joy when you discover that your work and the work of your colleagues are appreciated.
