The 60th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (KVIFF) is poised to celebrate the past of the venerable Czech festival and, at the same time, guide it towards its future.
One design change that symbolizes this connection between what has come before and what lies ahead is the redesign of the iconic KVIFF space. “For this and future editions, the Karlovy Vary Festival is redesigning the area around the entrance to the Great Hall of the Thermal Hotel with a new architectural design that will allow the audience to intensely experience and share the festival atmosphere during the opening and closing ceremonies of the festival, as well as in the festival performances,” the organizers explain. “Guest access with live commentary will bring the festival events closer to visitors and add interesting behind-the-scenes observations.”
At the heart of the update is a stretch of the red carpet.
Peter Lintheimer, a member of KVIFF’s leadership troika who serves as the festival’s head of production, says: THR: “We will have the biggest and biggest red carpet [in our history]And it will be colder. You can walk the red carpet like in Cannes or in Venice. It will be about three times larger than it has been in the last 20 years.
The goal is simple: more rugs for more people – and more fun. “Red carpet for everyone!” Lintimer explains. This includes stars, celebrities, filmmakers and other creatives, guests, film fans and other attendees.
The KVIFF team has been working on the remodel for nearly 10 months. “We have perceptions, we [are now on] The 35th visualization of the venue,” the expert shares. “We have been thinking about it since the last festival. “We wanted to make it bigger, make it better, make it different.”
Therefore, regular KVIFF attendees can look forward to even more attractions in Karlovy Vary during the festival. And Lintimer knows better than most how amazing the spa town is in this great annual extravaganza. “Outside the film festival, the city looks completely different, as do the Thermal Hotel and the other main buildings,” he says. THR. “We’re helping to transform the city and its atmosphere into a big city. It’s completely different than any other time of year.”
The production and infrastructure expert, who also deals with the likes of security, transport, cinemas and other buildings, as well as sponsors, lauds the great effort of the team that goes to KVIFF every year. “We’re really strongly connected and… [aligned] “- Christoph, Karel and me,” says Lentheimer. We all have our own focus, and we also have our common, common focus.”
In addition to the staff, there are legions of volunteers who make Karlovy Vary’s magic happen. “I want to highlight all the people around us,” he points out. “For most of them, it’s a two-week job, and they have to take time off from their regular jobs to work for us. They’re lawyers, doctors, hotel complex managers and other things. It’s not about money for them. It’s about feeling part of this big thing in the Czech Republic – our festival.”
“Every year, about 1,500 people work at the festival – as hosts, security men, show workers, drivers and transport coordinators,” Lintheimer concludes. “They really love the festival, and they love being with us to share in the festival atmosphere.”
