The film festival organisers made the announcement in view of the government's ongoing measures in connection with the coronavirus crisis and its international impact.
In view of the Czech government’s ongoing coronavirus measures and the complicated worldwide situation, the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival organisers have decided to cancel the 55th edition of the film festival this year.
Instead, the 55th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival will take place from July 2-10, 2021 in Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic.
During preparations for the 55th KVIFF, the festival’s programming department chose a variety of intriguing films. Since the government’s plan for loosening the lockdown on June 8 will allow cinemas to screen movies to a specified number of viewers (50), the festival has decided to organise a special version of the traditional KVIFF, Your Cinema programme, from July 3 to 11.
A large part of the traditional competition of projects for film professionals KVIFF Eastern Promises will take place in a virtual environment. As a result, film projects in various stages of development or production from the region of Central and Eastern Europe, the Balkans, the former Soviet Union, the Middle East and North Africa will also be able to be presented to foreign buyers, festivals and distributors. The KVIFF Eastern Promises Industry Days online will run from July 6 to 8.
“We strongly believe that seeing a movie with other people in a theatre is a powerful and irreplaceable experience,” said Jiří Bartoška, President of the Karlovy Vary IFF. “And because the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival is one of the most important cultural events in the Czech Republic, we have decided that holding an alternative version would go against the festival’s main mission: to bring together audiences, filmmakers, and people from different walks of life in order to collectively enjoy works of cinema.”
