The Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (KVIFF) will dedicate this year’s Out of the Past section to its own history, marking the event’s 60th edition and 80 years since its founding. The retrospective program will feature 20 films previously associated with the festival, highlighting key moments that have shaped its identity and international reputation.
As one of the festival’s long-running sidebar sections, Out of the Past traditionally focuses on notable works from cinema history. For 2026, however, the program shifts its emphasis inward, tracing KVIFF’s development through films that premiered, competed, or gained recognition at the event over the decades.
Retrospective reflects decades of global cinema
The curated selection spans films shown at KVIFF from its earliest editions to more recent years, illustrating the breadth of international cinema that has passed through the festival since 1946. Among the titles included is A Matter of Life and Death (1946, pictured at top), directed by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, which screened at the first edition of the festival in 1947.
The program also revisits Kes (1969), Ken Loach’s acclaimed British drama, which received the festival’s top prize in 1970. Its inclusion underscores KVIFF’s longstanding engagement with socially oriented filmmaking and emerging international voices.
Other selections highlight the festival’s historical connections with specific national cinemas. Mexican director Emilio Fernández, whose films were screened in Karlovy Vary beginning in the late 1940s, is represented by Río Escondido (1948). East German cinema is reflected through Lissy (1957), directed by Konrad Wolf, which was awarded one of the festival’s main prizes.
The retrospective also includes works tied to Czechoslovakia’s own cinematic legacy. Among them is The Defendant (1964), directed by Ján Kadár and Elmar Klos, which won the Grand Prix at KVIFF. The program further features Birds, Orphans and Fools (1969), directed by Juraj Jakubisko, a film that was suppressed at the time of its production and only screened publicly decades later, including at KVIFF in 1990.
Linking past milestones to present celebrations
The inclusion of Birds, Orphans and Fools also connects the retrospective to this year’s broader festival program. The film will be introduced by actress Magda Vášáryová, who is set to receive the President’s Award at the 2026 edition, reinforcing the festival’s effort to link its historical programming with contemporary recognition of key figures.
Another notable entry is Captain Thunderbolt (1951), directed by Cecil Holmes. Long considered partially lost, the film gained renewed attention after an original uncut 35mm print was discovered in 2024 at the Czech National Film Archive. Its inclusion in the program commemorates its earlier screening at the 7th edition of the festival in 1952 and reflects ongoing efforts to recover and preserve film history.
According to artistic director Karel Och, the anniversary edition of Out of the Past is designed to highlight films that have played a defining role in shaping KVIFF’s profile. By focusing on titles directly connected to the festival’s past, the program offers audiences a historical lens through which to view its evolution.
This retrospective forms part of a wider set of anniversary activities planned for 2026, including exhibitions, restored film premieres, and architectural updates to key festival venues. Together, these initiatives position the festival as both a platform for contemporary cinema and a site of historical reflection.
The full lineup for the Out of the Past – KVIFF 60/80 retrospective is expected to be announced in early June. As the festival prepares to mark its dual anniversary, the program underscores the enduring role of Karlovy Vary as a meeting point for international filmmakers and a repository of cinematic history.
