The Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (KVIFF) has unveiled the program for its retrospective and heritage sections at this year’s festival, expanding its anniversary lineup with a wide-ranging selection of restored classics, rediscovered works, and landmark titles from its own history.
The 60th edition of the festival will feature two major strands dedicated to film heritage. The first, Out of the Past – KVIFF 60/80, marks both 60 festival editions and 80 years since the festival’s founding, presenting a curated selection of key films that screened at KVIFF and shaped its identity over time. The second, Special Screenings – Classics, focuses on broader film history, bringing together restorations, tributes, and anniversary screenings from international cinema.
Together, the programs underscore KVIFF’s increasing emphasis on archival preservation and film history as part of its contemporary identity, positioning the festival not only as a platform for new cinema but also as a key European curator of film heritage.
Special Screenings highlight restorations and filmmaker tributes
The Special Screenings – Classics section includes several premieres and restoration presentations spanning multiple eras and national cinemas.
Slovak filmmaker Ivan Ostrochovský, whose new feature Prameň is competing in the Crystal Globe section, will also present his documentary Igor and After, an in-depth portrait of acclaimed Slovak cinematographer Igor Luther, known for his work on films such as The Tin Drum and Birds, Orphans and Fools.
Another major documentary premiere is The Hanging of Stuart Cornfeld, which profiles independent producer Stuart Cornfeld, whose credits include The Elephant Man, Kafka, and The Fly. The film will receive its international premiere in Karlovy Vary.
The section also continues the festival’s long-standing engagement with the work of John Cassavetes, presenting The Killing of a Chinese Bookie, a neo-noir character study starring Ben Gazzara that remains one of the director’s most frequently revisited works in the festival’s history.
Restoration work also plays a central role this year. Alongside the newly restored slapstick satire Tainted Horseplay, the program revisits Autumn Spring by Vladimír Michálek, highlighting the producing legacy of Jaroslav Bouček. The festival will also mark the 30th anniversary of David Ondříček’s debut Whisper (pictured at top), with a special screening at the Karlovy Vary Municipal Theatre.
The Classics section reflects KVIFF’s continued commitment to cinephile programming, balancing newly restored Czech and Slovak works with international titles that have maintained critical relevance across decades.
Special Screenings – Classics:
- Igor and After (Ivan Ostrochovský, 2026, Slovak Republic, Czech Republic)
- The Hanging of Stuart Cornfeld (Joan Bofill Amargós, 2025, USA, Spain)
- The Killing of a Chinese Bookie (John Cassavetes, 1978, USA)
- Tainted Horseplay (Věra Chytilová, 1988, Czechoslovakia)
- Autumn Spring (Vladimír Michálek, 2001, Czech Republic)
- Whisper (David Ondříček, 1996, Czech Republic)
Out of the Past traces festival history through landmark films
The Out of the Past – KVIFF 60/80 section is dedicated entirely to films that have defined the festival’s long-running relationship with international cinema, marking both its 60th edition and 80 years since its establishment.
The program brings together 20 films from previous festival selections and award-winning titles that have become closely associated with KVIFF’s historical identity. The selection spans continents and decades, reinforcing the festival’s role as one of Europe’s oldest and most influential cultural platforms.
Among the highlights is Ján Kadár and Elmar Klos’ The Defendant, which won the Crystal Globe in 1964 and remains a key example of Czechoslovak cinema’s international recognition during the 1960s. The inclusion of such titles reflects a deliberate effort to reconnect contemporary audiences with the festival’s most formative moments.
The section also includes globally significant works that have previously resonated with Karlovy Vary audiences, reinforcing the festival’s curatorial focus on cinema that has shaped both national and international film history.
According to festival organizers, the anniversary edition is designed to emphasize continuity between past and present programming, positioning heritage cinema as a living part of the festival experience rather than a purely archival exercise.
The full selection highlights the diversity of filmmakers and national cinemas that have passed through Karlovy Vary over the decades, underscoring the festival’s evolving but consistent role as a bridge between Czech film culture and global cinema networks.
Out of the Past – KVIFF 60/80:
- Barravento (Glauber Rocha, 1962, Brazil)
- Captain Thunderbolt (Cecil Holmes, 1952, Australia)
- Children of Hiroshima (Kaneto Shindo, 1954, Japan)
- Cold Days (András Kovács, 1966, Hungary)
- Kes (Ken Loach, 1969, United Kingdom)
- The Last Chance (Leopold Lindtberg, 1945, Switzerland)
- Lissy (Konrad Wolf, 1957, Germany)
- A Matter of Life and Death (Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger, 1946, United Kingdom)
- No Peace Under the Olive Tree (Giuseppe De Santis, 1950, Italy)
- The Defendant (Ján Kadár, Elmar Klos, 1964, Czechoslovakia)
- The Outsiders (Mrinal Sen, 1977, India)
- Hidden River (Emilio Fernández, 1948, Mexico)
- Sexy Beast (Jonathan Glazer, 2000, United Kingdom, Spain, USA)
- Blood on the Land (Vasilis Georgiadis, 1965, Greece)
- Trainspotting (Danny Boyle, 1996, United Kingdom)
- Birds, Orphans and Fools (Juraj Jakubisko, 1969, Czechoslovakia, France)
Lead image: Ray Winstone in Sexy Beast (2000)
