President Petr Pavel returned to the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival on Thursday, combining a public appearance at one of the festival’s retrospective screenings with a broader discussion about the future of Czech filmmaking and the financing of public service media.
Appearing alongside first lady Eva Pavlová, Pavel attended a special anniversary screening of David Ondříček‘s Whisper (Šeptej), the influential 1996 drama that has become one of the defining portraits of post-communist Czech youth. Before meeting with filmmakers later in the evening, the president said he wanted to hear their views on how the Czech Republic can continue supporting domestic film production at a time of uncertainty over public broadcasting funding.
Film funding and the role of Czech Television
Speaking with journalists at the festival, Pavel said maintaining the recent growth in the quality of Czech filmmaking should be a priority, adding that discussions with filmmakers would focus on the conditions needed to sustain that momentum.
“As far as I’ve been able to see, the quality of Czech film production has generally been improving, and it would be a shame to disrupt that trend,” Pavel said.
The president specifically pointed to the role of Czech Television as one of the country’s most important financiers of domestic film production. He noted that any substantial reduction in the broadcaster’s resources would inevitably affect the number of new Czech films being made.
His comments come as the Czech government proposes significant cuts to the budgets of Czech Television and Czech Radio. Under the proposal, the public broadcasters would receive roughly 15 percent less funding than they currently receive following last year’s increase in television and radio license fees.
The planned reductions would lower the combined budgets of the two organizations by approximately CZK 1.4 billion. Czech Television management has warned that the cuts would lead to fewer original productions and the elimination of between 450 and 700 jobs from its workforce of roughly 4,250 employees. Prime Minister Andrej Babiš has defended the proposal, arguing that public broadcasters must reduce spending in line with trends elsewhere in Europe.
For the Czech film industry, the debate extends beyond television programming. Czech Television regularly co-produces feature films, documentaries and television projects, providing an important source of financing for domestic filmmakers alongside the Czech Audiovisual Fund and international co-production partners. Any sustained reduction in investment could affect both the volume and diversity of locally produced films.
Celebrating Whisper three decades later
Earlier in the day, Pavel and the first lady attended a screening of Whisper at Karlovy Vary’s Municipal Theatre. The restored version of the film is part of the festival’s Special Screenings – Classics section, which presents newly restored Czech and international classics alongside documentaries about major figures in film history.
The screening marked the 30th anniversary of Ondříček’s feature directorial debut. Widely regarded as a generational portrait of the 1990s, Whisper captures Prague’s emerging club culture and the optimism and uncertainty that followed the country’s transition after the fall of communism.
Before the screening, Pavel met with representatives of the theater, director David Ondříček and members of the cast. During an onstage conversation with longtime festival host Marek Eben, the president was asked what film he would choose if given complete freedom.
“It would probably depend on my mood,” Pavel replied. “If I wanted to relax, perhaps a comedy, even a Czech classic.”
The president also revealed that the screening was his first time seeing Whisper.
“I’m always happy when I can watch Czech films,” he said. “This one is 30 years old, but what’s appealing about it is that anyone who remembers that period can really be transported back to its atmosphere. It’s a bit nostalgic.”
Many audience members were surprised to see the president seated in a first-floor theater box, and his official welcome was met with prolonged applause before the screening began.
The anniversary presentation also featured a live performance by the band Colorfactory, whose music forms an integral part of the film’s soundtrack. The cast includes Tatiana Dyková, Jan P. Muchow, Martin Myšička and Kateřina Winterová, while the film remains one of the signature works of director Ondříček, the son of renowned cinematographer Miroslav Ondříček.
Pavel has become a regular visitor to the Karlovy Vary festival since taking office. He first attended in 2023, when he watched Restore Point, followed by a return in 2024, where he praised Ukrainian director Oleg Sentsov’s Real. In 2025, he attended the festival’s closing ceremony, paying tribute to longtime festival president Jiří Bartoška alongside his widow, Andrea Bartošková.
This year’s visit continued that tradition while highlighting the increasingly close connection between the festival and the wider debate over the future of Czech audiovisual production.
Lead photo: Petr Pavel greets Kryštof Mucha in Karlovy Vary on July 9, 2026 © Karlovy Vary International Film Festival
