Karlovy Vary Film Festival Postpones 2021 Event To Late August

This year’s 55th edition of the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival has been postponed from early July to August 20-28, 2021.

Organizers cited the ongoing pandemic situation in Czech Republic as the motivating factor for the move.

“Moving the festival’s dates back by seven weeks will offer the best chance of holding this cultural event closer to the extent that audiences and festivalgoers have become accustomed to,” the festival said.

“Our decision to take this step was made after consulting with experts and upon a careful consideration of the current situation. We hope that the coming months will see a significant increase in vaccinations, thanks to which the pandemic will be brought under control, thus allowing us to hold the Karlovy Vary festival in a form that will be maximally safe for guests and visitors. Naturally, we are ready to observe all applicable regulations,” added KVIFF’s executive director Kryštof Mucha.

KVIFF’s artistic director Karel Och commented: “Moving the dates of the 55th festival does not mean a long-term change in the Karlovy Vary festival’s traditional slot, the festival’s 56th edition will return to its usual time, meaning from 1 to 9 July 2022.”

The Czech Republic has been struggling to deal with the pandemic for some time. While global numbers of Covid cases have been dropping for six weeks, the Central European country has been experiencing near record levels of new infections. Deaths have just surpassed 20,000 and its death rate ranks among the world’s highest.

Running in July, the festival was due to clash with the Cannes Film Festival, which this year pushed into a July slot due to the pandemic. But doubts are growing about the viability of the Riviera event at that time, and as we first revealed, Cannes organizers are lining up a separate, earlier market for the industry.

The late August position for KV means it will take place just before Venice, which is due to get underway from September 1, 2021.