Some say it is all about the great films! Others mention the picturesque spa town. Some simply love the Bohemian hospitality, food and drink. And others mention the summer party vibes in the air. So, what makes Karlovy Vary and the annual film festival in the Czech town so special? Most could probably agree that it’s a mix of all of the above.
As has become tradition for many, film industry folks, movie buffs and people simply looking for a good time are getting ready to head to the first big festival of the summer. After all, the 60th edition of the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (KVIFF) awaits. The Czech festival this year runs July 3-11.
Few people know the place as well as Karlovy Vary mayor Andrea Pfeffer Ferklová.
I assume your work across various fields keeps you very busy. How many films do you manage to see during KVIFF? And are there any favorite things you like to do during the festival?
There aren’t many films; after all, during part of the festival, there are still working days. As the mayor of the city and a member of the regional council, I have to attend meetings of their bodies, our press conferences, or maybe I serve as a wedding officiant for an engaged couple. I’m happy if I manage to go to four to five films. I’m definitely always looking forward to the opening and closing films.
Were there any films in recent years that particularly inspired or impressed you? And are there any films you hope to see this year?
Last year, I was interested in Splitsville with Dakota Johnson. In 2021, I remember the nervousness when the festival was held at the end of the summer to “fit” between two periods of harsh COVID restrictions – that’s when I liked Philip Barantini’s Boiling Point.
Of the films announced this year, I am most attracted to [Michele Fiascaris’] Rain Catcher [in the Proxima competition] and the new Czech film by Mr. [Miroslav] Krobot and Mr. [Lubomír] Smékal, A Report for Minerva 2 [in the Special Screenings program]. I would definitely like to see Jesse Eisenberg’s The Double and Maggie Gyllenhaal’s The Bride!
How important is the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival to KV as a place of culture?
Karlovy Vary is the Promised City for film, although there have never been film studios here. But perhaps the very first film screening in the Czech Republic took place here, in the spa house, which today bears the name Spa Hotel Windsor. It was coincidentally exactly 130 years ago, on July 14, 1896.
Later, films were also shot here, and after the war, the festival came. I think that the reason why people decided to organize it in our spa region at that time was both the visitor infrastructure and facilities that Mariánské Lázně and Karlovy Vary had at the time. Also [beneficial was] their already world-famous reputation and also the fact that their centers were not damaged by the recently ended Second World War. We are also celebrating a big anniversary here this year: the first year of the festival took place 80 years ago.
The Grandhotel Pupp in Karlovy Vary
Has the city ever estimated how much economic benefit the KVIFF brings to the city every year?
As for the economic benefit to the city, we definitely focus on that. The city is financially supporting the festival, so they want to know if it makes sense. And of course it does, if we contributed about half a million dollars to the festival last year, the organizers themselves spent $5 million in the city, other festival partners spent $2 million, and visitors spent $20 million. So in total, $27 million more dollars were spent in the city during the 10 days of the festival.
Stars genuinely love the festival and attending it. What do you think is the secret of the success of KVIFF and KV?
It is definitely the place – spa towns are built for beauty from the beginning, in harmony with the nature of the parks and surrounding forests. Karlovy Vary is also just the right size; the city center, where the festival takes place, is a narrow, picturesque valley where people simply have to meet.
Another peculiarity of the Karlovy Vary festival is that it is still visited by thousands of film enthusiasts, not just professionals, such as filmmakers, producers or journalists. This then leads to almost unbelievable situations when you simply meet Woody Harrelson in the park, or John Travolta or Uma Thurman are taking a selfie with you in the background.
Karlovy Vary is simply big enough to host such an international event, but small enough that people cannot pass each other. It has a safe and nice atmosphere, and despite its centuries of history, it seems young and open. And so, a student with a backpack sleeping in a campsite can come here, as can a world film legend staying in the best hotel.
You must have met so many Hollywood film stars and directors over the years. Any particularly special ones for you? And how was the experience of meeting them?
From recent years, I fondly remember meeting Russell Crowe, who also appeared here as a musician, Michael Douglas, or Julianne Moore, who also won over crowds of fans. Although they are world mega-stars, when we met them in person, they were very nice and approachable people.
Does KV ever attract film and TV shoots? Are there any famous examples you remember?
Certainly, thanks to the environment, filming has been going on here since the 1920s. Before 1989, it was difficult for foreign films, as Czechoslovakia was separated from the Western World by the Iron Curtain. But then filmmakers returned. I remember, for example, the filming of Shanghai Knights, Casino Royale, Last Holiday or La Vie en Rose.
What kind of film and TV do you and your family enjoy in your free time?
I like films that leave a mark, an impression, an emotion in me. I’m not a very good viewer of art films. I understand what the authors want to say with them, but I don’t really enjoy watching that journey. I’m not against films where there’s some action or tension, nor those where there’s a bit of wit and humor.
Is there anything else you would like to highlight about KVIFF, your work of mayor or your past work at the Grandhotel Pupp?
Whether as mayor or previously as director of the Grandhotel Pupp, during the film festival, one realizes more than ever what a beautiful and cosmopolitan city one has the honor of living and working in. I feel immense pride and at the same time a great commitment not to disappoint high expectations.
As director of the most famous hotel in Karlovy Vary, it was very important to me that the city be an attractive destination for guests, and the same is one of my priorities as mayor. Because tourism is the main driving force of the economy and the essence of Karlovy Vary.
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