Festival organizers announced Thursday morning that the upcoming edition of the Czech Republic-based event, which typically starts at the beginning of July, will instead begin August 20. The event will run through August 28. “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,” Kryštof Mucha, executive director of the Karlovy Vary Film Festival, said in a statement.
The news marks the second time that the ongoing coronavirus pandemic has impacted the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, after the 2020 edition of the event was canceled outright last April for health and safety reasons. At the time, festival organizers stated that “seeing a movie with other people in a theater is a powerful and irreplaceable experience” and that they did not wish to organize an event where participants wouldn’t be able to gather in-person.
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Regardless, event organizers stated that future editions of the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival would be hosted during its usual time frame.
“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,” Karel Och, artistic director of the Karlovy Vary Film Festival, said in a statement.
The Karlovy Vary International Film Festival is one of numerous events that have been adversely impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. Many 2020 festivals and trade events were canceled due to the pandemic and the 2021 editions of these events, such as the Berlin International Film Festival and SXSW, have moved to online-only formats.
Film enthusiasts can look back at the winners from the 2019 edition of the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, which honored actress Patricia Clarkson with the Crystal Globe prize, here.
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