Karlovy Vary executive director says festival’s staying power comes from balancing tradition and change

The Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, based in the Czech spa town of Karlovy Vary, is positioning itself as more than a legacy brand, with leadership emphasizing continuity and adaptation as it marks its place among the world’s oldest major cinema events. In an interview published June 27, Kryštof Mucha, the festival’s executive director and chair of the KVIFF Group, said the festival is “very proud” to be considered the world’s second-oldest film festival.

Mucha’s comments focus on what he characterizes as the festival’s operating philosophy: blending tradition with innovation. He described the importance of maintaining the ceremony and cultural identity that audiences associate with a long-running institution while also evolving in response to contemporary filmmaking, changing viewing habits, and the broader film industry’s expectations for new voices and formats.

The interview also connects current programming priorities to the festival’s historical and cultural foundations. Mucha said the “spirit” associated with Václav Havel and Jiří Bartoška remains present in the festival’s approach, framing their influence as part of the event’s ongoing mission rather than a fixed historical reference point.

As part of that continuity, the festival leadership portrayal emphasizes that tradition is not only about preserving historic prestige, but also about sustaining a framework for professional exchange and public access. Mucha’s remarks suggest the event uses its established stature to draw filmmakers and industry participants, while then using programming choices to keep the festival relevant for contemporary audiences.

The Karlovy Vary festival has long been understood internationally as a key Central European platform. In the interview, Mucha’s emphasis on institutional memory and ongoing reinvention highlights how festivals may seek to protect cultural credibility while also ensuring that the event does not become static.

While Mucha’s statements are centered on philosophy and cultural stewardship, the practical stakes for Karlovy Vary and its organizers are implicitly tied to the event’s ability to remain attractive to filmmakers, distributors, sponsors, and audiences. For the festival’s stakeholders, maintaining prestige can affect industry participation, media attention, and the operational expectations that come with staging an annual event.

The Hollywood Reporter article does not provide a detailed breakdown of specific upcoming lineup changes or concrete policy measures, focusing instead on leadership perspectives. Those additional details, including what new programming or institutional initiatives may follow from Mucha’s stated approach, would be expected to be confirmed through festival announcements closer to the festival dates.