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Karlovy Vary’s 60th Edition Is Shaped by a Program Team Calling It a “Double Anniversary”
The Apex Times

THE APEX TIMES

Culture/The Apex Times/Jun 28, 5:05 AM EDT

Karlovy Vary’s 60th Edition Is Shaped by a Program Team Calling It a “Double Anniversary”

The Czech festival says its 2026 programming will be built around a core group of programmers working with artistic director Karel Och to spotlight new discoveries and less-seen selections alongside established festival titles.

3 min readEditor-approved Apex article

Karlovy Vary Film Festival’s 60th edition will be curated by a dedicated programming team, with the festival describing the 2026 slate as a “double anniversary” built on both discovery and the wider festival circuit. The event is expected to feature a mix of new works and films chosen for audiences seeking less predictable entries, with emphasis on what the festival characterizes as “hidden gems” and “cinematic surprises.”

The festival’s programming is being handled by Anna, Sandra, Vojtěch, Petra, Natalia and Lorenzo, who are working with artistic director Karel Och. In a profile of the team’s approach, the festival frames the programming effort as a collaborative process in which each programmer contributes to identifying standout films, balancing momentum from recent releases with a wider view of where major cinematic trends are headed.

Karlovy Vary’s programming team said it is pursuing selections intended to reach both frequent festival-goers and viewers who come for the spa town experience as much as for the screenings themselves. The festival characterizes the 2026 effort as a showcase designed to surface emerging voices and notable works that may not always be prominent in mainstream festival lineups.

The team’s stated programming priorities include bringing forward new discoveries and lesser-seen films, alongside choices that reflect the “best of the fest circuit.” That framing points to a strategy of combining off-the-radar titles with selections that have proven relevance within the international festival ecosystem.

In describing its 60th edition planning, the festival positions the programmers as the people responsible for translating that strategy into a final lineup, including decisions about which films fit the festival’s identity and which titles best serve the audience experience in Karlovy Vary. The festival’s “double anniversary” language suggests an intent to mark the milestone not only with scale but with an emphasis on variety and unexpected programming turns.

The festival’s profile of the program team also situates the effort within the practical workflow of festival curation, where programmers must track submissions, industry buzz and emerging reputations while still reserving room for quieter or more challenging titles. With Och overseeing the effort, the festival’s described process centers on collaborative selection rather than a single decision-maker.

The festival has not outlined in the published profile any specific dates or screening counts in the cited material, but it has made clear that the lineup is being shaped by the named programmers working as a unit with Och. With the 60th edition underway later in 2026, audiences and industry attendees will look for whether the festival’s “hidden gems” and “cinematic surprises” approach translates into a slate that reflects both discovery and broader circuit recognition.

Festival industry coverage also highlights that such programming decisions can influence international film visibility, particularly for directors whose work is being elevated through festival pathways. For audiences, the practical effect of the programming plan is straightforward: the festival’s 60th edition will be curated with an emphasis on what the festival describes as new discoveries and standout finds for a mainstream festival-going audience in addition to Karlovy Vary’s traditional year-round appeal.

Why It Matters

  • A 60th edition lineup can affect how internationally circulated films reach audiences, particularly for directors and producers relying on festival visibility.
  • The festival’s emphasis on “hidden gems” and “new discoveries” indicates a curatorial choice that may alter which films gain attention compared with more predictable circuit selections.
  • The named programmers and the centralized role of artistic director Karel Och provide transparency about who is shaping the festival’s artistic direction for the milestone year.
  • Because the festival frames the 2026 effort around both discovery and circuit recognition, the lineup could determine how audiences balance established titles with emerging work during the milestone edition.

Sources

Key Facts

  • Karlovy Vary Film Festival is preparing its 60th edition in 2026, describing it as a “double anniversary.”
  • The festival says the programming team consists of Anna, Sandra, Vojtěch, Petra, Natalia and Lorenzo.
  • Artistic director Karel Och is working with the program team on the festival’s 2026 lineup.
  • The festival characterizes its curation goals as including new discoveries, hidden gems, and cinematic surprises.
  • The festival also says it aims to include selections that reflect “the best of the fest circuit.”