The Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (KVIFF) may have lost a key figurehead due to the May death of legendary Czech actor and long-time fest president Jiří Bartoška. But its leadership and majority owner, Rockaway Arts, have vowed to “preserve the values and level of quality that its president built up over the years.”
Rockaway recently lauded the “strong and stable team headed by executive director Kryštof Mucha, saying: “The position of president will not be filled and will remain dedicated to Jiří Bartoška in memoriam.”
Mucha, who joined the festival team in 1997 and has been its executive director since 2004, has also become chairman of the board of the KVIFF Group. Remaining on the festival’s management team are artistic director Karel Och and head of production Petr Lintimer.
“For many years, I had the wonderful opportunity to work with Jiří Bartoška and to see how he thought and where he was taking the festival,” Mucha said after his promotion. “I believe that, together with Karel Och and Petr Lintimer, we will succeed in continuing his legacy.”
Ahead of this year’s 59th edition of KVIFF, THR caught up with Mucha to discuss the legacy of Bartoška, how the festival’s duties are now being divided up, its focus on continuity along with some new accents, and more.
“Mr. Bartoška was the biggest TV and film star in the ‘80s, and then a very important figure for the revolution in 1989 [that led to the fall of communism in Czechoslovakia] and very well connected to people like Miloš Forman and others,” Mucha tells THR. The executive worked closely with the legendary actor and festival president from 2000, 2001 and even more so once Mucha became executive director in 2004.
“He was focused on the positioning of the film festival in terms of the Czech environment, developing and bringing sponsors into the festival, support from the government, and from the city of Karlovy Vary,” he explains. “He was the key person for all that. When he passed, I replaced him, but we said we are not going to have the festival president position anymore. That was the way he was running the film festival, and we felt that this was the right position for him, because as president, he was such a big figure.”
That’s why the fest has organized a tribute to Bartoška this year, with the fest’s opening film We’ve Got to Frame It! (A Conversation With Jiří Bartoška in July 2021), along with screenings of an older film starring the legend, and an exhibition of large-scale photographs featuring him. “It is a celebration of what this incredible person achieved,” says Mucha.
“It’s not about one person, it’s about a team,” adds Mucha of his working relationship with Och and Lintimer. “We feel that’s how it should be right now.”
How will Mucha’s role at the festival change? “Jiří Bartoška was the one who was representing the festival and meeting the stars and other guests of the festival, but also when politicians came and important figures in this country. He was very natural at that and spent time with them,” he noted. “That work is going to be quite a difference for me. Karel and I will do more of those things together. For example, when we have a guest getting an award, we will be the ones handing it to them.” Meanwhile, “Petr, as the director of production, will be with me at events for the sponsors. So we will try to share these duties among us.”
Having Mucha and Och attending big festivals, such as Cannes and Sundance, also has key benefits. “Being there together means we can make decisions immediately. And it’s great that you can have the artistic director and executive director doing these things together.”
Evolution rather than revolution is what Mucha sees ahead for KVIFF. One such evolution is a recently unveiled tweaking of the industry program of the fest, which is adding a day this year, launching “a sharpened focus on Central European co-production opportunities in an updated showcase format” called KVIFF Central Stage, and introducing a series incubator.
“Things are changing very fast in this industry,” says Mucha. “We previously had a works-in-progress program. These days, it’s different because right now, every single significant project already has sales, and people know about it.”
A focus on co-production opportunities across Eastern and Central European countries, including Germany and Austria, seemed a natural fit. “That’s the territory where we feel we are a key player and want to be focused on this. It’s something that could really be beneficial for all of us.”
TV is also playing an expanded role this year, including the world premiere of Serbian miniseries Absolute 100 in the fest’s Special Screenings section.
Plus, Central European Media Enterprises (CME), which owns television businesses in Central and Eastern Europe, approached KVIFF about a possible broader collaboration in the industry program. “So we talked about film and TV and decided this was a great time to start something new,” says Mucha.
The result is the new Pop-Up Series Incubator featuring five original European series ideas. “We are not going to be changing the program focus of the festival to TV,” highlights Mucha. “But if there is a quality movie coming from TV, we would love to screen it. There are no limits for us. So, again, it’s natural. This is something new happening for the first time, and we hope that it is going to work and that it is going to have benefits. If these things work, perfect. We can then develop these things more.”
All in all, Mucha says the troika in charge of KVIFF is experienced and ready to carry on the legacy of Bartoška while also continuing to innovate.
Says Mucha: “He was the one who often stood up front and dealt with the media and public. We were working together and with him, but more behind him. But we have been a significant part of the team for many, many years. So if people still feel that the festival will be hard to organize, I think that is to our advantage. People will see in Karlovy Vary that it will still look the same, but we will also remember Jiří Bartoška the right way. And it’s going to be in a positive way.”
