Actor and president of Karlovy Vary Film Festival Jiří Bartoška dies at 78

The actor and president of the Karlovy Vary Film Festival Jiří Bartoška died on Thursday, the festival's spokesperson Uljana Donátová reported to ČTK. The actor, who had been battling cancer, was 78 years old.

Jiří Bartoška was born on March 24th 1947. He was one of the most prominent and charismatic figures in Czech cinema, and found success both on stage and in front of a camera. In recent years, he presented himself primarily as the president of the famous international film festival. Together with former artistic director Eva Zaoralová and their team, they managed to restore the festival to a status among elite film events.

According to President Pavel, a piece of Czech culture and charismatic style has been lost with Mr. Bartoška's death. The president expressed his condolences to his family and loved ones. Hotel Thermal in Karlovy Vary, which is the centre of the international film festival every year, will prepare a memorial site for the actor, who was an honorary citizen of the city.