Robert Redford to be special guest at 40th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival

The special guest at this year's Karlovy Vary International Film Festival will be a real Hollywood legend - the great Robert Redford. A host of other interesting actors and directors have also been invited to the "A" list festival, which begins on July 1st and is one of the most colourful events on the Czech cultural calendar. This year's Karlovy Vary Film Festival is the 40th, even though it was not founded exactly 40 years ago. Artistic Director Eva Zaoralova explains:

Eva Zaoralova and Jiri Bartoska, photo: CTK

"It was not founded in 1965, it was founded in 1946. The reason why we have only the 40th...edition is that in '58 the Moscow Film Festival was founded, and the Karlovy Vary Festival alternated from that time with the Moscow Film Festival until 1994. And since '94 it's an annual event."

This year will you have any special themes or retrospectives?

"Yes, we will have many retrospectives. We will have a retrospective which will commemorate the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II. And we will have some tributes to personalities, to Robert Redford and Liv Ullmann, who will come to Karlovy Vary too. And to Alexander Payne, an independent director. And we will have two retrospectives, which will present Norwegian and Canadian cinema."

The Karlovy Vary Film Festival is a huge event, it takes place at the beginning of July every year. How far in advance do you start preparing for the festival?

"We start to prepare the festival immediately after the festival! Me and my collaborators go to main European - but also Asian - festivals and to national festivals. These events are very important for us, mainly for the composition of the competition."

For more information go to www.iffkv.cz