The main center of the festival is Hotel Thermal.
The core of the program is the feature film competition; in accordance with FIAPF regulations only those films which have not been shown in competition at any other international festivals can be included.
The documentary competition is an important festival event.
The extensive informative program features both distribution pre-premiers and films awarded at other festivals.
But it also includes discoveries of artistic creations by independent directors, productions coming out of little known film industries, retrospectives, and an overview of Czech film output during the past year.
For the tenth straight year the festival will present Variety Critics' Choice: new and interesting films of mainly European production selected by critics working at this prestigious magazine.

Seminars focusing primarily on European film are another important part of the festival.

Thousands of visitors and the great variety of films testify to the effectiveness of the program team with program director Eva Zaoralová at its head.
Due to their valiant efforts many films will be purchased at the festival for wider distribution or, thanks to receiving a festival award, will attract the attention of major producers, distributors, and the media.

The festival program has the following sections:
Official Selection - Competition – films never before shown in competition at any other international festival.

East of the West - Competition – films from the former socialist bloc.

Documentary Films - Competition – a competition divided into two parts: documentaries less than and longer than 30 minutes.

Horizons and Another View – a selection of the most remarkable contemporary films.

Imagina - films with an unconventional approach to narration and style, distinctive and radical visions of film language.

Out of the Past - classic, cult, rare and unfairly overlooked films, screened in their original and restored versions.

Future Frames: Generation NEXT of European Cinema - ten directors, an upcoming generation of young European filmmakers, present their student films.
The project is organized in cooperation with European Film Promotion.

Midnight Screenings - a selection of the latest horror and action films, works that look at their genres in new, often humorous, ways.

Czech Films – a representative selection of current Czech films.

Tributes, special focuses and retrospectives
The main center of the festival is Hotel Thermal. The core of the program is the feature film competition; in accordance with FIAPF regulations only those films which have not been shown in competition at any other international festivals can be included. The documentary competition is an important festival event. The extensive informative program features both distribution pre-premiers and films awarded at other festivals. But it also includes discoveries of artistic creations by independent directors, productions coming out of little known film industries, retrospectives, and an overview of Czech film output during the past year. For the tenth straight year the festival will present Variety Critics' Choice: new and interesting films of mainly European production selected by critics working at this prestigious magazine.
Seminars focusing primarily on European film are another important part of the festival.
Thousands of visitors and the great variety of films testify to the effectiveness of the program team with program director Eva Zaoralová at its head. Due to their valiant efforts many films will be purchased at the festival for wider distribution or, thanks to receiving a festival award, will attract the attention of major producers, distributors, and the media.
The festival program has the following sections:
Official Selection - Competition – films never before shown in competition at any other international festival.
East of the West - Competition – films from the former socialist bloc.
Documentary Films - Competition – a competition divided into two parts: documentaries less than and longer than 30 minutes.
Horizons and Another View – a selection of the most remarkable contemporary films.
Imagina - films with an unconventional approach to narration and style, distinctive and radical visions of film language.
Out of the Past - classic, cult, rare and unfairly overlooked films, screened in their original and restored versions.
Future Frames: Generation NEXT of European Cinema - ten directors, an upcoming generation of young European filmmakers, present their student films. The project is organized in cooperation with European Film Promotion.
Midnight Screenings - a selection of the latest horror and action films, works that look at their genres in new, often humorous, ways.
Czech Films – a representative selection of current Czech films.
Tributes, special focuses and retrospectives
Karlovy Vary International Film Festival