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Festival Guide

Heading to the festival? Coming this year for the first time? Things you should know if you’d like to plan your stay in advance and take advantage of everything the festival has to offer...

Getting there and around

• The town of Karlovy Vary is located 130 km west of Prague near the German border. We can help you with planning your journey
• The Hotel Thermal is the festival’s main venue, where you will find most festival services (accreditation center, accommodation agency counters, box offices, information center, movie theaters, and festival offices)
• Festival movie theaters and accommodation facilities are located downtown in the pedestrian zone connecting Hotel Thermal to Grandhotel Pupp, and in the immediate surroundings
• A word to the wise: arrange your festival accommodations in advance. We can put you in touch with accommodation agencies, the festival’s Tent Town, and individual hotels and hostels
• Bringing kids to the festival? Check out the Day Care Center at Hotel Thermal
• Festival bus lines will operate during the festival to transport you between movie theaters and the main accommodation locales
• Need a little exercise after sitting in a movie theater all day long? You can rent one of the festival’s Specialized bikes. Bike stands are located at Hotel Thermal, Grandhotel Pupp, and Tent Town
• Our checked baggage service is located at Hotel Thermal near the exit to the Great Hall. It will be open during the entire festival (8 AM to 3 AM, cost: 10 CZK per article)
• The festival store (located in Hotel Thermal) offers an assortment of festival souvenirs, including T-shirts, bags, and mugs, as well as the festival catalogue and program brochure; they also carry DVDs and books from Czech and foreign publishers

Films and screenings

• Information about the films selected for this year’s festival program will be regularly posted beginning in March. All films will be up on the website by mid June along with a complete catalogue and film program
• You can put together your own selection of films prior to leaving for the festival with the help of My Program. Use it for advance ticket sales, at the box office, or for simply figuring out your own personal movie schedule
• The festival offers visitors a variety of ways to obtain movie tickets
• Festival visitors will decide the Audience Award by casting their votes in ballot boxes placed at the exit to each movie theater
• The Kino bez bariér project has become an integral part of KVIFF. With the help of an assistance and information service, the project’s goal is to streamline the moviegoing experience for the physically disabled
• The festival also offers a selection of films with captions for the hearing impaired
• If you would like to enter your film in the festival program, please find all pertinent information under Film Entry. The application deadline is March 29, 2013

Meetings with filmmakers

• The majority of films at the festival are personally presented by a delegation of filmmakers who will stay for Q & A after the end of the film. We will let you know about such discussions prior to the start of the film and on our website before the start of the festival
• You can also meet a variety of creators at our KVIFF Talks – meetings with filmmakers (the program will be posted online prior to the start of the festival)
• Moviegoers bearing a Festival Pass or festival accreditation may also attend press conferences (journalists have priority admittance but the room rarely fills up). The press conference schedule will be listed on bulletin boards and at the entrance to the press room

What to do when you’re not at the movies

• The festival offers an extensive accompanying program of concerts, events, and exhibits (the schedule will be posted in mid June)
• Don’t miss the chance to meet with filmmakers during the KVIFF Talks (the program will be available before the festival)
• Check out our bar and restaurant recommendations (an updated list will be available before the festival)
• Karlovy Vary is a beautiful town – why not explore it for a change of pace?

Up-to-date information and festival history

• Information about the upcoming festival will be regularly posted on this website beginning in March. You may also receive our newsletter by email after registering online free
• Keep current with festival news on facebook and twitter
• The festival also has its own YouTube channel and Instagram
• Those interested in festival history may wish to investigate past festival years, the film archive, and the festival’s photo gallery
• If you want to know a lot more about the festival, you may be interested in the festival’s bylaws, the conferring of awards, our festival partners, and our festival contact information

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