With the words of Festival President Jiří Bartoška, the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival entered its 54 th year and was officially declared open. In his speech, Bartoška commemorated the thirtieth anniversary of the Velvet Revolution and emotionally thanked the staff, including in his introductory speech a commemoration of the cooperation between two people without whom the festival would not have been able to work for twenty-five years – Jiří Bartoška and Eva Zaoralová.
During the opening ceremony, Oscar-holder Julianne Moore received the Crystal Globe for
Outstanding Artistic Contribution to World Cinema. The actress expressed her gratitude for
the fact that she can share this festival experience with her partner in life and in film, Bart
Freundlich, and even with her daughter. „I´m delighted to be able to be here with my daughter.
I always told my children that they should follow their interests, that it will bring them
something amazing. I had the luck that film not only brought me to my career but also to my
husband.“
Then Julianne Moore, along with her husband, director Bart Freundlich, and actor Billy Crudup, introduced the inaugural film of the festival After the Wedding, inspired by the eponymous Danish film by Susanne Bier. In this sophisticated drama full of unexpected twists, excelling alongside Moore in terms of acting was also Michelle Williams.
After the screening came the time for the traditional concert with fireworks. This time the Czech National Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Carl Davis, played the immortal hits of The Beatles in front of a large audience by the Hotel Thermal.
