By David Mouriquand  •  Updated: 04/07/2022 - 15:59

The colourful Czech spa city of Karlovy Vary is waking up once again to the 56th edition of its international film festival. 

The event opened with a grandiose show, celebrating that after two years affected by Covid 19, cinephiles are finally able to enjoy the festival without any restrictions. 

The Karlovy Vary International Film Festival is the largest film festival in the Czech Republic and the most prestigious such festivals in Central and Eastern Europe.

A large delegation was present on the red carpet for the Lithuanian, French and Belgian co-production Vesper, a sci-fi fantasy thriller which premiered accompanied by a special drone.

The unique-looking automaton protects and supervises the main character, 13-year-old Vesper, and her paralyzed father during their fight for survival in a post-apocalyptic world. This dystopian and eco–futurist fairytale is set in a Lithuanian woodland landscape and sees invisible oligarchs hiding in citadels, dictating the rules while the rest of the population suffer.

The line-up contains over 160 films, with 12 selected for the main Crystal Globe competition. 

The festival kicked off on the 1st July and will run until the 9th.