Newsletter Českého centra - léto 2025

The beginning of July is the traditional date for The Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (KVIFF), the largest film festival in Czechia and the most prestigious in Central and Eastern Europe. This year we have teamed up with the festival to bring to London audiences a ‘teaser’ in the form of a series of events with the theme From Karlovy Vary, With Art. 

Every year Karlovy Vary (Karlsbad), an internationally known, picturesque spa town in Western Bohemia, hosts one of the world’s oldest film festivals where some of Hollywood’s brightest stars meet with tens of thousands of enthusiastic cinema fans. One of the continuing elements of the modern story of the festival is the graphic design company Studio Najbrt which each year presents the festival theme and visual identity with images that in many instances are iconic examples of Czech graphic design.  Posters celebrating this year’s theme The Embrace as a Symbol of Closeness by Zuzana Lednická in collaboration with Aleš Najbrt, and photographed by Václav Jirásek, will be exhibited outside the Czech Embassy in Kensington Palace Gardens.To honour the late Jiří Bartoška, a longtime president of the KVIFF and an iconic Czech actor, we will present in early July a special screening of the digitally restored Shadows of a Hot Summer – joint winner of the Crystal Globe award at the KVIFF in 1978 - by internationally acclaimed filmmaker Frantisek Vláčil. 

In collaboration with the Magnus Art Gallery and part of the From Karlovy Vary, With Art season we will present a group exhibition showcasing contemporary work by eight emerging artists from the Karlovy Vary residency programme. Each residency is designed for two artists at a time to foster their mutual dialogue intersecting various art genres and encouraging creative and innovative exchanges. This artists’ group exhibition, including work by Anežka and Peter Hošek and Karíma Al-Mukhatarová and TEA will open at the Vitrínka Gallery with a Private View on 11 July.

There are also ample cultural opportunities not to be missed this summer both in and outside London including: a performance of Katya Kabanová at the Glyndebourne Festival, Janáček’s Diary of One Who Disappeared at the Grimeborn Festival, concerts by the Wihan Quartet in Norfolk, Josef Koudelka’s photographic exhibition at Tate Modern and once again Czech dance and physical theatre at the world-renowned Edinburgh Fringe Festival with Panoptikum by Lenka Vagnerová & Company. If you are serious about getting out of London, you might consider attending the Czech National Day on 24 July at the World EXPO 2025 in Ósaka where a multi-genre immersive programme will be presented, a collaborative performance by the Czech Philharmonic and Cirk La Putyka accompanied by the Czech Radio Children’s Choir and popular singer Aiko.

Well, I hope, regardless of where your journey takes you over this summer, including some of these exciting events, you will enjoy well-deserved time off. 

Have a great summer!

Přemysl Pela
Director of the Czech Centre

Cover image: The Embrace as a Symbol of Closeness, photo: Václav Jirásek for 59th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival 

Czech Graphic Design Talks

As Identity: The Story of Czech Graphic Design wraps up, catch up on two of our favourite events: a deep dive into the work of legends like Mucha, Sutnar, Teige, and Šašek, and a fast-paced showcase of UK-based talents redefining the field. Both talks are now online—bold ideas, brilliant speakers, striking design.