The Karlovy Vary International Film Festival toasted its 80th birthday in style during the Cannes Film Festival with a bustling luncheon — complete with a giant birthday cake — on the beach. Variety participated in the event, held at Plage Des Palmes, in partnership with the festival.
On hand to lead the celebrations were the Karlovy Vary chair Krystof Mucha and artistic director Karel Och, plus Jakub Havrlant, whose Rockaway Arts is the majority owner of the festival. Variety‘s publisher and co-president Dea Lawrence also headlined the event.
The second oldest film festival in the world after Venice, Karlovy Vary “combines the glamour of Hollywood with the youthful exuberance of the countless young cinephiles who flock from across Europe,” said Lawrence, speaking after guests had enjoyed a buffet lunch that included roast beef, salmon, risotto and truffled deviled eggs.
Lawrence also noted that the Czech spa town was also “among the most picturesque settings you could choose for a film festival.”
Other attendees at the Cannes luncheon included LuckyChap partner Milan Popelka, filmmakers Anna Maguire and Kyle Greenberg, producer Rémi Burahactress, Andreas Buhlmann of Swiss Films and model Ellyana Perosi
