Anatomy of Socialist Festival: Institutional, Economic and Personal Histories of the IFF Karlovy Vary before 1989

• DKR AMU (2024 – 2027)

Until recently, the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival remained on the periphery of interest for both Czech and overseas historians, despite its status as one of the four oldest European film festivals and the fact that, prior to 1989, it was one of the key socialist cultural institutions. Nevertheless, research on the festival aligns with current trends in festival studies. On the one hand, a return to the study of the history of European festivals, which still represents a vital research field: as evidenced by the growing body of literature on socialist festivals, cultural exchanges between the East, the West, and the “Third World,” as well as the emergence of new topics such as consumer culture and mobility in socialist societies. On the other hand, a growing interest in histories of socialist cultural institutions. The project builds on previous research of geopolitical and transnational dimensions of IFF KV and focuses on the anatomy of a socialist institution and its inner workings.

• Research Team:

Jindřiška Bláhová, Lukáš Skupa