Czechia says goodbye to its ‘Robert Redford,’ the man who made Karlovy Vary matter

Thousands gathered on Tuesday at Prague’s Rudolfinum to bid farewell to Jiří Bartoška, the actor, producer, and longtime president of the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (KVIFF), who passed away on May 8 at the age of 78 following a battle with cancer.

The public memorial featured a replica of his festival office—desk, coat rack, ashtray, and all—a symbolic gesture befitting the man who turned a formerly state-run enterprise into one of Europe’s most important film festivals.

Variety described Bartoška as “the Robert Redford of Czechia” for his associations with the Karlovy Vary Film Festival, Czechia’s answer to Sundance. But Bartoška was much more than an actor. He was a cultural diplomat and charismatic host who brought Hollywood icons to a country still shaking off its communist past.

Under his three-decade leadership, Karlovy Vary welcomed stars like Michael Douglas, John Malkovich, Robert De Niro, Julianne Moore, and Russell Crowe, the latter tweeting after news of Bartoška’s death:

“I just heard the sad news that the legend Jiří Bartoška passed away today. President of the Karlovy Vary Film Festival, I had the great honor to receive the award for Outstanding Contribution to World Cinema from his own hands.”

Bartoška trained at the Janáček Academy of Performing Arts in Brno and built a celebrated acting career on stage and screen, earning accolades such as the Czech Lion Award for Všichni moji blízcí (All My Loved Ones,1999). But it was his role as president of KVIFF from 1994 that came to define his legacy.

Alongside long-time collaborator Eva Zaoralová, Bartoška resuscitated a struggling, formerly state-run festival and transformed it into a must-stop on the international film circuit.

“Jiří led a formerly state-run enterprise out of financial straits into the new dawn of Czech capitalism,” writes Steven Gaydos in Variety. “Sponsors climbed aboard his train and Karlovy Vary became an essential stop on the festival calendar.”

The farewell drew thousands of ordinary fans, who filed past wreaths, a photograph of Bartoška, and the red carpet he himself once rolled out for Hollywood royalty. Industry insiders, actors, and politicians gathered to honor a man who not only shaped Czech film, but elevated the country’s cultural standing.

Prime Minister Petr Fiala praised Bartoška as “a charismatic actor and a very intelligent person” who significantly contributed to Czechia’s international image. “He resurrected the festival and gave it a worldwide reputation… this role cannot be forgotten.”

“He was a great person, a great friend, a great actor, a great president of the Karlovy Vary festival, who took it to European heights,” said actor Miroslav Donutil, a classmate of Bartoška’s from the Janáček Academy.

The Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, which returns this year from July 4–12, will go on as planned. The title of President will remain “in memoriam”—a fitting tribute to a man whose presence defined the event for more than 30 years.

Those who could not attend the public farewell at the Rudolfinum can sign a book of condolences at Prague’s Kalich Theatre from Wednesday until the end of May.