An international jury that numbered Oscar winners Robert Wise and Ellen Burstyn, Czech writer Pavel Kohout and cameraman Miroslav Ondricek, awarded the Crystal Globe to Alain Berliner's Ma vie en rose, at the now fully revived and densely attended 32nd Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (4-12 July). David Trueba's The Good Life was awarded the Special Jury Prize. Of the 18 films from 17 countries in competition, a third were world premieres.

Two weeks before Karlovy Vary opened, festival director Jiri Bartoska and programmer Eva Zaoralova received word from international producers body FIAPF that its A-category status had been restored, following the demise of the short-lived Prague festival.

On closing night, Czech president Vaclav Havel presented Milos Forman with a lifetime achievement award onstage at the Grand Auditorium of the Thermal Hotel. Among the 500 guests were Jason Robards, Christopher Walken, Errol Morris, Geoffrey Wright, Steve Buscemi, Armin Mueller-Stahl, and Jan Sverak. The overflow crowds could not be kept track of when all the computers had a breakdown on the second day.

Karlovy Vary programmed 256 films in 16 sections on 11 screens, published two catalogues (one solely for the seven retrospectives), and issued a CD-ROM with video clips. Next year's edition of the fest is again scheduled for July.
Ron Holloway