PRAGUE — Jiří Bartoška, the acclaimed Czech actor and long-time president of the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, died on Thursday at the age of 78.
Bartoška graduated from the Janáček Academy of Performing Arts in Brno. He began his acting career at the Husa na Provázku Theatre and later performed at the Činoherní studio in Ústí nad Labem. In the early 1980s, he became a leading figure at Theatre Na zábradlí. After leaving the company in the 1990s, he continued to act occasionally at the Bez zábradlí Theatre and on other Czech stages.
His film debut came in 1975 with The Playground (Hřiště). Over his career, he appeared in nearly 70 Czech films and became a familiar face on television. In 1999, he won the Czech Lion Award for best supporting actor for All My Loved Ones (Všichni moji blízcí), a film he also produced. In 2016, he received a lifetime achievement Czech Lion for his contribution to Czech cinema.
Bartoška played a major role in reviving the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. Appointed as president in 1994, he worked closely with longtime artistic director Eva Zaoralová to turn the historic festival into a respected international event. Under their leadership, Karlovy Vary became one of Europe’s key film showcases.
Despite his leadership role at the festival, Bartoška remained active as an actor. He continued to appear in films, television, dubbing work, and on stage, including performances at the Kalich Theatre in the play Moje hra.
In 2023, he was awarded the First-Class Medal of Merit by the president of the Czech Republic for his significant contributions to culture and the arts.
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