KVIFF is known for its innovative and unusual opening ceremony productions and last night was no exception with the stage being transformed into a huge swimming pool with "swimmers" descending from high above the stage in a daring "swim" to the ground level. Czech president Vaclav Klaus attended the ceremony as did new Czech Minister of Culture Alena Hanakova.

{mosimage}Speaking at the opening ceremony Mirren marked the progress women directors had made in recent years and called for more recognition and opportunities for women directors in future. The opening film was an Irish film, Lisa Barros D'Sa and Glen Leyburn's Good Vibrations, about the punk rock scene in Belfast in the 1970's.

The festival runs from 29 June to 7 July 2012 and will feature a documentary competition, the Central and Eastern European competition "East of the West" which this year will focus on first and second features and the main FIAPF sanctioned competition. This year's edition is the second under the artistic direction of Karel Och. The festival will screen this year 217 films, including 34 shorts, with 22 of films being world premieres.