In a nation of film festivals, this is the mothership. The annual film orgy that is Karlovy Vary is one of the oldest and most respected festivals in Europe. And after a period when the festival looked to be doomed, it has bounced back to become one of the main addresses for cineastes. This year, Karlovy Vary will play host to 230 fiction and documentary feature films, 14 of which will be world premieres. Another 39 will be receiving their international or European premieres.

There are mini-festivals within the festival, with various competitions such as the "East of the West" (a lineup of films from the former Eastern bloc), a documentary feature competition, and the official selection competition, which will include the Czech Republic's official entry, Beauty in Trouble (Kráska v nesnázích) with Anna Geislerová.

As a quick guide to the best of the fest, here are a few of the films that should be worth investigating.

Beauty in Trouble—ČR, 2006. Jan Hřebejk, director. The Czech Republic's official entry is a noirish tale of love in the aftermath of the 2002 floods. Czech star Anna Geislerová plays a young woman who finds herself torn between the love of two men. Geislerová has played characters in this situation before, and she usually finds a memorable way of getting out of it.

Confetti—UK, 2006. Debbie Isitt, director. What The Office did to the dreary 9 to 5, Confetti may well do for nuptials. This British mockumentary includes some of the best comic actors from Blighty, with Martin Freeman from The Office thrown in for good measure.

The Cremaster Cycle—USA. Matthew Barney, director. The Cremaster Cycle is a series of febrile hallucinations dreamt up by one of America's most interesting artists, Matthew Barney. Blimps over an Idahoan football stadium filled with cheerleaders, the execution of Gary Gilmore, the building of the Chrysler Building, Isle of Man mythology and bees are just a few of the images and themes lacing this masterwork that includes performances from Richard Serra, Norman Mailer and Ursula Andress.

Edmond—USA, 2006. Stuart Gordon, director. One of David Mamet's least-produced plays gets cinematic treatment from a director primarily known for his horror thrillers. Considering the murder, mayhem and rough life found in Mamet's piece, Gordon may be ideal. The cast is a who's who of Mamet interpreters: William H. Macy, Joe Mantegna and Rebecca Pidgeon.

Lonesome Jim—USA, 2006. Steve Buscemi, director. Indie film god Buscemi directs a good cast in this quiet tale of desperation in a small town in Indiana. The cast is an Indie filmmaker's dream: Casey Affleck, Liv Tyler, Mary Kay Place and Seymour Cassel.

Man Push Cart—USA, 2006. Ramin Bahrani, director. A favorite at Sundance, Man Push Cart is the tale of a former pop star from Pakistan who finds himself pushing a coffee and bagel cart through the streets of Manhattan. Bahrani was inspired by Camus' The Myth of Sisyphus.

Sherrybaby—USA, 2006. Laurie Collyer, director. Writer-director Collyer has created a showcase for Maggie Gyllenhaal's talent. Gyllenhaal plays a young woman freshly released from prison, who tries to reconnect with her family. Gyllenhaal has been getting glowing reviews for her work.

Taxidermy—Hungary, 2006. György Pálfi, director. The Hungarian cinema is unflinching in its portrayal of the world. This bleak comedy, highly lauded at Cannes, takes place in the Soviet era, when gargantuan portions of food were consumed and often quickly eructed. A Hungarian La Grande bouffe, perhaps.

Tideland—USA, 2006. Terry Gilliam, director. Gilliam is either the best or the worst choice to take on Mitch Cullin's tough cult novel about a lonesome girl in the wastes of Texas who lives with her drug-addled father, and who only has strange neighbors and the five heads of Barbie dolls to keep her company. If Gilliam leaves out the whimsy, this could be a classic.

Volver—Spain, 2006. Pedro Almodóvar, director. After the explorations of masculinity in Bad Education, the master of contemporary Spanish cinema is back with a film full of intriguing women. Penelope Cruz, who has been squandered by Hollywood, is back in her native habitat, and being hailed as a new Claudia Cardinale.