Fresh Film Fest is an international competitive film festival, which focuses on student and first feature films. In 5 days, the festival aims to provide a wide portrait of contemporary young world cinema and hosts professional non-public presentations. Up to 150 films with around titles in five competitive sections of the Official Selection are screened during the festival. Special film programs and feature film openings are accompanying the student and first films selection.

Despite its short existence, the festival is a follow-up to a more than 30-year old tradition of CILECT RIFE International Student Film Festival held in Karlovy Vary. Fresh Film Fest annually offers a solid and varied array of Central and Eastern European student films with the special attention the Visegrad Group countries and to Germany. Fresh Film Fest is also the creator and executive curator of the official students section "Fresh Selection – The promising five" at Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. Within this five films selection, one film produced by a Czech film school is presented to introduce the next Czech talent for the universal world‘s cinema.