Karlovy Vary International Film Festival Celebrates Its 60th Edition
The 60th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, held in the picturesque Czech spa town, has come to a close with its most star-studded event to date. The festival, known for its prestigious Crystal Globe award, honored the best in world cinema with its 2023 edition. This year’s Crystal Globe for Outstanding Artistic Contribution to World Cinema was awarded to Dustin Hoffman, Juliette Binoche, and cinematographer Robert Richardson. In addition to this, the festival presented its Festival President’s Awards to Jesse Eisenberg, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Magda Vášáryová, and Jeffrey Wright.
A notable mention goes to the Bacon family – Kevin, wife Kyra Sedgwick, and son Travis – who attended the festival with their self-explanatory horror-comedy Family Movie. However, it remains unclear whether they received any awards in return for their visit.
The top prize at the festival went to the Myanmar-set drama Fruit Gathering (Thit-thee Khu) by Aung Phyoe. According to the jury, Fruit Gathering begins as a lush and meditative portrait of work and friendship before morphing, unexpectedly and organically, into a harrowing drama of obsession and queer desire.
Crystal Globe Competition Winners
The Crystal Globe Competition at Karlovy Vary International Film Festival is one of the most prestigious awards in world cinema. This year’s winners include:
- Fruit Gathering (Thit-thee Khu) directed by Aung Phyoe from Myanmar, Czech Republic, and France (2026)
- The Guest (Gæsten) directed by Mads Mengel from Denmark (2026)
- The Guest (Gæsten) directed by Mads Mengel won the Best Director Award
- A Happy Family directed by Jan-Eric Mack from Switzerland (2026) won the Best Actress Award for Anna Schinz
- Pipes directed by Karim Kassem from Lebanon, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia (2025) won the Best Actor Award for Ghassan Saad
- Bára: Diary of a Rockstar directed by Helena Třeštíková from the Czech Republic (2026) won the PRÁVO Audience Award
Proxima Competition Winners
The Proxima Competition at Karlovy Vary International Film Festival is another highly anticipated award in world cinema. This year’s winners include:
- Lover, Not a Fighter (Milovník, nie bojovník) directed by Martina Buchelová from the Slovak Republic and Czech Republic (2026)
- Incinerator (Shokyakuro) directed by Shuntaro Uchida from Japan (2026)
- A Whole Person Almost (Enas olokliros anthropos schedon) directed by Efthimis Kosemund-Sanidis from Greece, Bulgaria, Germany, Cyprus, and Romania (2025)
- 33 Steps (33 krokov) directed by Anna Domček and Šimon Domček from the Slovak Republic and Czech Republic (2026)
Non-Statutory Awards
The festival also presented several non-statutory awards, including the Grand Prize of the Ecumenical Jury, which went to The Lion at My Back directed by Tonia Mishiali from Cyprus, Luxembourg, and Greece (2026).
The Europa Cinemas Label Award was presented to 3 Weeks After (3 nedelje posle) directed by Miroslav Terzić from Serbia, Bulgaria, Italy, Croatia, and Luxembourg (2026). The FIPRESCI Award for the Best Film in the Crystal Globe Competition went to Only Beautiful Things to Look At (Prameň) directed by Ivan Ostrochovský from the Slovak Republic, Czech Republic, and Hungary (2026). The FIPRESCI Award for the Best Film in the Proxima Competition was awarded to Petty Thieves (Sitni lopovi) directed by Mate Ugrin from Croatia, France, Germany, and Serbia (2026).
