The 59th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival opened on 4 July 2025, in Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic with a film by Milan Kuchynka and Jakub Jurásek, We've Got to Frame It!, a tribute to Jiří Bartoška, the late president of the festival. 'Midnight Screenings' section from this year have a new name "Afterhours" under revamped programme.
On 3 June, the festival revealed 11 films selected for its main Crystal Globe Competition, including nine world premieres and two international premieres. On 20 June, the festival revealed its complete line-up for the 59th edition, expanding upon the previously announced competition sections.
The festival paid tribute to 1940s American film star and pioneering method actor John Garfield, while presenting its prestigious President's Award to Czech film editor Jiří Brožek for his outstanding contribution to Czech cinema. Vicky Krieps, Peter Sarsgaard, and Dakota Johnson were also honored with the KVIFF President's Award for their achievements in films. The special feature of this edition was the world premiere on 9 July of a cinematic cut of Warhorse Studios’ video game – Kingdom Come: Deliverance II Cinematic Cut, directed by Daniel Vávra and Petr Pekař, in Special Screenings section. The festival wrapped up after showcasing 175 films across 465 screenings. The lineup featured 108 fiction features, 23 documentaries, and 44 short films. Out of these, 36 had their world premiere, while five debuted internationally and another five had their first screening in Europe.
The festival concluded on 12 July with midnight film screenings and the presentation of awards in both non-statutory and main competition categories. Better Go Mad in the Wild, a Czech-Slovak documentary directed by Miro Remo, received the Crystal Globe, while Sand City, a Bangladeshi drama by Mahde Hasan, was awarded the PROXIMA Grand Prix.
Events
Opening ceremony
The festival's opening ceremony was held on July 4 in the Grand Hall of the Thermal Hotel. It was streamed live on KVIFF.TV. This year, the platform also streamed the opening film We Gotta Frame It!, as a tribute to Jiří Bartoška by Milan Kuchynka and Jakub Jurásek. Vicky Krieps and Peter Sarsgaard were presented with KVIFF President's Award.
Surprise Karlovy Vary Award to Michael Douglas
After presenting a restored screening of Miloš Forman’s 1975 American psychological comedy-drama film One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, the co-producer Michael Douglas was surprised with a modern Crystal Globe statuette by the festival executive director Kryštof Mucha, replacing the earlier, awkward-to-hold version he had originally received in 1998 for Outstanding Contribution to World Cinema.
Closing ceremony
The festival closed by midnight screenings of the following films: The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, by Tobe Hooper, 1974 cult horror classic. Dangerous Animals, by Sean Byrne, a 2025 Australian film. Shoah, 1985 French documentary film, over nine hours long by Claude Lanzmann.
Later the winners of the non-statutory jury awards were announced. All broadcast live was available on ČT1, with red carpet arrivals on KVIFF.TV. Before announcement of the winners in the main competition categories, the Crystal Globes was presented to Jiří Brožek, and the Crystal Globe for Outstanding Artistic Contribution to World Cinema was awarded to the actor Stellan Skarsgård.
Juries Crystal Globe Competition
Nicolás Celis, a Mexican film producer. Babak Jalali, an Iranian–British film director and producer Jessica Kiang, film critic and Berlinale selector Jiří Mádl, a Czech film actor, director and screenwriter Tuva Novotny, a Swedish actress and director
Proxima Competition jury
Yulia Evina Bhara, an Indonesian film and theatre producer Noaz Deshe, Berlin-based, Romanian film director Nelson Carlos De Los Santos Arias, Dominican filmmaker Jakub Felcman, Czech screenwriter Marissa Frobes, Creative Artists Agency, agent
Official selection
The festival has following sections:
Crystal Globe Proxima Competition Special Screenings Horizons Imagina Future Frames: Generation Next of European Cinema
Crystal Globe
Highlighted title and double-dagger () indicates Crystal Globe winner. Highlighted title and double-dagger () indicates Special Jury Prize winner.
Eleven of the twelve titles in the Crystal Globe Competition have been announced. The remaining film, from Iran, was revealed on 25 June to ensure the safety of its creators. The name of the 12th film from Iran was revealed as Outcry by Soheil Beiraghi.
English title Original title Director(s) Production countrie(s) Better Go Mad in the Wild Raději zešílet v divočině Miro Remo Czech Republic, Slovakia Outcry Bidad Soheil Beiraghi Iran Broken Voices Sbormistr Ondřej Provazník Czech Republic, Slovakia Cinema Jazireh Gözde KuralTurkey, Iran, Bulgaria, Romania Divia Dmytro Hreshko Poland Ukraine, Netherlands, United States Don't Call Me Mama Se meg Nina Knags Norway Jimmy Jaguár Benedek Fliegauf Hungary The Luminous Life A Vida LuminosaJoão Rosas Portugal, France Out of Love Les Enfants vont bienNathan Ambrosioni France Rebuilding Max Walker-Silverman United States The Visitor Svečias Vytautas Katkus Lithuania, Norway, Sweden When a River Becomes the Sea Quan un riu esdevé el mar Pere Vila Barceló Spain
Proxima Competition
Highlighted title and double-dagger () indicates Proxima Competition winner.
English title Original title Director(s) Production countrie(s)Action Item Neplatené voľno Paula Ďurinová Slovak Republic, Czech Republic, Germany The Anatomy of the Horses La anatomía de los caballosDaniel Vidal Toche Spain, Peru, Colombia, France Before / After Avant /Après Manoël Dupont Belgium Forensics ForensesFederico Atehortúa Arteaga Colombia Future Future Futuro Futuro Davi Pretto Brazil How Come It's All Green Out Here? Kako je ovde tako zeleno? Nikola Ležaić Serbia, Croatia, Bulgaria The Other Side of Summer Na druhé straně létaVojtěch Strakatý Czech Republic Rain Fell on the Nothing New Regen fiel auf nichts Neues Steffen Goldkamp Germany Renovation Renovacija Gabrielė Urbonaitė Lithuania, Latvia, BelgiumSand City বালুর নগরীতে Mahde Hasan Bangladesh They Come Out of Margo Vgainoun mesa ap ti Margo Alexander Voulgaris Greece TrepaNation Ammar Al-Beik Syria, Germany Thus Spoke the Wind Ayspes asatc qamin Maria Rigel Armenia
Special Screenings The world premiere of Serbian miniseries Absolute 100 will be highlight of Special screening in this edition.
English title Original title Director(s) Production countrie(s)Absolute 100 Srdan Golubović, Stefan Ivančić, Katarina Mutić, Nikola Stojanović Serbia All That's Left of You اللي باقي منك Cherien Dabis Germany, Cyprus, Palestine, Jordan, Greece, Qatar, Saudi ArabiaCaravan KaravanZuzana KirchnerováCzech Republic, Slovakia, ItalyThe Czech Film Project Marek Novák, Mikuláš Novotný Czech Republic Dragonfly Paul Andrew Williams United Kingdom Duchoň Peter Bebjak Slovakia, Czech Republic Promise, I'll Be Fine Hore je nebo, v doline som ja Katarína Gramatová Slovak Republic, Czech RepublicA Second Life Laurent Slama France Summer School, 2001 Letní škola, 2001Dužan Duong Czech Republic, Slovakia Tehran Another View Tehran, Kenarat Ali Behrad Iran, United KingdomKingdom Come: Deliverance II Cinematic Cut Daniel Vávra and Petr Pekař Czech Republic
Horizons
English title Original title Director(s) Production countrie(s)2000 Meters to AndriivkaMstyslav ChernovUkraine About a Hero Σχετικά μ' έναν ήρωα Piotr Winiewicz Denmark, United States April აპრილი Dea Kulumbegashvili Georgia, France, ItalyAriel Lois Patiño Spain, PortugalThe Baltimorons Jay Duplass United States The Blue Trail O Último Azul Gabriel Mascaro Brazil, Mexico, Chile, NetherlandsDeafSordaEva LibertadSpain Dreams Michel Franco Mexico, United States Dreams (Sex Love) Drømmer Dag Johan Haugerud Norway Feeling Better Nonostante Valerio MastandreaItaly Forbidden City La città proibita Gabriele MainettiItaly Girls on Wire 想飞的女孩 Vivian Qu ChinaThe Good DoctorGianluca MatarreseFrance, Italy, SwitzerlandChristyBrendan CantyUnited Kingdom, IrelandIf I Had Legs I'd Kick YouMary Bronstein United States It Was Just an Accident یک تصادف ساده Jafar PanahiIran, France, LuxembourgKika Alexe PoukineBelgium, France Kill the Jockey El jockey Luis Ortega Argentina, Mexico, Spain, Denmark, United States Kontinental '25 Radu Jude Romania, Brazil, Switzerland, United Kingdom, Luxembourg Lesbian Space Princess Emma Hough Hobbs, Leela Varghese Australia A Letter to David Dopis pro Davida Tom Shoval Israel, United States Little Trouble Girls Kaj ti je deklica Urška Djukić Slovenia, Italy, Croatia, SerbiaThe Love That RemainsÁstin Sem Eftir ErHlynur PálmasonIceland, Denmark, France, Finland, SwedenMad Bills to Pay (or Destiny, dile que no soy malo) Joel Alfonso Vargas United StatesMadly Paolo Genovese ItalyMy Father's Shadow Akinola Davies Jr. United Kingdom, Nigeria, IrelandMy Undesirable Friends: Part I — Last Air in Moscow Julia Loktev United States Peter Hujar's DayIra SachsPut Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk Sepideh Farsi France, Palestine, Iran Renoirルノワール Chie HayakawaJapan, Australia, France, Singapore, Philippines, Indonesia Siblings La vita da grandi Greta ScaranoItaly Sirāt Óliver LaxeSpain, FranceSorry, BabyEva Victor United StatesSound of Falling In die Sonne schauenMascha Schilinski GermanyTales From the Magic GardenPohádky Po BabičceDavid Súkup, Patrik Pašš, Leon Vidmar and Jean-Claude RozecCzechia, Slovakia, Slovenia, France Timestamp Стрічка часу Kateryna Gornostai Ukraine, Luxembourg, Netherlands, France Two ProsecutorsДва прокурораSergei LoznitsaLatvia, France, Germany, Netherlands, Romania, LithuaniaTwo Times João LiberadaDuas vezes João LiberadaPaula Tomás MarquesPortugal Urchin Harris DickinsonUnited KingdomVermiglio Maura DelperoItaly, France, Belgium We Believe You On vous croit Arnaud Dufeys and Charlotte Devillers Belgium What Does That Nature Say to You 그 자연이 네게 뭐라고 하니 Hong Sang-soo South Korea Yes Ken! Nadav Lapid Israel, France, Germany, Cyprus, United Kingdom
Imagina English title Original title Director(s) Production countrie(s)1+1+1 Ondřej Vavrečka Czech Republic Archipelago of Earthen Bones – To Bunya Malena Szlam Canada, Australia A Black Screen Too Rhayne Vermette Canada Bluish Lilith Kraxner, Milena Czernovsky AustriaBogancloch Ben Rivers Austria Ghost of the Past Bill Morrison USA, France How Are You? Caroline Poggi and Jonathan Vinel FranceI Saw the Face of God in the Jet Wash Mark Jenkin United KingdomIn Person Only Tereza Vejvodová Czech Republic Language of the Entrails Luciana Decker Orozco Bolivia, United StatesLittle boy James Benning United States Maria Henriqueta Was Here Nuno Pimentel PortugalA Metamorphosis Lin Htet Aung Myanmar N3G Oliver Torr Czech RepublicPartition Diana Allan Lebanon, Palestine, Canada Perseidas Natalia del Mar Kašik AustriaSleep Dreams Anastázie Rainischová Czech RepublicTin City Feargal Ward Ireland We Are Animals Lorenzo Pallotta Italy When The Phone Rang Iva Radivojević Serbia, United States Zodiac Killer Project Charlie Shackleton United States, United Kingdom
Future Frames: Generation Next of European Cinema
English title Original title Director(s) Production countrie(s) 1:10 1:10 Sinan Taner Switzerland Dissection of an Incoherence in Crisis Dissecció d’una incoherència en crisi Nausica Serra Spain Dog and Wolf Pes a vlk Terézia Halamová Czech Republic Fish River Anthology Mereneläviä Veera Lamminpää Finland Greek Apricots Grčke marelice Jan Krevatin Croatia, Slovenia January Januari Jetske Lieber Netherlands Karaokiss Karaocoeur Mila Ryngaert BelgiumSkin on Skin Simon Schneckenburger Germany Son of Happiness Syn szczęściaDominik Mirecki PolandWe Beg to Differ Ruairi Bradley Ireland, United Kingdom
Pragueshorts