The 60th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival opened on 3 July 2026, in Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic with an Argentinian sports documentary film The Match, written and directed by Juan Cabral and Santiago Franco, the film reconstructs the historic match Argentina vs England at the 1986 FIFA World Cup quarter-finals.
In the opening ceremony, the Crystal Globe for Outstanding Artistic Contribution to World Cinema was presented to Dustin Hoffman whereas Festival President's Award to the American actress and filmmaker Maggie Gyllenhaal for her outstanding contribution to the cinema.
The festival, which commemorated two milestones: 80 years since the first festival, and the festival’s 60th edition, concluded on 11 July with screening of closing film The Only Living Pickpocket in New York, 2026 American crime thriller film written and directed by Noah Segan and the presentation of awards in both non-statutory and main competition categories. Fruit Gathering, a Myanmar, Czech Republic and France co-production, directed by Aung Phyoe, received the Crystal Globe, while Lover, Not a Fighter, a co-production of Slovak Republic–Czech Republic directed by Martina Buchelová, was awarded the PROXIMA Grand Prix. It wrapped up after showcasing 179 films across 472 screenings. The lineup featured 119 fiction features, 21 documentaries, and 39 short films. Out of these, 43 had their world premiere, and 7 had their first screening in Europe.
Opening and closing ceremony
The festival closed by midnight screenings of the following films: Opening ceremony The festival's opening ceremony was held on 3 July in the Grand Hall of the Thermal Hotel. It was streamed live on KVIFF.TV. The 70-minute ceremony opened with a band playing Happy Birthday and sparklers shooting into the auditorium, followed by Czech versions of pop and rock classics celebrating the festival’s 60th edition and its 80‑year history. In addition to Dustin Hoffman and Maggie Gyllenhaal the awards recipients, Jesse Eisenberg, Harvey Keitel, and Gyllenhaal’s husband Peter Sarsgaard attended the ceremony.
Closing ceremony
The festival closing ceremony hosted by Marek Eben was attended by Klára Issová, Denisa Barešová, Alžběta Malá, Bolek Polívka, singer Bára Basiková, and director Helena Třeštíková. Crystal Globe for Outstanding Artistic Contribution to World Cinema was awarded to the French actress Juliette Binoche and President's Award to former Czechoslovak actress Magda Vášáryová, and American actor Jeffrey Wright.
Juries The jury for Crystal Globe Competition and Proxima Competition was announced on 2 June 2026.
Crystal Globe Competition Justin Chang, American film critic and columnist currently working at The New Yorker Amanda Nell Eu, Malaysian film director and screenwriter Pavel Rejholec, Czech sound designer, producer, composer, and educator Nadia Turincev, producer Rouge International, Easy Riders Films, Sento Films Eskil Vogt, Norwegian film director and screenwriter
Proxima Competition Jury Estrella Araiza, the General Director of the Guadalajara International Film Festival (FICG) and Cineteca UDG Dirk Decker, German producer Jakub Felcman, Czech screenwriter, festival organizer, film critic, creative producer, and director Devika Girish, New York City-based film critic and curator Marija Kavtaradzė, Lithuanian film director and screenwriter
Official selection On 23 June 2026, the full line up, opening and closing film along with the names of the awards recipients were revealed.
The festival has following sections:
Crystal Globe Proxima Competition Special Screenings Horizons Imagina Tributes
Crystal Globe On 2 June, the festival revealed 12 films selected for its main Crystal Globe Competition, all world premiere titles from Central and Eastern Europe, Latin America and Asia. Highlighted title and double-dagger () indicates Crystal Globe winner. Highlighted title and double-dagger () indicates Special Jury Prize winner.
English title Original title Director(s) Production countrie(s) 3 Weeks After 3 nedelje posle Miroslav Terzić Serbia, Bulgaria, Italy, Croatia, Luxembourg Behind the Rain Valeria Sarmiento Chile Black Money for White Nights Черни пари за бели нощи Petar Valchanov, and Kristina Grozeva Bulgaria, GreeceChica Checa Czech Republic, France, Slovakia Five Years, Four Months Esteban Hoyos García, Juan Miguel Gelacio Ramírez Colombia, USA Fruit Gathering သစ်သီးခူး Aung Phyoe Myanmar, Czech Republic, France The Guest Gæsten Mads Mengel Denmark A Happy Family Jan-Eric Mack Switzerland Hijamat Nader Saeivar Germany The Lion at My Back Tonia Mishiali Cyprus, Luxembourg, Greece Only Beautiful Things to Look At Prameň Ivan Ostrochovský Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary Pipes Karim Kassem Lebanon
Proxima Competition
Highlighted title and double-dagger () indicates Proxima Competition winner.
English title Original title Director(s) Production countrie(s) 33 Steps 33 krokůAnna Domček, Šimon Domček Slovak Republic, Czech Republic Against Nature Contra la Naturaleza Axel Bertha Mexico Lover, Not a Fighter Milovník, nie bojovník Martina Buchelová Slovakia, Czech Republic Truck Driver Camionero Francisco Marise Spain, Argentina A Whole Person Almost Enas olokliros anthropos schedon Efthimis Kosemund-Sanidis Greece, Bulgaria, Germany, Cyprus, RomaniaHomo Sive Natura Giovanni C. Lorusso ItalyThe Ink-Stained Hand and the Missing Thumb Yashasvi Juyal India My Friend the Porn Star Mein Freund der Pornostar Rosa Friedrich AustriaParis Paris Isabelle Tollenaere BelgiumRain Catcher Michele Fiascaris Italy, United Kingdom Incinerator Shokyakuro Shuntaro Uchida Japan Petty Thieves Sitni lopovi Mate Ugrin Croatia, Germany, France
Special Screenings
English title Original title Director(s) Production countrie(s) Bára – Diary of a Rockstar Bára Basiková Helena Třeštíková Czech Republic City of Fathers Město otců Zdeněk Tyc Czech Republic, Slovak Republic, Poland The Cursed Warrior Bojovník Vojtěch Frič, Tomáš Dianiška Czech Republic, Slovak Republic Filter David Semler Czech Republic A Pint of Ink Dvě deci tuše Ester Geislerová Czech Republic, Slovak Republic If Pigeons Turned to Gold Kdyby se holubi proměnili ve zlato Pepa Lubojacki Czech Republic, Slovak Republic The Friend’s House Is Here Khaneh doost injast Maryam Ataei, Hossein Keshavarz Iran, United States Learning to Breathe Underwater Rebekah Fortune United Kingdom, Netherlands, Ireland Everything As It Should Be Mistryně Bohdan Karásek Czech RepublicMorten Ivan Pavljutskov Estonia, LithuaniaRobert Richardson: The White Devil Jana Hojdová Czech Republic, United States The Story of Documentary Film – 1980s Mark Cousins United KingdomTo Die to Live Yuliia Hontaruk Ukraine, Latvia, Slovak Republic Gregorius, the Chosen One Vyvolený Tomasz Mielnik Czech Republic, Poland, Romania A Report for Minerva 2 Zpráva pro Minervu 2 Miroslav Krobot, Lubomír Smékal Czech Republic
Horizons
English title Original title Director(s) Production countrie(s)All of a SuddenSoudain / Ryusuke HamaguchiFrance, Japan, Germany, Belgium Animol Ashley Walters United KingdomA Man of His TimeNotre SalutEmmanuel MarreBelgium, FranceThe BelovedEl ser queridoRodrigo SorogoyenSpain, FranceBen'Imana Marie Clémentine DusabejamboRwanda, Gabon, France, Norway, Ivory CoastBitter Christmas Amarga NavidadPedro AlmodóvarSpainCantona David Tryhorn and Ben NicholasUnited KingdomCoward Lukas DhontBelgium, France, Netherlands Dao Alain Gomis France, Guinea-Bissau, SenegalThe Dreamed AdventureDas Geträumte AbenteuerValeska GrisebachGermany, France, Austria, BulgariaElephants in the Fog तिनीहरूAbinash Bikram ShahNepal, France, Germany, Brazil, Norway Everybody Digs Bill Evans Grant Gee Ireland, United KingdomEverytimeSandra WollnerAustria, GermanyFatherlandVaterlandPaweł PawlikowskiPoland, France, Italy, Germany Filipiñana Rafael Manuel Singapore, United Kingdom, Philippines, France, NetherlandsFjordCristian MungiuRomania, Norway, Denmark, Finland, France, SwedenFliesMoscasFernando EimbckeMexico Forest High Forêt Ivre Manon Coubia Belgium, FranceForever Your Maternal AnimalSiempre soy tu animal maternoValentina MaurelBelgium, France, MexicoGentle MonsterMarie KreutzerAustria, France, GermanyThe History of Concrete John Wilson United States Hold onto Me Κράτα Με Myrsini Aristidou Cyprus, Denmark, GreeceThe Holy BoyLa Valle dei SorrisiPaolo StrippoliItaly, Slovenia How to Divorce During the War Skyrybos karo metu Andrius Blaževičius Lithuania, Luxembourg, Ireland, Czech RepublicLa Gradiva Marine AtlanFrance, ItalyLa PerraDominga SotomayorChile, BrazilThe Last First: Winter K2 Amir Bar-Lev United Kingdom, United States Light Pillar 寒夜灯柱 Zao Xu ChinaThe Man I Love Ira SachsUnited States, FranceThe Match (Opening film)El partidoJuan Cabral and Santiago FrancoArgentinaThe Only Living Pickpocket in New York (Closing film) Noah Segan United States Papaya Priscilla Kellen Brazil Paper TigerJames GrayUnited States, Brazil Queen at Sea Lance Hammer United Kingdom, United StatesRehearsals for a Revolution Pegah AhangaraniIran, Czech Republic, Spain Rose Markus Schleinzer Austria, GermanyA Sad and Beautiful Worldنجوم الأمل و الألمCyril ArisLebanon, United States, Germany, Saudi Arabia, Qatar Shame and Money Visar Morina Germany, Kosovo, Slovenia, Albania, North Macedonia, BelgiumSilent FriendStille FreundinIldikó EnyediGermany, France, HungaryThe SouffleurGastón SolnickiAustria, Argentina The StationSara IshaqYemen, Jordan, France, Germany, Netherlands, Norway, QatarStrange RiverEstrany riuJaume Claret MuxartSpain, Germany Two Mountains Weighing Down My Chest 东山飘雨西山晴 Viv Li Germany, NetherlandsThe UnknownL'InconnueArthur HarariFrance, ItalyViva CarmenCarmen, l'Oiseau RebelSebastien LaundenbachFrance, Finland, SpainA Woman's Life La Vie d'une FemmeCharline Bourgeois-TacquetFrance, Belgium Yellow Letters Gelbe Briefe İlker Çatak Germany, France, TurkeyYesterday the Eye Didn't Sleep Rakan MayasiBelgium, Lebanon, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia
Imagina
English title Original title Director(s) Production countrie(s)Black Seas Erin Weisgerber Canada Diorama of Venice Venezia Diorama Nicolas Piret BelgiumDisappearance Sohrab Hura India, NepalTwo Pids John Smith United Kingdom Double Freedom La libertad doble Lisandro Alonso Chile, Argentina, Luxembourg, Germany, United Kingdom Stallion and a Crystal Ball Stallion y la Bola de Cristal Christian Avilés SpainEl León Diana Bustamante ColombiaTycoon Charlotte Zhang Canada, USA My Wife Cries Meine Frau weint Angela Schanelec Germany, France Last night I stayed within myself and this morning I decided to live here Vannacht logeerde ik in mijzelf en vanochtend besloot ik er te blijven wonen Fé Baan NetherlandsExvotos Alejandro Aguilar Escamilla Mexico, PolandThe Recce Daniel Mann United Kingdom, GermanyOlivia Sofía Petersen Argentina, United Kingdom, Spain Because I Have To Podoby milostného vztahu ke světu Jakub Kučera Czech Republic Rojo Žalia Blau Viktoria Schmid AustriaLevers Rhayne Vermette CanadaRoses of Nevada Mark Jenkin United Kingdom With a Kind Regard Pavel Mozhar Germany Volklore Viktorie Štěpánová Czech Republic
Out of the Past – KVIFF 60/80
English title Original title Director(s) Production countrie(s) Birds, Orphans and Fools Vtáčkovia, siroty a blázni Juraj Jakubisko Czechoslovakia Blood on the Land Το χώμα βάφτηκε κόκκινο Vasilis Georgiadis GreeceCaptain Thunderbolt Cecil Holmes Australia A Matter of Life and Death Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger United Kingdom
Tributes
English title Original title Director(s) Production countrie(s)Basquiat Julian Schnabel United States The Bride! Maggie Gyllenhaal United States, France Certified Copy Copie conforme Abbas Kiarostami France, Italy, BelgiumThe Double Richard Ayoade United Kingdom The Graduate Mike Nichols United States Mean Streets Martin Scorsese United States The OrderJustin Kurzel Canada, United StatesThree Colours: Blue Krzysztof Kieślowski France, Poland, Switzerland