The 59th Karlovy Vary Film Festival was held from July 4 to August 25, 2025, and I had the pleasure of attending once again on behalf of Collider. It’s hard to describe the eight days in the small, picturesque town an hour and a half outside Prague, the Czech Republic’s capital. While a festival like Cannes is non-stop stress, frazzled writers downing free Nespresso and vaping and smoking the deadline anxiety away, everyone in Karlovy is just soaking up the atmosphere. The two center points are the Hotel Thermal, a Brutalist-era design that houses the Grand Hall, the press area, and various parties throughout the week. On the other end of the canal is the Pupp, which Bond fans will recognize for its use inDaniel Craig’sCasino Royale.It also served as an inspirationforWes Anderson’sGrand Budapest Hotel. Parties only get started after midnight, there are more drink vendors along the streets than food, and every single night during the festival hears booming DJs, crowds of laughter, and live music. While we’re all here to watch and honor films from across the world, the fun and celebrations don’t stop at the cinema door.
Stellan Skarsgård Was Awarded the Crystal Globe
On Saturday, the 12th of July, we gathered in the Grand Hall of the Thermal Hotel, where the festival’s winners were announced. There was a noticeable absence in the form ofJiří Bartoška, who passed away earlier this year, and who served as the president of the festival for over 30 years.The position has not been filled and remains dedicated toBartoška. The main competition jury was made up ofJessica Kiang, a festival programmer and critic;Nicolas Celis, a film producer from Mexico who co-producedAlfonso Cuarón’s Best Picture nominee,Roma;Babak Jalali, an Iranian-British director (Radio Dreams); the Czech filmmaker,Jiří Mádl;and Swedish actress and director,Tuva Novotny. Swedish actorStellan Skarsgårdwas also present to receive an honorary Crystal Globe award, after the audience was treated to a montage of his filmography (thankfully, lots ofMamma Mia, but a disappointing lack ofDeep Blue Sea). The weekend before,Michael Douglas,Peter Sarsgaard, andDakota Johnsonwere recipients of the Crystal Globe.
Which Movies Won Big at the 2025 Karlovy Vary Film Festival?
Of course, the films are why most of us are here, and the 2025 slate was as varied as it was impressive. But despite these films following different time periods, settings, and genres, a throughline did reveal itself over the week. Both inside and outside of the competition, most of the films I saw were smaller, introspective explorations of human nature and why we act the way we do. Naturally, these sometimes took on bigger scopes, as titles interrogated the precarious political nature of the world right now, and how this has bled down into more domestic stories. There was also a notably large number of female-led stories, with women protagonists both awful and heroic. One such film wasDon’t Call Me Mama, a badly-named but searing examination of racial power dynamics, as a white wife and mother begins an affair with the 18-year-old Syrian refugee she takes in.Pia Tjeltarightly took home the award for Best Actress for her portrayal of a morally conflicted woman who lets rejection take over her moral compass and destroy the life of someone infinitely less powerful than her.
But perhaps the award I was most delighted to see was toKateřina Falbrováfor the Special Jury Mention. The young performer took on a role that brings her to darker corners than some adults couldn’t even watch in the Czech film,Broken Voices. My personal favourite film from the festival, theOndřej Provazníkfilm, based on a true story, follows a prestigious girls’ choir in Prague in the early ‘90s, and the dictatorial choirmaster who takes advantage of his power over the girls and starts abusing them. It’s a harrowing watch, made even more startling by how much Falbrová imbues her young protagonist with the sparkle-in-your-eye hopes and dreams that get so violently ripped away from her throughout the film.
The Star of ‘Phantom Thread’ Gives Her Best Performance in Years in This Heartbreaking New Drama
The film also stars an unforgettable ‘Anatomy of a Fall’ player.
The Best Director award was a tie between two, Nathan Ambrosioni forOut of LoveandVytautas KatkusforThe Visitor.One of the more emotionally charged points of the ceremony was whenBidadwas awarded the Special Jury Prize. The film, whose title derives from the Farsi terms for “Outcry” and “Injustice,” tells the story of a young woman in Iran who refuses to comply with the government’s abolition of singing and dancing. The director, main actress, and othershave been issued fines by the Iranian governmentfor their involvement in the film and for “encouraging corruption.” They received a standing ovation at Karlovy, and directorSoheil Beiraghisaid in his speech, “I thank Iranian women for not being afraid; they taught me not to be afraid,” and dedicated the award to the women of Iran.
The top prize, the Grand Prix, in the main competition went toBetter Go Mad in the Wild, a Czech-Slovak co-production directed byMiro Remo.The documentary chronicles the lives of Czech poetFrantišek Klišíkand his twin brother Ondřej, who lead lives of complete solitude in the mountains on the Czech-German border. However, the euphoria of this victory was sadly short-lived, as just hours after the film was awarded the top honor,František Klišíkwas found dead in Ohrobec, a small Czech village. Reportedly,František Klišík had been celebrating the film’s victory of the Grand Prix award and visiting a friend, and his body was found in a pond on the morning of Sunday, July 13th.Klišík was 62 years old and had attended the premiere of the film at the Karlovy Vary Film Festival with his brother just three days before his death.Better Go Mad in the Wildis the first Czech film in eight years to win Karlovy Vary’s coveted top honor, since 2017’sLittle Crusader. Past winners includeAmélie,Ken Loach’sKez, and theMaggieGyllenhaal-starringSherrybaby.
‘Rebuilding’ and ‘Dreams’ Stand Out From This Year’s Line-up
There are many films that went without awards, as well as hidden gems that screened outside of the main competition. A title that received no awards but was competing for the Crystal Globe isMax Walker-Silverman’sRebuilding.After premiering at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year, the slow, lyrical drama missed out on any awards at Karlovy, but it has picked up distribution from Bleecker Street. StarringJosh O’Connor,Kali Reis, andMeghann Fahy, it’s a stunning sophomore feature from Walker-Silverman, following rancher Dusty (O’Connor) as he tries to make sense of the remnants of his life after a wildfire destroys his childhood home.
A standout from the Horizons section of the festival wasDag Johan Haugerud’sDreams. The third in his Sex/Love/Dreams trilogy, the drama follows a teenage girl’s all-consuming infatuation with her female teacher, an attraction that never becomes physical, but the mental strain of it changes our protagonist, Joanna, forever. Told through mostly narration as Joanna writes her experiences in her diary, the film also sees how Joanna’s mother and grandmother react to reading her story. It’s not a crime-thriller predator story, nor is it a glamorization of forbidden love. It’s a deeply introspective and detailed analysis of the adolescent experiences that shape us, as well as how our personal stories shift once we decide to share them with the world.
Needless to say, it was another wonderful year at Karlovy Vary, a festival that continues to spotlight the best of international cinema, giving platforms to smaller, independent titles that may not make it into the grander scope of Cannes or Sundance. Still, it’s an exciting eight days in one of the most picturesque European towns, with enough glitz and glamor to rival the Cannes Croisette. If you’re a film critic, filmmaker, student, or just a lover of movies, Karlovy Vary in July is the best place to be.
Broken Voices
