The Karlovy Vary International Film Festival has unveiled the lineup for its 59th edition, including 11 of its 12 films in the Crystal Globe Competition. The title of the 12th, an entry from Iran, has been withheld for the “safety of its makers.”
“It has been decided to postpone its announcement until closer to the festival,” KVIFF artistic director Karel Och said in a statement.
Considered the most prestigious film festival in Eastern Europe, the Czech-based KVIFF runs July 4-12. Mexican producer Nicolás Celis (“Roma”), filmmaker Babak Jalali (“Radio Dreams”), film critic Jessica Kiang, and Czech actor/director Jiří Mádl (“Waves”) will serve as the Cystal Globe jury.
“Answering exclusively to their artistic integrity, the filmmakers who have accepted the invitation to premiere their brand-new works in Karlovy Vary fearlessly protect the right to challenge expectations, to disrupt stereotypes and to win over hearts and minds with equal intensity,” Och said. “Disregarding budgetary constraints, these filmmakers from countries such as Bangladesh, Lithuania, Norway and Colombia push the boundaries while keeping in mind the necessary connection between a film and its audience.”
Additionally, the 13 titles for the Proxima Competition have been announced, as has several special screenings and premiere presentation of the digitally restored Czech comedy “Ecce Homo Homolka.” KVIFF’s 2025 President’s Award will be presented to editor Jiří Brožek, who has been credited on over 100 Czech films, winning the Czech Lion Award nine times. In conjunction with the honor, KVIFF will showcase the film “The Death of the Beautiful Deer.”
KVIFF will include an extensive retrospective of legendary Golden Age Hollywood actor John Garfield. Garfield’s breakout came with a supporting role in 1938’s “Four Daughters” at Warner Bros. He went on to star in “The Postman Always Rings Twice,” “Humoresque,” and “Body and Soul.” Unable to enlist in the army during World War II owing to a weak heart, Garfield instead, along with Bette Davis, established the Hollywood Canteen, the famous hub for servicemen stopping through Los Angeles.
His career suffered after the war when he was named as a potential communist and, unlike some of his contemporaries, refused to “name names” when called to testify before the U.S. Congress. In May 52, at just 39 years old, Garfield’s heart gave out and the actor died. His last feature was “He Ran All the Way” in 1951. Other Garfield works included in the tribute are “They Made Me a Criminal,” “Dust Be My Destiny,” “Pride of the Marines,” “Force of Evil,” and “The Breaking Point.”
See the KVIFF lineup below.
Crystal Globe Competition
“Cinema Jazireh” (dir. Gözde Kural, Turkey/Iran/Bulgaria/Romania, 2025, 124 min.)
“Divia” (dir. Dmytro Hreshko, Poland/Ukraine/Netherlands/USA, 2025, 79 min.)
“Out of Love” (Les Enfants vont bien, dir. Nathan Ambrosioni, France, 2025, 111 min.)
“Jimmy Jaguar” (dir: Bence Fliegauf, Hungary, 2025, 112 min.)
“When a River Becomes the Sea” (Quan un riu esdevé el mar, dir: Pere Vilà Barceló, Spain, 2025, 180 min.)
“Better Go Mad in the Wild” (Raději zešílet v divočině, dir: Miro Remo, Czech Republic/Slovak Republic, 2025, 77 min.)
“Rebuilding” (dir: Max Walker-Silverman, USA, 2025, 95 min.)
“Broken Voices” (Sbormistr, dir. Ondřej Provazník, Czech Republic/Slovak Republic, 2025, 104 min.)
“Don’t Call Me Mama” (Se meg, dir: Nina Knag, Norway, 2025, 108 min.)
“The Visitor” (Svečias, dir. Vytautas Katkus, Lithuania/Norway/Sweden, 2025, 111 min.)
“The Luminous Life” (A Vida Luminosa, dir: João Rosas, Portugal/France, 2025, 99 min.)
Proxima Competition
“The Anatomy of the Horses” (La anatomía de los caballos, Daniel Vidal Toche, Spain/Peru/Colombia/France, 2025, 106 min.)
“Before / After” (Avant / Après, dir: Manoël Dupont, Belgium, 2025, 80 min.)
“Thus Spoke the Wind” (Ayspes asatc qamin, dir: Maria Rigel, Armenia, 2025, 92 min.)
“Sand City” (Balur Nogorite, dir. Mahde Hasan, Bangladesh, 2024, 99 min.)
“Forensics” (Forenses, dir: Federico Atehortúa Arteaga, Colombia, 2024, 91 min.)
“Future Future” (Futuro Futuro, dir: Davi Pretto, Brazil, 2025, 86 min.)
“How Come It’s All Green Out Here?” (Kako je ovde tako zeleno?, dir: Nikola Ležaić, Serbia/Croatia/Bulgaria, 2025, 114 min.)
“The Other Side of Summer” (Na druhé straně léta, dir. Vojtěch Strakatý, Czech Republic/Croatia, 2025, 85 min.)
“Action Item” (Neplatené voľno, dir: Paula Ďurinová, Slovak Republic/Czech Republic/Germany, 2025, 69 min.)
“Rain Fell On the Nothing New” (Regen fiel auf nichts Neues, dir: Steffen Goldkamp, Germany, 2025, 85 min.)
“Renovation” (Renovacija, dir: Gabrielė Urbonaitė, Lithuania/Latvia/Belgium, 2025, 90 min.)
“TrepaNation” (dir: Ammar al-Beik, Syria/Germany/France, 2025, 222 min.)
“They Come Out of Margo” (Vgainoun mesa ap ti Margo, dir: Alexandros Voulgaris, Greece, 2025, 91 min.)
Special Screenings
“Dragonfly” (dir: Paul Andrew Williams, United Kingdom, 2025, 98 min.)
“Duchoň” (dir: Peter Bebjak, Slovak Republic/Czech Republic, 2025, 99 min.)
“Promise, I’ll Be Fine” (Hore je nebo, v doline som ja, dir: Katarína Gramatová, Slovak Republic/Czech Republic, 2024, 93 min.)
“All That’s Left of You” (Illi baqi minnak, dir: Cherien Dabis, Germany/Cyprus/Palestine/Jordan/Greece/Qatar/Saudi Arabia, 2025, 145 min.)
“Caravan” (Karavan, dir: Zuzana Kirchnerová, Czech Republic/Slovak Republic, Italy, 2025, 102 min.)
“Summer School, 2001” (Letní škola, 2001, dir: Dužan Duong, Czech Republic/Slovak Republic, 2025, 102 min.)
“The Czech Film Project” (Projekt český film, dir: Marek Novák and Mikuláš Novotný, Czech Republic, 2025, 83 min.)
“A Second Life” (dir: Laurent Slama, France, 2024, 74 min.)
“Tehran Another View” (Tehran, Kenarat, dir: Ali Behrad, Iran/United Kingdom, 2025, 92 min.)
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