Overview
The Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (KVIFF) is a FIAPF-accredited A-list competitive festival held annually in July in the Czech spa town of Karlovy Vary. The 60th edition runs July 3 to 11, 2026, presenting approximately 180 films across 472 screenings. KVIFF is one of only 15 FIAPF A-list festivals worldwide, sharing that category with Cannes, Berlin, Venice, San Sebastian, and Tokyo. The festival sits between Cannes and Venice on the calendar, programming films that did not make the Cannes cut alongside titles not yet finished for Venice consideration.
The 60th edition screened 119 fiction features, 21 documentaries, and 39 short films, with 43 world premieres and 7 European premieres. The 2026 Crystal Globe went to Fruit Gathering (dir. Aung Phyoe, Myanmar/Czech Republic/France), while the Proxima Grand Prix went to Lover, Not a Fighter (dir. Martina Buchelova, Slovak Republic/Czech Republic). Tribute recipients at the 60th edition included Dustin Hoffman, Juliette Binoche, and Robert Richardson.
For filmmakers with a feature-length film seeking a world premiere at an A-list festival, KVIFF offers one of the most accessible entry points among FIAPF-accredited events. The competition accepts open submissions (not invitation-only), and the festival's geographic position makes it a primary gateway for Central and Eastern European cinema reaching Western distributors and press.
Submission Details
KVIFF accepts open submissions for both competitive sections through its online entry form. The Rules and Regulations for the 60th edition specify the following:
Eligibility requirements:
- Films must be at least 60 minutes in length
- Films must be completed within 12 months prior to the festival start date
- Films must be a world premiere to be considered for competition
- Films must not have participated in any other international competition at any festival prior to KVIFF
- Short and medium-length films (under 60 minutes) are not accepted through open submission
- Films previously submitted are only eligible if significant changes have been made
Submission fees (60th edition):
- Early bird (by December 7, 2025): EUR 60 per film
- Regular (December 8, 2025 to February 28, 2026): EUR 80 per film
- Late (March 1 to March 31, 2026): EUR 100 per film
Fees are paid by debit or credit card and are non-refundable. The Selection Committee notifies all submitters of decisions by the beginning of June 2026.
Language requirements for screeners:
- Films in English or Czech: no subtitles required
- All other languages: English or Czech subtitles required
Key Sections
- Crystal Globe Competition - the main international competition for feature-length fiction and documentary films, presented as world or international premieres only. 12 films competed in 2026, all world premieres from Central and Eastern Europe, Latin America, and Asia.
- Proxima Competition - a competitive section for upcoming filmmakers and adventurous works by established auteurs. Feature-length fiction and documentary films presented as world or international premieres. Replaced the former East of the West competition.
- Horizons (Horizonty) - non-competitive section presenting major international films, including titles that premiered at Cannes earlier the same year.
- Special Screenings - curated selections of anticipated films outside competition
- Imagina - imaginative and visually distinctive cinema
- Future Frames: Generation NEXT of European Cinema - emerging European filmmakers
- Pragueshorts at KVIFF - short film programs from the Pragueshorts festival
- Afterhours - midnight and genre programming
- Tributes - retrospectives and career honors
- Out of the Past (KVIFF 60/80) - classics and restorations, marking 80 years since the first KVIFF
What Filmmakers Should Know
For Feature Filmmakers
KVIFF is one of the few FIAPF A-list festivals that accepts open submissions for its main competition. Most A-list festivals (Cannes, Venice, Berlin) program their competitions by invitation only. The world premiere requirement is strict: if your film has screened at any other festival in any capacity, it is ineligible for the Crystal Globe or Proxima competition.
The 60th edition demonstrated the festival's programming range. The Crystal Globe competition included 12 world premieres from 12 different countries, spanning Serbia, Bulgaria, Chile, Czech Republic, Colombia, Denmark, Switzerland, Germany, Cyprus, Lebanon, Slovak Republic, and Myanmar. Fifteen first-time directors appeared across the competition sections alongside established names.
Winning the Crystal Globe carries a USD 25,000 cash prize shared equally between the director and producer. The Special Jury Prize adds USD 15,000. The Proxima Grand Prix carries USD 15,000, with the Proxima Special Jury Prize at USD 10,000. These are meaningful sums for independent filmmakers and can fund early development on a next project.
Industry Presence
KVIFF is the most important industry event in Central and Eastern Europe during the summer. Distributors, sales agents, and programmers attend specifically because the festival programs titles that bypassed Cannes and Venice. The festival's market activities are less formalized than Cannes Marche or Berlin EFM, but the networking density is high: the spa town's compact geography puts filmmakers, buyers, and press in the same hotels, restaurants, and screening queues for nine days.
The Europa Cinemas Label Award (won in 2026 by 3 Weeks After / dir. Miroslav Terzic) provides European theatrical distribution support. The FIPRESCI jury awards separate prizes for Crystal Globe and Proxima competitions, which can significantly boost a film's critical profile.
For Central and Eastern European Filmmakers
The Proxima Competition (formerly East of the West) is the dedicated platform for films from Central and Eastern Europe, the Balkans, the former Soviet Union, the Middle East, and North Africa. A Proxima win or jury mention can be the difference between international distribution and domestic-only release for a CEE production.
Major Awards
Crystal Globe Competition
- Grand Prix - Crystal Globe: USD 25,000 (shared by director and producer)
- Special Jury Prize: USD 15,000 (shared by director and producer)
- Best Director Award
- Best Actress Award
- Best Actor Award
- Up to two Special Jury Mentions
Proxima Competition
- Proxima Grand Prix: USD 15,000 (shared by director and producer)
- Proxima Special Jury Prize: USD 10,000 (shared by director and producer)
Non-Statutory Awards
- Prize of the Ecumenical Jury
- Europa Cinemas Label Award
- FIPRESCI Award (separate juries for Crystal Globe and Proxima)
- Pravo Audience Award
- Crystal Globe for Outstanding Artistic Contribution to World Cinema
- Festival President's Award
2026 Award Winners
- Crystal Globe: Fruit Gathering (dir. Aung Phyoe)
- Special Jury Prize: The Guest (dir. Mads Mengel)
- Best Director: Mads Mengel (The Guest)
- Proxima Grand Prix: Lover, Not a Fighter (dir. Martina Buchelova)
- Pravo Audience Award: Bara - Diary of a Rockstar (dir. Helena Trestikova)
- FIPRESCI (Crystal Globe): Only Beautiful Things to Look At (dir. Ivan Ostrochovsky)
- FIPRESCI (Proxima): Petty Thieves (dir. Mate Ugrin)
Festival History
KVIFF was founded in 1946, one year after World War II ended, making it one of the oldest film festivals in the world. The first edition took place in the spa town's thermal baths and colonnades, a setting the festival has never left. The festival's early decades overlapped with the Cold War, during which it functioned as one of the few cultural bridges between Western and Eastern Bloc cinema. Western filmmakers could encounter Soviet and Eastern European work at Karlovy Vary that was unavailable elsewhere, and Eastern Bloc filmmakers had rare access to Western films and industry contacts.
After the Velvet Revolution in 1989, the festival faced an identity crisis. Its Cold War role disappeared, and funding was uncertain. The festival restructured under the organization Film Servis Festival Karlovy Vary and rebuilt its international profile through the 1990s and 2000s. FIAPF accreditation was maintained throughout.
The 60th edition in 2026 commemorated two milestones: 80 years since the first festival and the 60th edition itself. The festival has operated continuously with only minor interruptions (primarily during the political transitions of the early 1990s). The East of the West competition, long the festival's signature regional section, was restructured into the Proxima Competition to broaden its scope beyond geographic boundaries.
Past Winners
Recent Crystal Globe winners show the festival's range across regions and debut filmmaking:
- 2026: Fruit Gathering (dir. Aung Phyoe, Myanmar/Czech Republic/France) - debut feature, first Myanmar film to win the Crystal Globe. The jury praised its transformation from a meditative portrait into a drama of obsession and queer desire.
- 2024: A Sudden Glimpse to Deeper Things (dir. Mark Cousins, UK) - documentary portrait of artist Wilhelmina Barns-Graham. Director Cousins returned to KVIFF in 2026 with new episodes of The Story of Documentary Film.
- 2019: The Father (dirs. Kristina Grozeva and Petar Valchanov, Bulgaria) - tragicomedy that launched the Bulgarian duo's international profile. They returned to the Crystal Globe competition in 2026 with Black Money for White Nights.
- 2008: Terribly Happy (dir. Henrik Ruben Genz, Denmark) - the last Danish film to win the Crystal Globe before The Guest competed in 2026.
Notable Alumni Films and Where They Ended Up
- Broken Voices (2025, dir. Ondrej Provaznik) won the Europa Cinemas Label and a Special Jury Mention. Sales agent Salaud Morisset closed deals in 9 territories including Italy, Spain, France, Germany, and Japan. The film exceeded EUR 1 million at the Czech and Slovak box office through CinemArt and screened at over 50 international festivals.
- 3 Weeks After (2026, dir. Miroslav Terzic) won the Europa Cinemas Label in the Crystal Globe competition. Bendita Film Sales picked up international rights before the festival. The Serbian-Bulgarian-Italian-Croatian-Luxembourgish co-production explores peer violence among teenagers.
- The Father (2019, dirs. Grozeva and Valchanov) won the Crystal Globe and established the Bulgarian duo on the international circuit. Their subsequent film Stitches premiered in Berlinale Panorama, where it won the Europa Cinemas Label and the Panorama Audience Award.
Submission Tips Specific to This Festival
The world premiere requirement is absolute. If your film has screened at any festival in any capacity, it is ineligible for both Crystal Globe and Proxima competitions. Plan your premiere strategy accordingly.
KVIFF's calendar position between Cannes and Venice shapes its programming. Programmers actively seek films that missed the Cannes cut or are not yet finished for Venice. If your film was rejected by Cannes, Karlovy Vary is a natural next target for an A-list premiere.
The Proxima Competition is more receptive to first-time filmmakers and formally adventurous work than the Crystal Globe. If your film is a debut or pushes formal boundaries, Proxima may be the better fit. CEE filmmakers should target Proxima specifically, as it evolved from the former East of the West section.
Submit at the early bird deadline (December) to save EUR 40 per film over the late deadline. The selection committee notifies all submitters by early June, giving selected filmmakers about a month to prepare.
Industry Reputation Notes
KVIFF shares FIAPF A-list status with San Sebastian, and both festivals occupy similar positions as accessible competitive festivals for films that bypassed Cannes and Venice. San Sebastian has a larger formal industry market and stronger Latin American programming. KVIFF has a deeper focus on Central and Eastern European cinema and a more compact, networking-friendly geography.
Compared to the Warsaw Film Festival (October), KVIFF has higher FIAPF accreditation and a longer history. Warsaw has a more formalized industry event in its Warsaw Industry Forum. KVIFF compensates with its spa-town setting, which puts all attendees in the same hotels and screening queues for nine days. The networking density at KVIFF is higher than at most festivals of its size.
Watch
See Also
For festival circuit planning and premiere strategy, see Film Festival Strategy. For Central European film markets and distribution, see International Film Markets. To calculate the financial return of festival submissions, see the Festival Entry Fee ROI Calculator. For the Ji.hlava documentary festival in the same country, see Ji.hlava International Documentary Film Festival.
