Karlovy Vary Film Festival 2025 Winners Announced
The 59th edition of the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival came to a close on Saturday, July 12th, with the announcement of the winners. The festival, which showcases the best of international cinema, awarded the Grand Prix Crystal Globe to the Czech-Slovak documentary "Better to Go Crazy in the Wild".
About the Winning Film
"Better to Go Crazy in the Wild" is the fifth feature film by Czech-Slovak filmmaker Remo, and is based on the book of the same name by Ales Palan and Jan Sibik. The film follows two twins as they explore whether it is possible to live their entire lives in the same place. The film’s unique approach and thought-provoking themes resonated with the jury, who awarded the film the top prize of $25,000.
Other Winners
The Special Jury Prize of $15,000 was awarded to the Iranian film "Bidad", which tells the story of a young singer who refuses to accept the societal norms that prohibit women from performing in public. The jury praised the film’s bravery and unexpected narrative. The Best Director Award was shared between Vytas Katkus for the co-production "The Visitor" and Nathan Ambrosioni for the French title "Out of Love".
Acting Awards
The acting awards went to Pia Tjelta for Best Actress for her role in "Don’t Call Me Mom", and Alex Brendemuhl for Best Actor for his role in "When a River Becomes the Sea". The jury also gave a special mention to Katerina Falbrova for her performance in the sexual abuse drama "Broken Voices".
Audience Award
The audience award went to the one-hour interview with the late festival president Jiri Bartoska, titled "We Have to Frame!". The film played as the opening film of the festival and was a clear favorite among audiences.
Proxima Competition
In the Proxima competition, the Grand Prix was awarded to the Bangladeshi film "Sandstadt", which follows two sand thieves in the capital Dhaka who discover a severed finger. The Special Jury Prize went to the Colombian film "Forensics", and a special mention was given to the Belgian film "Before/After".
Honorary Awards
Previously announced honorary awards were given to Stellan Skarsgard and Jiri Brozek during the festival. The festival president also awarded prizes to Vicky Krieps, Dakota Johnson, and Peter Sarsgaard.
Full List of Winners
Crystal Globe Competition
- Grand Prix: "Better to Go Crazy in the Wild" (Czech-Slovakia) Dir. Miro Remo
- Special Jury Prize: "Bidad" (Iran) Dir. Soheil Beaghi
- Best Director: Vytas Katkus for "The Visitor" and Nathan Ambrosioni for "Out of Love"
- Best Actress: Pia Tjelta for "Don’t Call Me Mom"
- Best Actor: Alex Brendemuhl for "When a River Becomes the Sea"
- Special Jury Mention: Katerina Falbrova for "Broken Voices"
- Audience Award: "We Have to Frame!" (Czech) Dirs. Milan Kuchynka, Jakub Jurasek
Proxima Competition
- Grand Prix: "Sandstadt" (Bangladesh) Dir. Mahde Hasan
- Special Jury Prize: "Forensics" (Colombia) Dir. Federico Tehortua Arteaga
- Special Mention: "Before/After" (Belgium) Dir. Manoel Dupont
Honorary Awards
- Crystal Globe for Outstanding Artistic Contribution to World Cinema: Stellan Skarsgard
- Prize of the Festival President for Contribution to Czech Cinematography: Jiri Brozek
- Festival President’s Prize: Vicky Krieps, Dakota Johnson, Peter Sarsgaard
