Czech-Slovak Documentary Wins Top Prize at 59th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival

Karlovy Vary, The Gulf Observer: The 59th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival concluded with the prestigious Crystal Globe being awarded to Better Go Mad in the Wild, a Czech-Slovak documentary directed by Slovak filmmaker Miro Remo. The film intimately portrays the unconventional lives of two elderly men living in the remote forests of the Šumava mountains. This marks the first time in eight years that a Czech film has claimed the festival’s top honor.
The festival’s Special Jury Prize was awarded to the Iranian drama Bidad, directed by Soheil Beiraghi, while the Best Director Award was jointly presented to Nathan Ambrosioni for Out of Love and Vytautas Katkus for The Visitor.
Norwegian actress Pia Tjelta received the Best Actress award for her role in Don’t Call Me Mama, while Àlex Brendemühl was honored as Best Actor for his performance in When a River Becomes the Sea. Rising Czech talent Kateřina Falbrová earned a Special Mention for her role in Broken Voices.
In the festival’s Proxima competition, the Grand Prix was awarded to Sand City, directed by Mahde Hasan of Bangladesh, further underscoring the festival’s commitment to showcasing emerging cinematic voices from around the world.
The Karlovy Vary International Film Festival remains one of Central Europe’s most significant cultural events, celebrating outstanding achievements in global cinema.