The Ecumenical Jury at the 60th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival awarded its Prize to the film “The Lion at My Back,” directed by Tonia Mishiali (Cyprus, Luxembourg, Greece, 2026). The festival’s top prize, the Crystal Globe for Best Film in the International Competition, went to “Fruit Gathering” by Aung Phyoe (original title: Thit-thee Ku, Myanmar, Czech Republic, France 2026); the award for Best Director went to Mads Mengel for his film “The Guest” (Gæsten, Denmark 2026), which also received the Special Jury Prize. The International Film Critics’ Jury honored the film “Only Beautiful Things to Look At” (Prameň, Slovak Republic, Czech Republic, Hungary 2026) by Ivan Ostrochovský. At the closing ceremony, Juliette Binoche was also honored with a Crystal Globe for her outstanding contribution to world cinema.
On 3 June, the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival opened with a celebration marking its 60th anniversary, an honorary award for the actress, screenwriter, director and producer Maggie Gyllenhaal, and the presentation of the Crystal Globe to Dustin Hoffman for his outstanding contribution to world cinema. The festival then screened the documentary *The Match* by Juan Cabral and Santiago Franco (Argentina, Spain 2026) about the quarter-final of the 1986 World Cup in Mexico between England and Argentina, which was decided in Argentina’s favour by Diego Maradona’s infamous ‘Hand of God’. The film also explores the political tensions in Argentina at the time of the tournament and the biographical backgrounds of the key figures involved. The Ecumenical Jury has been participating in the festival since 1994 and awards its prize to a film from the international competition.