Imperial Spa

Source: Karlovy Vary

Imperial Spa, Karlovy Vary

Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (KVIFF) is expanding its Industry Days programme, which runs from July 6-9, with a greater focus on Central European film co-production and new events focused on series development. 

The previous Works in Progress pitches will be replaced by a CEE-focused KVIFF Central Stage showcase, a new initiative in cooperation with the national film institutes of eight Central European countries (Austria, Czechia, Germany, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia and Ukraine).

Thirteen fiction films by established filmmakers from these countries that are in late stages of development, in production or post-production will be showcased on July 8. The projects will be revealed later in June.

The Midpoint Institute’s Works In Development programme will return to showcase nine feature-length projects that are currently in development, and five additional projects developed within Midpoint – Focus Queer, a programme supporting filmmakers exploring queer narratives (see below for line-up).

KVIFF Talents, which supports Czech and Slovak filmmakers and innovative audiovisual genres, will return for its third year with six projects selected from nearly 200 submissions (see below).

Meanwhile, the industry programme will expand beyond feature films to include small-screen content, in partnership with CEE broadcaster and producer Central European Media Enterprises. It will include showcases, panels, workshops and talks by TV players and experts.

A key plank of the small-screen focus is the Pop Up Series Incubator showcase, a brand new series development programme for European producers and scriptwriters. Five selected projects will be showcased in Karlovy Vary (see below).

“We believe that we have a unique opportunity to strengthen our position as the leading industry event dedicated to Central Europe, a region that also includes creative powerhouses like Poland, Germany and Austria, and deserves focused international attention. Our aim is to serve as a central hub for producers, filmmakers, broadcasters and platforms from Central Europe, alongside global industry professionals who wish to engage closely with this vibrant region,” said Kryštof Mucha, executive director of Karlovy Vary IFF. 

KVIFF Talents 2025:

Nameless (Cz)
Dir/animator: Daria Kashcheeva

Spirit Moose (Cze-Slovakia)
Dir: Tomáš Klein

Burnout (Cze)
Dir/scr: Greta Stocklassa

Mould (Cze)
Dir/animator: Phillip Kastner

Lost Boys (Cze)
Dir/scr: Dužan Duong

Remake (Cze)
Dir/scr: Kateřina Letáková

Midpoint Institute’s Works in Development – Feature Launch 2025

Battalion Records (Rom)
Dir: Ștefan Bîtu-Tudoran

Carla’s Enzo (Ger-It)
Dir: Elmar Imanov, Adel Oberto

History of Illness (Croatia)
Dir: David Gašo

In Good Faith (Cze)
Dir: Anna Wowra

The Last Game (Rom)
Dir: Andrei Redinciuc

Radio Amateur (Pol)
Dir: Tomasz Habowski

Restless (Cze)
Dir: Albert Hospodářský

Sailing Close To The Wind (Croatia)
Dir: Ivana Marinić Kragić

Soyboy (UK)
Dir: Raphael von Blumenthal

Midpoint Institute’s Works in Development – Focus Queer 2025

Devil’s Instrument (Ger)
Dir: Andreas Kessler

Gillyfish (Ire-UK)
Dir: Sarah Sellman

The House Of The Mother (Dom Rep)
Dir: Jeure Tavare

Mazel Tov, David! (Cze-Fr-UK)
Dir: Šimon Holý

No Money No Honey (Taiwan)
Dir: Yen-Ying (Etsen) Chen

Pop Up Series Incubator

Angelmaker (Rom)
Prods: Anda Ionescu, Tangaj Production

Erotic Lives Of The Superheroes (Fr)
Prods: Eric Dupont, Incognito Films

The Night Of The Beguines (Fr)
Prods: Candice Zaccagnino, Eliane Antoinette

The Three Burials Of Irma (Gre)
Prods: Fenia Cossovitsa, BLONDE S.A.

Therapies (Lith)
Prods: Dagnė Vildžiūnaitė, Just a moment