Czech Film Awards Celebrate ‘Karavan’ and Emerging Talent

Prague – The 33rd annual Czech Film and Television Academy (ČFTA) Czech Lion Awards took place on March 14, 2026, at the Prague Congress Centre, recognizing excellence in Czech cinema. The road movie Karavan, directed by Zuzana Kirchnerová, emerged as a major winner, taking home awards for Best Feature Film and Best Actress in a Supporting Role for Juliána Brutovská. The ceremony also highlighted new directorial voices and celebrated achievements in television.

Key Winners

Best Feature Film: Karavan, directed by Zuzana Kirchnerová and produced by Dagmar Sedláčková.

Best Director: Katarína Gramatová for Nahoře nebe, v dolině já (Promise, I).

Best Documentary Feature: Raději zešílet v divočině (Better to Go Mad in the Wild), directed by Tomáš Hrubý and Pavla Janoušková Kubečková, and Miro Remo.

Best Actress in a Leading Role: Kateřina Falbrová for Sbormistr (Broken Voices).

Best Actor in a Leading Role: Idan Weiss for Franz.

Best Actress in a Supporting Role: Juliána Brutovská for Karavan.

Best Actor in a Supporting Role: Dũng Nguyễn for Letní škola, 2001 (Summer School, 2001).

Best Screenplay: Dužan Duong, Lukáš Kokeš, and Jan Smutný for Letní škola, 2001 (Summer School, 2001).

Television Triumphs

The miniseries Studna, directed by Terezia Kopáčová, dominated the television categories, winning Best Miniseries or Drama Series. Johana Matoušková and David Švehlík were recognized for their leading roles in the series, while Kristýna Ryšek and Jan Nedbal received awards for their supporting performances.

Emerging Talent and Special Recognition

Katarína Gramatová received the Best Director award for her debut feature, Nahoře nebe, v dolině já, set in the marginalized village of Utekáč. The award acknowledged the support for new creators within the Czech film industry. Terézie Halamová was honored with the best student film award for Pes a vlk.

Industry Honors

Helena Bezděk Fraňková received a non-statutory award for her extraordinary contribution to Czech cinematography. The Film Fans Award went to Na plech, directed by Martin Pohl, and Michal Čermín was recognized for the best movie poster for Franz.

Voting and Participation

A total of 32 films, TV series, and miniseries that premiered in 2025 were in the final round of voting. 197 out of 435 members of the ČFTA participated in this year’s voting process. Bianca Cristovao hosted the ceremony, with musical accompaniment by Adrián Čermák. The event focused on the future of Czech cinematography and the next generation of filmmakers.