The Crystal Globe goes to Fruit Gathering; Lover, Not a Fighter wins the Proxima Competition

The Crystal Globe goes to Fruit Gathering; Lover, Not a Fighter wins the Proxima Competition 

Fruit Gathering, a film that oscillates in a captivating rhythm between tenderness and harshness while reflecting on how women’s desires survive in a country where intimacy and love between women remain socially unacceptable, won the Crystal Globe, the top prize of the 60th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. The winner of the Proxima Competition, dedicated to formally innovative films, is the playful romance Lover, Not a Fighter, about a young man who is in love and also a little lost, and the people closest to him. Both films were made as Czech co-productions: Fruit Gathering as a Myanmar–Czech–French co-production, and Lover, Not a Fighter as a Slovak–Czech co-production.

Director Aung Phyoe ​​accepted the Crystal Globe for Fruit Gathering directly from the hands of Juliette Binoche, who had been honoured herself just moments earlier. “Just being invited here was amazing. I didn’t even ask which section we were in – anything would have been great. It’s my first film, my first major festival, and my first award!” the surprised filmmaker said. “I don’t have much confidence in myself, but my producers believed in me; I’d like to thank them and the entire crew,” he added. Czech co-producer Vít Janeček also expressed his gratitude and shared a broader message: “This kind of collaboration, friendship, and trust cannot be created at any industry forum. It comes from relationships built over decades, and it is one of the many outcomes of what our country has done through its foreign policy. What this area is experiencing now is a civilizational turning point. We should try to do better so that we can preserve the civilization.”

The Danish family drama The Guest received both the Best Director Award for debut filmmaker Mads Mengel and the Special Jury Prize, presented by the jury comprising Justin Chang, Amanda Nell Eu, Pavel Rejholec, Nadia Turincev, and Eskil Vogt. In his acceptance speech, Mengel spoke about how much he had enjoyed the Karlovy Vary festival and how moved he was when audience members stopped him in the street to hug him. The Best Actor Award went to 71-year-old non-professional actor Ghassan Saad for the Lebanese co-production Pipes, while a visibly emotional Anna Schinz accepted the Best Actress Award for the Swiss drama A Happy Family.

The winners of the Proxima Competition were selected by a jury consisting of Estrella Araiza, Devika Girish, Dirk Decker, Marija Kavtaradze, and Jakub Felcman. “I wish we could all be lovers above all, and fighters less often. And if we must be fighters, then let it be for good causes and for people who have no voice,” said Julie Marková Žáčková, producer of the winning film Lover, Not a Fighter, after the film’s director, Martina Buchelová, had thanked the entire team and their families.

Producer Erika Paulinská then read the statement that had also accompanied the film’s festival screenings, emphasizing that the development of emerging filmmakers depends on support that is independent, professional, and fair. “Our film shows that with love, humanity, empathy, and gentle humour, we can overcome every obstacle. I hope that in the future, more debut directors will stand here.”

The jury presented the Best Director Award to Efthimis Kosemund-Sanidis for his debut feature A Whole Person Almost. “I hope this film reminds people that vulnerability is not the opposite of strength, but one of its forms,” the Greek filmmaker said. The Special Jury Prize went to the poetic Japanese film Incinerator, based on a short story by Kaori Ekuni, while the second Slovak debut in the Proxima Competition, 33 Steps, received a Special Mention.

The Právo Audience Award went to Bára – Diary of a Rockstar, the time-lapse documentary by Helena Třeštíková. “I’d like to thank Bára Basiková for her openness and authenticity. I have one wish: that Czech Television continues to receive the same level of funding as it does today. Otherwise, it would not be possible to make ambitious, long-term projects that audiences might one day embrace, just as they did ours. So if there’s any way you could help make that wish come true, I’d be incredibly grateful,” the director said in her acceptance speech.

The 61st Karlovy Vary International Film Festival will take place from 2 to 10 July 2027.