Aung Phyoe’s ‘Fruit Gathering’ Wins The Crystal Globe At Karlovy Vary

The 60th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival came to an end tonight after its starriest event for quite some time, doling out the famous Crystal Globe for Outstanding Artistic Contribution to World Cinema to the likes of Dustin Hoffman, Juliette Binoche, and cinematographer Robert Richardson. Festival President’s Awards went to Jesse Eisenberg, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Magda Vášáryová and Jeffrey Wright, though it remains unclear whether the Bacon family — Kevin, wife Kyra Sedgwick and son Travis — got anything for the mantelpiece in return from their visit to the picturesque Czech spa town with their self-explanatory horror-comedy Family Movie.

Taking the top prize this year was the Myanmar-set drama Fruit Gathering (Thit-thee Khu) by Aung Phyoe, which, according to the jury, “begins as a lush and meditative portrait of work and friendship before morphing, unexpectedly and organically, into a harrowing drama of obsession and queer desire.”

The full list of winners and juries is below…

CRYSTAL GLOBE COMPETITION

CRYSTAL GLOBE JURY
Justin Chang
Amanda Nell Eu
Pavel Rejholec
Nadia Turincev
Eskil Vogt

GRAND PRIX
The financial award ($25,000) is shared equally by the director and producers of the award-winning film.

Fruit Gathering (Thit-thee Khu)
Directed by Aung Phyoe
Myanmar, Czech Republic, France, 2026

SPECIAL JURY PRIZE
The financial award ($15,000) is shared equally by the director and producer of the award-winning film.
The Guest (Gæsten)
Directed by Mads Mengel
Denmark, 2026

BEST DIRECTOR AWARD
Mads Mengel for The Guest (Gæsten)
Denmark, 2026

BEST ACTRESS AWARD
Anna Schinz for A Happy Family
Directed by Jan-Eric Mack
Switzerland, 2026

BEST ACTOR AWARD
Ghassan Saad for Pipes
Directed by Karim Kassem
Lebanon, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, 2025

PRÁVO AUDIENCE AWARD
Bára: Diary of a Rockstar
Directed by Helena Třeštíková
Czech Republic, 2026

PROXIMA COMPETITION

PROXIMA JURY
Estrella Araiza
Dirk Decker
Jakub Felcman
Devika Girish
Marija Kavtaradze

PROXIMA GRAND PRIX
The financial award ($15,000) is shared equally by the director and producers of the award-winning film.
Lover, Not a Fighter (Milovník, nie bojovník)
Directed by Martina Buchelová
Slovak Republic, Czech Republic, 2026

PROXIMA SPECIAL JURY PRIZE
The financial award ($10,000) is shared equally by the director and producer of the award-winning film.
Incinerator (Shokyakuro)
Directed by Shuntaro Uchida
Japan, 2026

PROXIMA BEST DIRECTOR AWARD
Efthimis Kosemund-Sanidis for A Whole Person Almost (Enas olokliros anthropos schedon)
Greece, Bulgaria, Germany, Cyprus, Romania, 2025

PROXIMA SPECIAL MENTION
33 Steps(33 krokov)
Directed by Anna Domček, Šimon Domček
Slovak Republic, Czech Republic, 2026

NON-STATUTORY AWARDS

THE ECUMENICAL JURY
Hans-Martin Gutmann
Lukáš Jirsa
Valérie de Marnhac

GRAND PRIZE OF THE ECUMENICAL JURY
The Lion at My Back
Directed by Tonia Mishiali
Cyprus, Luxembourg, Greece, 2026

EUROPA CINEMAS LABEL AWARD

EUROPA CINEMAS LABEL JURY
Sophie Jansen
Nataša Jurčová Findrová
Grégory Le Perff

EUROPA CINEMAS LABEL AWARD
3 Weeks After (3 nedelje posle)
Directed by Miroslav Terzić
Serbia, Bulgaria, Italy, Croatia, Luxembourg, 2026

FIPRESCI JURY
Wellington Almeida
Laura Arias
Shiva Fouladi
Isabel Jacobs
Marita Nyrhinen
Giuseppe Sedia

THE FIPRESCI AWARD FOR THE BEST FILM IN THE CRYSTAL GLOBE COMPETITION
Only Beautiful Things to Look At (Prameň)
Directed by Ivan Ostrochovský
Slovak Republic, Czech Republic, Hungary, 2026

THE FIPRESCI AWARD FOR THE BEST FILM IN THE PROXIMA COMPETITION
Petty Thieves (Sitni lopovi)
Directed by Mate Ugrin
Croatia, France, Germany, Serbia, 2026