60th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival  

Canadian Narrative features are accepted. 

To be eligible, a film must: 

• be at least 60 minutes long to qualify for submission; 
• Narrative 
• Be a world premiere 
• have been completed within the 12 (twelve) months prior to the starting date of the Festival;  
• not have been released anywhere (including festival screenings, DVD release, or television or internet broadcast) more than 12 (twelve)) months prior to the starting date of the Festival;  
• Films submitted for preselection that are in a language other than English or Czech must have English subtitles. 

The Festival does not accept submissions of short and medium-length films (up to 60 minutes). In addition, any films which are solely promotional, educational or scientific in nature are not eligible for selection by the Festival. 

Films that have been submitted for Festival consideration in previous years are eligible for submission to the 60th Karlovy Vary IFF only if the film has undergone significant changes since it was last submitted. 

For applicable rules & regulations, please consult the festival’s website.    

Complete the Telefilm application before March 26, 2026. 

• If your downloadable Vimeo screening link is not available at the time of submission, please send it before the deadline to Zaida.bourguiba@telefilm.ca.  

Your image editing must be final. The programmers are used to viewing work at the post-production stage (i.e. with no colour corrected, no sound mix, no final music, etc.) and, as such, know how to “fill in the technical gaps.” 

The festival programmer will screen and evaluate the films submitted from their office in Prague.  

Once the screenings are complete, the programmer will provide the list of pre-selected films to Telefilm Canada. Telefilm Canada will inform applicants whether their film has been preselected or not. Pre-selected films will be evaluated by the rest of the programming team. 

The Festival will announce their final selection a few weeks before the festival. 

The Karlovy Vary International Film Festival is a FIAPF “A” category festival and leading competitive film festival in Central and Eastern Europe. The Festival is one of the key stops on the international festival calendar. The Festival respected for its strong programming and efficient guest and industry services, attracts an increasing number of festival scouts and distributors. 

The Festival bestows a number of awards including the Grand Prix – Crystal Globe for Best Feature film ($25,000 USD), the Special Jury Prizes ($15,000 USD), the Proxima Grand Prix ($15,000 USD) and the Proxima Special Jury Prize ($10,000 USD). 

The sections open to Canadian films are: 

Crystal Globe Competition 
A non-specialized international competition of feature-length fiction and documentary films presented as world or international premieres. 

Proxima Competition  

Proxima Competition offers space to the world’s new voices from across the vast cinematic spectrum. Showcasing works by upcoming filmmakers and adventurous works by renowned auteurs, it aims to complement the Crystal Globe Competition by celebrating contemporary cinema with a collection of forward-thinking and exciting discoveries. Feature-length fiction and documentary films presented as world or international premieres are eligible. 

Special Screenings (Non-competitive) 

An exclusive selection of international and Czech films presented as premieres and avant-premieres. 

Horizons (Non-competitive) 
A selection of the most remarkable contemporary films. 

Imagina (Non-competitive) 
Films with an unconventional approach to narration and style. Distinctive and radical visions of film language. 

Midnight Screenings 
A selection of the latest horror and action films, works that look at their genres in new, often humorous, ways.