The Czech Film and Television Academy (CFTA) has hosted the 33rd Czech Lion Awards, celebrating the achievements in Czech cinema and television in 2025. The ceremony also stood out for the unusually international range of its winners. Several major awards went to film professionals with roots outside the Czech Republic, mostly in neighbouring Slovakia, reflecting the increasingly transnational character of the country’s film industry.

Zuzana Kirchnerová’s drama flick Caravan [+lee también:
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ficha de la película] was crowned Best Film of the Year. The film secured two trophies overall, including Best Supporting Actress for Slovak thesp Juliána Brutovská. While Caravan took home the ceremony’s top honour, the night’s most-awarded title was Agnieszka Holland’s unconventional biopic Franz [+lee también:
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ficha de la película], which collected four Czech Lions, including Best Actor for German-born Idan Weiss as well as the Awards for Best Stage Design, Best Costume Design, and Best Make-up and Hairstyling. Weiss, accepting his trophy, described working with Holland as “the best moment of my life”.

Another notable contender was Ondřej Provazník’s Broken Voices [+lee también:
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ficha de la película], which earned three prizes, including Best Actress for Kateřina Falbrová, a 16-year-old student making her feature-film breakthrough, who has thus added another prize to her trophy cabinet, after recently winning a Czech Film Critics’ Award. The film also received the gongs for Best Sound and Best Music, the latter shared by Slovak composers Jonatan Pastirčák (Pjoni) and Ondřej Mikula (Aid Kid). Broken Voices was named Best Film at the Czech Film Critics’ Awards ceremony a month earlier; however, the controversy swirling around the film might have diminished its chances at the Czech Lions. The feature sparked debate in the Czech industry after relatives of victims from the actual abuse case criticised the production for allegedly drawing too closely on real testimonies, raising concerns about the ethical portrayal of survivors of sexual abuse. One victim is even suing the producers.

The Award for Best Director went to debuting Slovak filmmaker Katarína Gramatová for Promise, I'll Be Fine [+lee también:
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ficha de la película], in one of the evening’s more surprising wins. Meanwhile, the Best Screenplay Award was granted to Dužan Duong, Jan Smutný and Lukáš Kokeš for Summer School, 2001 [+lee también:
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entrevista: Dužan Duong
ficha de la película], a coming-of-age flick that highlights the Vietnamese community in the Czech Republic. Actor Nguyen Dung, who is of Vietnamese origins, won Best Actor in a Supporting Role for his turn in the movie. In the documentary category, Slovak documentarian Miro Remo’s Better Go Mad in the Wild [+lee también:
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ficha de la película] prevailed, adding to its successful streak at an array of international festivals, including bagging the top prize at Karlovy Vary (see the news). The film also won the Awards for Best Cinematography (Dušan Husár and Miro Remo) and Best Editing (Máté Csuport and Šimon Hájek).

In the other categories, David Súkup, Patrik Pašš, Leon Vidmar and Jean-Claude Rozec’s Tales from the Magic Garden [+lee también:
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ficha de la película] won Best Animated Film, while emerging Slovak director Terézia Halamová’s Dog and Wolf triumphed as Best Short Film and also received the Magnesia Award for Best Student Film. The director is already preparing a feature-length version of the short as her debut. The Honorary Czech Lion for Outstanding Contribution to Czech Cinema was presented to Helena Bezděk Fraňková, the former long-time director of the Czech Film Fund, who launched its transformation into the Czech Audiovisual Fund (see the news). She was recognised for her role in strengthening the country’s audiovisual sector.

Here is the complete list of award winners:

Best Film
Caravan [+lee también:
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Best Director
Katarína Gramatová – Promise, I'll Be Fine [+lee también:
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ficha de la película] (Slovakia/Czech Republic)

Best Documentary Film
Better Go Mad in the Wild [+lee también:
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entrevista: Miro Remo
ficha de la película] – Miro Remo (Czech Republic/Slovakia)

Best Actress in a Leading Role
Kateřina Falbrová – Broken Voices [+lee también:
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entrevista: Ondřej Provazník
ficha de la película] (Czech Republic/Slovakia)

Best Actor in a Leading Role
Idan Weiss – Franz [+lee también:
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entrevista: Agnieszka Holland
ficha de la película] (Czech Republic/Poland/France/Germany)

Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Juliána Brutovská – Caravan

Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Nguyen Dung – Summer School, 2001 [+lee también:
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entrevista: Dužan Duong
ficha de la película] (Czech Republic/Slovakia)

Best Screenplay
Dužan Duong, Jan Smutný, Lukáš Kokeš – Summer School, 2001

Best Cinematography
Dušan Husár, Miro Remo – Better Go Mad in the Wild

Best Film Editing
Máté Csuport, Šimon Hájek – Better Go Mad in the Wild

Best Sound
Juraj Mravec, Petr Čechák – Broken Voices

Best Music
Jonatan Pastirčák (Pjoni), Ondřej Mikula (Aid Kid) – Broken Voices

Best Stage Design
Henrich Boráros – Franz

Best Costume Design
Michaela Horáčková Hořejší – Franz

Best Make-up and Hairstyling
Gabriela Poláková – Franz

Best Miniseries or Television Series
The Well – Tereza Kopáčová (Czech Republic)

Best Actress in a Leading Role in a Serial Work
Johana Matoušková – The Well

Best Actor in a Leading Role in a Serial Work
David Švehlík – The Well

Best Supporting Actress in a Serial Work
Kristýna Ryška – The King of Šumava: Agent Walker (Czech Republic)

Best Supporting Actor in a Serial Work
Jan Nedbal – The King of Šumava: Agent Walker

Best Animated Film
Tales from the Magic Garden [+lee también:
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ficha de la película] - David Súkup, Patrik Pašš, Leon Vidmar, Jean-Claude Rozec (Czech Republic/Slovakia/France/Slovenia)

Best Short Film
Dog and Wolf – Terézia Halamová (Czech Republic)

Honorary Award for Outstanding Contribution to Czech Cinema
Helena Bezděk Fraňková

Non-statutory awards

Best Film Poster
Franz – Michal Čermín

Magnesia Award for Best Student Film
Dog and Wolf – Terézia Halamová

Film Fans’ Award
Do the Mæth – Martin Pohl (Czech Republic)