23/06/2025 - The new industry showcase is spotlighting 14 standout projects from Central and Eastern Europe, with an eye on fostering mid-career talent and cross-border co-productions

Director Julius Ševčík, who is taking part with Masaryk: The Coup (© Maximilian Bühn)

Building on its recently announced ambition to boost Central European collaboration, the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (KVIFF) has launched the inaugural edition of KVIFF Central Stage. Organised by the KVIFF Film Industry Office, and running from 6-9 July, in close cooperation with the national film institutes of Austria, the Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia and Ukraine, the initiative presents a curated showcase of 14 promising film projects from the region. Each selected title is actively seeking co-production partners, financing, sales representation, distribution opportunities or a platform for its festival premiere.

The line-up brings together a mix of established voices and internationally recognised filmmakers, with projects spanning various stages of development, production and post-production. The programme includes interactive sessions highlighting both the creative trajectories of the filmmakers, and the broader potential for regional and international collaboration.

“We introduced this new format to address a notable gap in the Central European film landscape. While emerging filmmakers often receive substantial support, mid-career filmmakers typically have fewer opportunities for visibility and financing, despite their equally compelling projects,” explains Hugo Rosák, head of the KVIFF Industry Office. “We were fortunate enough to collaborate closely with Central European film institutes, who helped us identify filmmakers currently working on highly anticipated projects that genuinely reflect the established voices already resonating with audiences.”

From the Czech Republic and Slovakia, the selection includes Masaryk: The Coup, a standalone sequel to Julius Ševčík’s A Prominent Patient [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile], which premiered at the Berlinale and swept the Czech Lion Awards. Also selected are Around the Fire by Michal Hogenauer and First Dates by Šimon Holý, both of whom are returning to KVIFF after earlier presentations in East of the West and Proxima. Award-winning Slovak director Marko Škop, a KVIFF and Toronto laureate, presents Láska, now in post-production.

Austria is represented by The Lime Works, a new feature in development by filmmaker and photographer Andreas Horvath, based on the acclaimed novel by Thomas Bernhard. From Germany comes Hijamat, a Turkish co-production currently in production, directed by Nader Saeivar, winner of the Venice Audience Award for The Witness [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Nader Saeivar
film profile] and co-writer of the Cannes prize winner 3 Faces alongside Jafar Panahi, who also edits this project. Hungarian cinema is showcased through two new works from indie auteurs: László Csuja, the recipient of KVIFF’s Jury Prize for Blossom Valley [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: László Csuja
film profile] and a Sundance alumnus with Gentle [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: László Csuja and Anna Nemes
film profile], presents Some Good News, while Mihály Schwechtje returns with Democracy Work in Progress, continuing his exploration of socio-political themes through intimate storytelling.

Poland’s contributions include Lakome, a new drama by Jagoda Szelc, whose films have premiered at Berlin and IFFR, and Starska by Piotr Adamski, a deeply personal portrait inspired by his late mother’s struggle with bipolar disorder. Slovenia presents two KVIFF and Tribeca regulars: Žiga Virc with Purgatory and Sonja Prosenc with The Happiest Day, currently in pre-production. From Ukraine, the spotlight falls on Vacuum by Yelizaveta Smith, hot off the Cannes Directors’ Fortnight with Militantropos [+see also:
film review
interview: Yelizaveta Smith, Alina Gor…
film profile] (co-directed with Alina Gorlova and Simon Mozgovyi), and Making-of by Ivan Tymchenko, rounding off a well-balanced and diverse selection.

The featured projects will be introduced through dynamic conversations designed to explore artistic development and transnational collaboration. An international jury will select the most promising project in development to receive the €20,000 Eurimages Co-Production Development Award. Participants will also be eligible for post-production support provided by UPP and Soundsquare, including a 15% discount on full audiovisual post services for projects that qualify under the Czech Audiovisual Fund’s 35% production incentive. KVIFF Central Stage will take place at 13:30 on 8 July, on the Industry Main Stage at the KVIFF Industry Hub in Kaiserbad.

Additionally, Hungarian director István Kovács will present A Siege as part of KVIFF Talents (see the news). A feature-length expansion of his Student Academy Award-winning short, the project was one of two top picks from Cine-Collegium Budapest, an independent initiative launched by the Budapest International Film Festival. While KVIFF Talents focuses primarily on emerging Czech and Slovak filmmakers and innovative audiovisual storytelling, it annually welcomes one guest project – this year represented by Kovács. Cine-Collegium, offering an alternative to state-backed systems, supports independent Hungarian cinema through community-driven funding and mentorship.

Here are the projects selected for KVIFF Central Stage:

Starska - Piotr Adamski (Poland)
Producers: Anna Gawlita, Marta Szymanowska

Some Good News - László Csuja (Hungary/Romania)
Producer: Anna Szijártó

Around the Fire - Michal Hogenauer (Czech Republic/Netherlands/Slovakia)
Producer: Marek Novák

First Dates - Šimon Holý (Czech Republic/Bulgaria/Poland)
Producer: Marek Novák

The Lime Works - Andreas Horvath (Austria)
Producer:  Andreas Horvath

The Happiest Day - Sonja Prosenc (Slovenia/Norway/Italy)
Producer: Rok Sečen

Hijamat - Nader Saeivar (Germany/Turkey)
Producers: Said Nur Akkus, Tatiana Tsyganova, Emre Oskay

Democracy Work in Progress - Mihály Schwechtje (Hungary/Czech Republic/Germany)
Producer: Genovéva Petrovits

Masaryk: The Coup - Julius Ševčík (Czech Republic/Poland/Slovakia)
Producers: Vanessa Biermannová, Rudolf Biermann

Láska - Marko Škop (Slovakia/Czech Republic/Croatia)
Producers: Marko Škop, Ján Meliš, Alice Zárubová Tabery, Marina Andree Škop

Vacuum - Yelizaveta Smith (Ukraine)
Producer: Eugene Rachkovsky

Voracious - Jagoda Szelc (Poland)
Producer: Joanna Szymańska

Making-of - Ivan Tymchenko (Ukraine/Czech Republic/Slovakia)
Producers: Svitlana Soloviova, Alžběta Janáčková

Purgatory - Žiga Virc (Slovenia/Austria)
Producers: Žiga Virc, Iza Strehar

KVIFF Talents

A Siege - István Kovács (Hungary)
Producer: Patricia D'Intino