The Czech Lion (Český Lev) Awards are back for their 32nd edition this year, recognizing the standout achievements in Czech film and television from the past year. Organized by the Czech Film and Television Academy (ČFTA), the ceremony will take place on March 8, 2025, at Prague’s Rudolfinum, airing live on ČT1.
This year, 93 projects were considered, including feature films, documentaries, animated works, and series. The ČFTA announced nominations for this year’s awards at a press conference earlier this morning.
Front-Runners: Waves and Girl America
Among the 29 titles competing across 24 categories, Waves (Vlny), directed by Jiří Mádl, leads the pack with 14 nominations. The historical drama captures the turmoil of the Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968 and the efforts of those working for Czechoslovak Radio in Prague.
“This handsomely-mounted story from writer-director Jiří Mádl has a tendency to overplay the drama surrounding its fictional central protagonist, but the real-life underpinnings shine through, especially during a thrilling climax as Soviet tanks roll through Prague, The Prague Reporter wrote in its review of Waves last summer. “Viewers well-versed in Czech history and those completely unfamiliar with the events Waves recounts will both find a lot to like here.”
Close behind is Viktor Tauš’s Girl America (Amerikánka), with 13 nominations, a stylistic portrayal of a young girl’s journey through institutional care during the normalization era.
Other strong contenders include Our Lovely Pig Slaughter (Mord), Adam Martinec’s tragicomedy set during a village pig slaughter that premiered in competition at last year’s Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, and The Markovič Method: Hojer (Metoda Markovič: Hojer), a gritty miniseries about police work in Czechoslovakia, both earning 10 nominations each.
2025 Czech Lion Awards
The 2025 edition of the Český Lev introduces new categories for performances in series and miniseries, a nod to the growing prominence of television storytelling. Miniseries like Daughter of the Nation (Dcera národa) and Sense of Tumour (Smysl pro tumor) will compete alongside dramatic films in this updated structure.
This year’s ceremony will highlight the often-overlooked contributions of behind-the-scenes professionals, such as set designers, costume creators, and sound engineers, without whom cinema would not exist. Karel “Kovy” Kovář, a popular YouTuber, will host the event, with Matěj Chlupáček serving as the creative supervisor.
At a press conference on Jan. 13, the Audience Award for the 2025 Czech Lion Awards was presented to Jiří Mádl’s Waves. Additionally, designers Jan Kadlec and Jan Poukar received an award for their artwork on the poster for Girl America.
Film fans in the Czech Republic will be able to view nominated works via an online showcase on DAFilms.cz starting Feb. 24, or in cinemas at local CineStar locations.
Full List of 2025 Czech Lion nominations
Best Feature Film
- Girl America (Amerikánka)
- Our Lovely Pig Slaughter (Mord)
- March to May (Od marca do mája)
- Waves (Vlny)
- The Gardener’s Year (Zahradníkův rok)
Best Documentary Film
- Czechoslovak Architecture 58–89 (Architektura ČSSR 58-89)
- Limits of Europe (Hranice Evropy)
- I’m Not Everything I Want to Be (Ještě nejsem, kým chci být)
- Ms. President (Prezidentka)
- War Correspondent (Válečný zpravodaj)
Best Series or Miniseries
- Daughter of the Nation (Dcera národa)
- Sense of Tumour (Smysl pro tumor)
- The Markovič Method: Hojer (Metoda Markovič: Hojer)
- Good Morning, Brno! (Dobré ráno, Brno!)
- No Big Deal (Vlastně se nic nestalo)
Best Animated Film
- Hurricane (Hurikán)
- Living Large (Život k sežrání)
- Big Man (Velký Pán)
Best Director
- Girl America – Viktor Tauš
- Our Lovely Pig Slaughter – Adam Martinec
- March to May – Martin Pavol Repka
- Waves – Jiří Mádl
- The Gardener’s Year – Jiří Havelka
Best Actress in a Leading Role
- Klára Kitto (Girl America)
- Lucie Žáčková (Mr. and Mrs. Stodola)
- Pavla Beretová (Year of the Widow (Rok Vdovy))
- Magdaléna Borová (Dry Season (Sucho))
- Tereza Ramba (Her Drunken Diary (Zápisník alkoholičky))
Best Actor in a Leading Role
- Jan Hájek (Mr. and Mrs. Stodola)
- Karel Martinec (Our Lovely Pig Slaughter)
- Václav Neužil (Smetana)
- Vojtěch Vodochodský (Waves)
- Oldřich Kaiser (The Gardener’s Year)
Best Actress in a Supporting Role
- Klára Melíšková (Girl America)
- Lucie Žáčková (Girl America)
- Karin Bílíková (Our Lovely Pig Slaughter)
- Denisa Barešová (Smetana)
- Tatiana Pauhofová (Waves)
Best Actor in a Supporting Role
- Jan Zadražil (After Party)
- Milan Ondrík (The Hungarian Dressmaker (Ema a smrtihlav))
- Antonín Budínský (Our Lovely Pig Slaughter)
- Martin Hofmann (Waves)
- Stanislav Majer (Waves)
Best Screenplay
- Girl America – David Jařab
- The Markovič Method: Hojer – Jaroslav Hruška
- Our Lovely Pig Slaughter – Adam Martinec
- Waves – Jiří Mádl
- The Gardener’s Year – Jiří Havelka
Best Cinematography
- Girl America – Martin Douba
- The Markovič Method: Hojer – Ondřej Belica
- Our Lovely Pig Slaughter – David Hofmann
- Year of the Widow – Dušan Husár
- Waves – Martin Žiaran
Best Editing
- Girl America – Alois Fišárek, Krzysztof Komander
- I’m Not Everything I Want to Be – Alexander Kashcheev
- The Markovič Method: Hojer – Tomáš Holocsy
- Our Lovely Pig Slaughter – Matěj Sláma
- Waves – Filip Malásek
Best Sound
- Girl America – Michał Fojcik, Michał Bagiński
- I’m Not Everything I Want to Be – Alexander Kashcheev, Michaela Patríková
- Our Lovely Pig Slaughter – Miki Kocáb, Peter Hilčanský
- Waves – Viktor Ekrt
- Living Large – David Titěra, Viktor Ekrt
Best Music
- Girl America – Jan Michael Prokeš
- I’m Not Everything I Want to Be – Oliver Torr, Prokop Korb, Adam Matej
- Our Lovely Pig Slaughter – Jonatan Pjoni Pastirčák
- Waves – Simon Goff
- Living Large – Michal Novinski
Best Production Design
- Girl America – Jan Kadlec
- Daughter of the Nation – Henrich Boráros
- The Markovič Method: Hojer – Milan Býček
- Smetana – Jan Vlasák
- Waves – Petr Kunc
Best Costumes
- Girl America – Jan Kadlec
- Daughter of the Nation – Jarmila Dunděrová
- The Markovič Method: Hojer – Vladimíra Pachl Fomínová
- Smetana – Andrea Králová
- Waves – Katarína Štrbová Bieliková
Best Makeup
- Girl America – Jana Dopitová, René Stejskal
- Daughter of the Nation – Lenka Nosková
- The Markovič Method: Hojer – Lukáš Král
- Smetana – Martin Valeš, Jana Bílková, Martin Větrovec
- Waves – Adéla Anděla Bursová
Best Short Film
- Butterfly Girl (Ani se nenaděješ a už se jmenuješ)
- Buzz of the Earth (Bzukot Země)
- The Sea In Between (Mezi námi moře)
Audience Award
- Waves – Jiří Mádl
