The Karlovy Vary International Film Festival is putting Central European cinema in the spotlight with a new industry showcase: KVIFF Central Stage. Unveiled as part of the 2025 Industry Days lineup, the program introduces 14 fiction films in development or post-production from established filmmakers across eight countries in the region.
The initiative marks a strategic shift for KVIFF’s Eastern Promises platform, which has traditionally highlighted emerging talent. Central Stage instead gives visibility to mid-career directors with festival pedigrees, offering curated conversations and access to industry partners, post-production support, and the €20,000 Eurimages Co-Production Development Award.
New initiative targets mid-career filmmakers
Central Stage was created in collaboration with national film institutes from Austria, Czechia, Germany, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia and Ukraine. According to Hugo Rosák, head of the KVIFF Industry Office, the program responds to a noticeable gap in support for experienced directors working on new projects.
“We introduced this new format to address a notable gap in the Central European film landscape,” Rosák said in a press release. “While emerging filmmakers often receive substantial support, mid-career filmmakers typically have fewer opportunities for visibility and financing.”
All 14 films are directed by filmmakers with established reputations, many of whom have been recognized at Karlovy Vary or other major festivals. Among the Czech and Slovak projects is Masaryk: The Coup, directed by Julius Ševčík as a standalone sequel to his Berlinale-premiered, Czech Lion-winning Masaryk (A Prominent Patient). Michal Hogenauer and Šimon Holý, both known to KVIFF audiences, return with Around the Fire and First Dates, respectively.
Slovak director Marko Škop, whose previous films have played at Karlovy Vary and Toronto, presents Láska, now in post-production. Austrian director Andreas Horvath brings The Lime Works, an adaptation of Thomas Bernhard’s Gehen, while Iranian filmmaker Nader Saeivar presents Hijamat, co-produced by Germany and Turkey, with editing by frequent collaborator and recent Cannes winner Jafar Panahi.
Hungary is represented by Some Good News, the latest project by Sundance-selected László Csuja, and Democracy Work In Progress by Mihály Schwechtje. From Poland, Jagoda Szelc adapts Małgorzata Lebda’s Lakome into the drama Voracious, while Piotr Adamski presents the personal project Starska, inspired by his mother’s bipolar disorder.
Slovenia contributes two films: Purgatory by Žiga Virc and The Happiest Day by Sonja Prosenc. Ukraine rounds out the slate with Vacuum by Berlinale alumna Yelizaveta Smith and Making-of by Ivan Tymchenko.
Each project will be presented through a moderated discussion, offering insight into the directors’ careers and production strategies. The filmmakers are also eligible for tailored post-production services through industry partners UPP and Soundsquare, and may qualify for Czechia’s 35% digital production incentive with added benefits.
Broader industry context and talent spotlight
The Central Stage launch aligns with a broader expansion of KVIFF’s Eastern Promises industry platform. In total, 40 projects will be showcased across five curated sections, including Works in Development – Feature Launch, Works in Development – Focus Queer, and Pop Up Series Incubator.
Another key component is KVIFF Talents, a parallel initiative focused on early-stage Czech and Slovak creators, which this year includes a guest project from Hungary. István Kovács will present A Siege, a feature-length adaptation of his Student Academy Award-winning short film of the same name. The project was selected through Cine-Collegium Budapest, a community-based funding initiative launched by the Budapest International Film Festival to support Hungarian filmmakers outside state institutions.
“The Cine-Collegium Budapest Foundation cannot solve the crisis of the starving Hungarian film industry,” its founders said in a statement, “but it offers a kind of escape route — a last chance for a dedicated creator to realize their film project through personal initiative and self-sacrificing work.”
KVIFF Talents projects will be showcased on July 7, followed by Central Stage presentations on July 8 at the Kaiserbad Industry Hub. Both platforms demonstrate KVIFF’s increasing role as a regional co-production engine, linking Central European filmmakers with international partners, funding opportunities, and post-production support.
This year’s Karlovy Vary International Film Festival runs from July 4-12. Other events at this year’s festival include a newly-restored print of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, which will be personally introduced by actor Michael Douglas, an extensive tribute to Hollywood icon John Garfield, a cinematic cut of the Czech video game Kingdom Come: Deliverance II, and the world premieres of several new Czech films.
