British documentary wins top prize at 2024 Karlovy Vary film festival

The British documentary A Sudden Glimpse to Deeper Things, directed by Mark Cousins, secured the prestigious grand prize Crystal Globe at the Karlovy Vary Film Festival, which came to a close on Saturday evening. Actor Clive Owen was also honored during the festival's closing ceremony.

A Sudden Glimpse to Deeper Things portrays the life of influential British modern artist Wilhelmina Barns-Graham, and in particular a pivotal 1949 journey to Switzerland's Grindelwald glacier that shaped her perspective. Actress Tilda Swinton narrates the documentary.

The grand prize, which includes a $25,000 (about CZK 580,000) award, is shared equally between the film's director and producer. The Karlovy Vary festival jury, led this year by Australian actor Geoffrey Rush, evaluated 12 films in the main competition before selecting Cousins' documentary as the winner.

Singaporean director Nelicia Low received the Best Director award for her feature debut Pierce, a story about a young fencer named Jie who dreams of reuniting with his imprisoned older brother.

The Special Jury Award, accompanied by a $15,000 (CZK 350,000) prize, was awarded to the Norwegian drama Loveable, directed by Lilja Ingolfsdottir. The film explores the breakdown of a marriage and a woman's search for her role in life. Helga Guren's performance as Maria earned her the Best Actress award.

The Best Actor award was shared between Dutch actors Ton Kas and Guido Pollemans for their performances in Three Days of Fish. Special Mention awards were given to Xoftex, a German co-production directed by Noaz Desh and set in a Greek refugee camp, and Adam Martinec's feature film Our Lovely Pig Slaughter, set in a Czech slaughterhouse.

The Daily Pravo Audience Award went to Waves, directed by Czech filmmaker Jiří Mádl. The film received an extended standing ovation following its festival screening.

This year's Karlovy Vary Film Festival featured 177 films, including both feature-length and short documentaries. Two domestic films, Our Lovely Pig Slaughter and Beata Parkanová's Tiny Lights, were included in the main competition.

Next year's 59th edition of the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival is scheduled to take place from July 4 to 12, 2025.