The 60th Karlovy Vary Film Festival is set to begin on July 3, and organizers have lined up the first two recipients of its coveted President’s Awards. Both are New York City residents who, surprisingly, have never worked together: Maggie Gyllenhaal and Jesse Eisenberg. Gyllenhaal earned critical acclaim for directing 2021’s “The Lost Daughter,” which earned three Oscar nominations, including an Adapted Screenplay nod for Gyllenhaal herself. Her second film, “The Bride!” received polarizing reactions from both critics and audiences earlier this year. Eisenberg recently directed his second feature, “A Real Pain,” which saw him land an Original Screenplay nomination and saw co-star Kieran Culkin win the Best Supporting Actor Academy Award.
READ MORE: 35 World Premieres Set For 60th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival [Complete List]
In a statement, KVIFF’s Executive Director Kryštof Mucha noted, “We at the festival are glad to be able to welcome two creative individuals whose work as actors, screenwriters, and directors is representative of contemporary trends in cinema and whose films are an intense experience for audiences.”
Artistic Director Karel Och added, “Maggie Gyllenhaal and Jesse Eisenberg are distinguished by a certain ‘trans-Atlantic’
sensitivity. Their work as actors and directors has the ability to connect the New World and Europe while drawing on the most essential elements of both traditions. The humor of New York intellectuals is combined with wisdom, talent, and an original way of seeing the
world.”
Eisenberg’s acting credits include “The Squid and the Whale,” “Zombieland,” “The Social Network,” “Adventureland,” “Night Moves,” “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice,” and the “Now You See Me” franchise. He previously directed 2022’s “When You Finish Saving The World” and has a new untitled feature expected to release later this year. In 2011, he earned a Best Actor nomination for “The Social Network.”
Gyllenhaal’s acting credits include “Secretary,” “Adaptation,” “Donnie Darko,” “Mona Lisa Smile,” “Confessions of a Dangerous Mind,” “Sherrybaby,” “World Trade Center,” “The Dark Knight,” “Away We Go,” “Crazy Heart,” and “The Kindergarten Teacher.”
In honor of Jesse Eisenberg, the Karlovy Vary Film Festival will screen 2013’s well-received “The Double,” directed by Richard Ayoade. For Gyllenhaal, “The Bride!” will be screened during the festival.
Additional President Awards and/or honorary citations are expected at the end of the festival.
The 2026 Karlovy Vary International Film Festival runs from July 3-July 11.
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