From cult to classic: 12 must-see film festivals in Prague and Czechia for 2025

This year's film festival calendar features a cinephile's dream of shorts, docs, international features and more with English-friendly screenings.

Jules Eisenchteter

Written by Jules Eisenchteter Published on 28.01.2025 12:30:00 (updated on 28.01.2025) Reading time: 6 minutes

Prague’s 2025 film festival calendar promises a year of cinematic excellence, from Japanese culture to cult classics and global documentaries. Highlights include the prestigious Karlovy Vary International Film Festival and the Ji.hlava Documentary Festival, alongside niche events like Al Qamar and Press Play Prague. With many of the films centered on international productions, English-language subtitles, as well as English-friendly accompanying events are typically on the program.

These annual events cement Czechia’s status as a hotspot for film enthusiasts. Watch this space for updates as further programs are announced.

Winter

Eiga-Sai – February 24-March 2

For all the amateurs of everything Japan, Eiga-Sai will hold its 18th edition at the end of February in Kino Lucerna. Showing the best of contemporary Japanese cinema, Eiga-Sai will have all its screenings in original language with Czech and English subtitles. As you can see from last year’s events-packed program, it’s not just about movies, with a wide range of accompanying program, workshops and discussions designed to present Japanese culture to Prague audiences and foster intercultural exchanges.

Pragueshorts Film Festival – February 26-March 2

A can’t-miss annual gathering and competition for short movie buffs, the Pragueshorts Film Festival will be back at the end of the month with an exciting offer of short feature films, documentaries, and animated movies from both Czech and international filmmakers. The movies, which will be shown in several Prague cinemas including the unavoidable Oko-Svetozor-Aero trio, will then be made available online on the KVIFF streaming platform. Special thematic and children-friendly screenings are also part of the program, yet to be fully unveiled.

Shockproof Film Festival 2025 – March 3-9

The Shockproof Film Festival (Festival otrlého diváka), is a celebration of bizarre, low-budget, and cult films, returns to Prague’s Aero cinema from March 3 to 9, 2025. Featuring nearly 20 screenings of horror, gore, and kitsch classics, the festival promises live dubbing, bingo, lectures, and themed decorations. Known for its campy, decadent vibe, the event offers a unique experience for fans of offbeat cinema and outrageous entertainment.

Upcoming English-friendly film screenings of Czech films

  • Girl America (Amerikánka) – January 29 at Edison Filmhub + Q&A
  • Waves (Vlny), 2024 – January 30 at Edison Filmhub + Q&A
  • I’m Not Everything I Want to Be (Ještě nejsem, kým chci být), 2024 – January 31 at Edison Filmhub + Q&A
  • Smoke (Kouř), 1990 – February 2 at Ponrepo
  • The Cremator (Spalovač mrtvol), 1968 – February 8 at Ponrepo
  • The Snowdrop Festival (Slavnosti sněženek), 1984 – February 15 at Ponrepo
  • Diamonds of the Night (Démanty noci), 1963 – February 18 at Ponrepo
  • One Hand Can’t Clap (Jedna ruka netleská), 2003 – February 19 at Kino Aero + Q&A
  • Our Lovely Pig Slaughter (Mord) – February 19 at Kino Světozor

Spring

One World – March 12-20

No way around it. Organized since 1999 by the non-profit People in Need, the One World film festival showcases every year some of the best documentary movies spotlighting the most pressing issues of our times, from human rights to social injustice, political oppression, and technological threats. The full festival line-up will be presented in mid-February at Edison Filmhub, but organizers have already announced that this year’s edition will emphasize the political and social turmoil in neighboring Slovakia.

FAMUFest – March 5-9

A well-known staple of Prague’s cinema life, FAMUFest is a multi-genre festival organized by and for students of the FAMU film and television school. The goal is to showcase the works of students from the famed Czech school to film industry professionals and the wider public. Its 41st edition this year will be held at the beginning of March in several Prague venues, including Bio Oko cinema.

Prague Film Festival – April 23-26

Another key gathering to elevate the work of the new generation of filmmakers and show what independent filmmaking has to offer, the Prague Film Festival focuses on student and independent filmmakers. It will be held at the end of April in Kino Pilotu. For industry professionals, an additional program also accompanies Czech and foreign movie screenings, on top of masterclasses that are open to the public.

Summer

Karlovy Vary International Film Festival – July 4-12

KVIFF is back for its 59th edition during the first half of July. One of the oldest film festivals in Europe, and the single most prestigious one in Central and Eastern Europe, the Karlovy Vary film festival, held in the western Bohemian spa town since 1950, will once more feature over 200 Czech and international productions and an impressive who’s who guest list that have yet to be announced.

Al Qamar – August 28-31

If you’re not much of a KVIFF-red-carpet person, next summer will also offer more intimate film festivals in Prague. Organized in cooperation with the Madžlis Student Association of Charles University, Al Qamar is one of Edison Filmhub’s most beloved recurring events, drawing anyone interested in films and culture from the Middle East and Northern Africa. The full program of both movies and accompanying events has not been announced yet.

Autumn

Film and Architecture Festival – October 1-6

One of the rare festivals of its kind around, Prague’s Film and Architecture Festival brings the most burning questions related to architecture, urbanism and city planning to the big screen. Offering a mix of feature, experimental, and documentary films in various venues across the Czech Republic, its aim is to foster awareness and debates between audiences, filmmakers, urban experts, and decision-makers. The program will be completed with discussions with filmmakers and art performances.

Press Play Prague – October 8-12

A new addition to Prague’s thriving scene, Press Play Prague will return this year for its second edition after its success last fall. Taking place exclusively in Kino Atlas as part of a collaboration with Denik Referendum and Project Syndicate, Press Play Prague is an international film festival dedicated to journalism and the media sphere, meant to “bring together journalists, filmmakers and audiences to celebrate and amplify the power of storytelling to shape a shared understanding of the world – and, in particular, journalism’s role within it”.

Be2Can – October 8-15

Back to Edison Filmhub, for the Jindřišská-based boutique cinema’s second top movie festival of the year, now in its 12th edition. Like every year, Be2Can will showcase some of the best and most groundbreaking titles at three of the world’s most prestigious festivals – Cannes, Venice, and Berlinale. Screenings will be held during the second week of October in Edison, as well as about half a dozen other venues in Prague.

Ji.hlava International Documentary Film Festival – October 24-November 2

Finishing with a bang comes the internationally acclaimed Ji.hlava International Documentary Film Festival, held annually since the late 1990s in the city of the same name bordering Bohemia and Moravia. The largest festival in Central and Eastern Europe presents over 300 documentary movies from Czechia and worldwide. Part of its program and screenings can also be available online.

More autumn festival dates TBA

The list is not exhaustive, with more top festivals having yet to announce their dates for 2025. Among them, you’ll find a host of country-focused events usually held in the fall, including Das FilmFest (German-language movies), the French Film Festival, the Aussie & Kiwi Fest, FILMASIA, the Bollywood Film Festival, Cino Argentino, Mittel Cinema Fest of Italian Film, or Kino Brasil. Circling back to winter, Scandi Film Festival typically hits in early January.

Top thematic events that have yet to reveal their program for this year include the Future Gate Sci-Fi Film Festival (around September) and the LGBTQ-focused Mezipatra (usually in November).

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