Karlovy Vary 2026 #3: Vacation
Critics Robert Daniels and Guy Lodge join to discuss a pair of buzzed-about Bulgarian films and other highlights from the festival's last few days
Critics Robert Daniels and Guy Lodge join to discuss a pair of buzzed-about Bulgarian films and other highlights from the festival's last few days

This week, Film Comment Editor Clinton Krute is in the Czech Republic, reporting on the 60th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. Located in a picturesque spa town, the fest has long been the home of hidden gems in its Competition sections, as well as a mid-summer stop for major films making the international circuit. This year’s edition features many of both, as well as an excellent retrospective sidebar highlighting some favorites from the festival’s past, stretching back to the days when it was located in Moscow every other year.
For our third and final episode from KVIFF, Clint welcomed critics and FC Podcast veterans Robert Daniels (RogerEbert.com) and Guy Lodge (Variety) to discuss some of the highlights of the festival, beginning with two Bulgarian films: Kristina Grozeva and Petar Valchanov’s dark comedy Black Money for White Nights (04:24), and Martina Buchelová’s debut feature Lover, Not a Fighter (13:28), the winner of the festival’s Proxima Competition Grand Prix award. Finally, Robert talks about Shuntaro Uchida’s drama Incinerator (20:49) and Guy and Robert dig into Hijamat (26:30), written and directed by Nader Saeivar and edited by Jafar Panahi.
This story is part of the Summer 2026 issue of Film Comment.
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