Maggie Gyllenhaal, Jesse Eisenberg to Be Honored at Karlovy Vary Film Festival

The Karlovy Vary Intl. Film Festival will honor actress, director and screenwriter Maggie Gyllenhaal and actor, director and screenwriter Jesse Eisenberg at its 60th edition, which runs July 3-11.

Artistic director Karel Och said, “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.”

KVIFF’s executive director Kryštof Mucha added, “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.”

At the opening ceremony, the President’s Award will be presented to Gyllenhaal, a Golden Globe winner and two-time Academy Award nominee. At the festival, Gyllenhaal will present her film “The Bride!” (2026), which she wrote, directed and produced. The film is an imaginative continuation of the classic Frankenstein story, influenced by both the 1935 film “Bride of Frankenstein” and Mary Shelley’s original story. The film stars Jessie Buckley, Christian Bale, Annette Bening, Penélope Cruz, Peter Sarsgaard and Jake Gyllenhaal.

Maggie Gyllenhaal made her feature directorial debut with her adaptation of Elena Ferrante’s novel “The Lost Daughter,” starring Olivia Colman, Dakota Johnson, and Jessie Buckley, for which she also wrote the screenplay. The film went on to be nominated for three Academy Awards for best actress (Colman), best supporting actress (Buckley) and best adapted screenplay (Gyllenhaal).

The President’s Award will also be presented to Eisenberg, a two-time Oscar nominee. In his honor, Karlovy Vary will screen “The Double,” directed by Richard Ayoade, in which Eisenberg plays the lead role.

As a filmmaker, Eisenberg made his screenwriting and directing debut with the feature film “When You Finish Saving the World,” starring Julianne Moore and Finn Wolfhard as a mother and son trying to navigate their relationship. The film had its premiere at Cannes. Eisenberg subsequently aroused great attention with his second film, “A Real Pain” (2024), in which he and Kieran Culkin play cousins in search of their heritage. Eisenberg was nominated for an Oscar and a Golden Globe for best screenplay, and his screenplay won a BAFTA Award and the Waldo Salt Award at Sundance. He was also nominated for a Golden Globe for best actor, and Kieran Culkin’s performance garnered an Oscar for best supporting actor.

His upcoming film as a writer/director, “The Debut,” stars Julianne Moore and Paul Giamatti. Eisenberg co-stars and wrote the music and lyrics for the film’s musical-within-the-movie. It will be released in Fall 2026 by A24.