It’s been more than half a century since the Czech New Wave heralded the arrival of a fresh cinematic movement in the former Czechoslovakia. Today’s rising talents — from diverse backgrounds, working across a range of styles and media — showcase an industry that’s increasingly embracing the world.
Here are 10 Czech Talents to Watch (in alphabetical order):
Michal Blaško
Working between the Czech Republic and Slovakia, Blaško landed on the international radar when his short film “Atlantis, 2003” premiered at Cannes’ Cinefondation, before launching his feature debut “Victim” in Venice’s Horizons strand. He’s currently teaming up again with “Victim” scribe Jakub Medvecký on the coming-of-age drama series “Cowgirl.”
Kristina Dufková
The Prague-born animator made a splash with her well-received debut feature “Living Large,” which premiered in competition at Annecy en route to a lengthy festival run and a spot on the Oscar shortlist for Best Animated Film. Dufková will bring together much of the same creative team for her follow-up, “Wish It!,” which will likewise utilize puppetry and stop-motion animation to tell a story about children’s imagination.
Ondřej Hudeček
Hudeček has been one to watch since his short film, the historical queer romance “Peacock,” premiered at the Toronto Film Festival before winning a jury prize for directing at Sundance in 2016. The director’s upcoming feature debut, “Little Thief,” is a genre-defying mash-up that revolves around a gang of petty thieves who pull a series of insurance frauds during the COVID-19 lockdowns.
Daria Kashcheeva
Kashcheeva, whose 2020 animated short film “Daughter” won the Student Academy Award and was nominated for Best Animated Short, is one of the bright talents at the forefront of a new generation of Czech animators. She’s currently developing her untitled debut feature, a sci-fantasy set in the future that will be a hybrid live-action film utilizing stop-motion animation.
Diana Cam Van Nguyen
Another rising star in animation, Nguyen’s breakout short film “Love, Dad” travelled to nearly two dozen film festivals, including Clermont-Ferrand, Locarno, London and Toronto, while winning a Czech Lion for best short film. Her anticipated debut feature, “Inbetween Worlds,” was developed during a prestigious Cannes Residence and looks to move into production in 2026.
Tereza Nvotová
The Slovakia-born Nvotová, who lives between Prague and New York, made a promising debut with Rotterdam premiere “Filthy” before winning the Golden Leopard in Locarno’s Filmmakers of the Present competition with the feminist horror-fantasy “Nightsiren.” Her third feature, “Father,” is circling a fall festival premiere, while Nvotová is also tapped to direct the buzzy Slovak political drama “Our People,” awarded at Series Mania.
Olmo Omerzu
After premiering in Berlin and in San Sebastian’s New Directors sidebar with his first two films, the Slovenian-born director won the Crystal Globe for best directing at the Karlovy Vary Film Festival with 2018’s “Winter Flies.” His upcoming fifth feature, the family dramedy “Ungrateful Beings,” boasts an international cast led by Irish actor Barry Ward of “Bad Sisters” fame.
Greta Stocklassa
The Czech Swedish docmaker broke out with her sophomore effort, “Blix Not Bombs,” a documentary about former U.N. weapons inspector Hans Blix that premiered at CPH:DOX to kick off a solid festival run. She followed that with the short doc “Buzz of the Earth,” which scooped a pair of Czech national film awards last year.
Vojtěch Strakatý
Strakatý got off to an auspicious start with his directorial debut “After Party,” a coming-of-age drama set over the course of a single day, which premiered in the Venice Film Festival’s Horizons Extra sidebar last year. The director’s follow-up, “The Other Side of Summer,” about a pair of teenage girls who discover a portal to another world, is eyeing a fall festival premiere.
Pavel Sýkora and Viktor Horák
This young filmmaking duo won the Student Oscar for their short film “The Compatriot,” which was also shortlisted in the Best Live-Action Short Film category at the 97th Academy Awards. They’re currently working on their debut feature, described as a coming-of-age story for the digital era, as well as a limited series about high school sports.
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