Liberec will host the International Festival of Sports Films for the 28th year. For the first time, the festival will last six days, starting with a ceremonial opening in Prague at the Slavic House, then moving to Liberec, Vratislavice nad Nisou, and Lučany nad Nisou, and concluding in Jablonec nad Nisou. Sports and film stars including Lukáš Krpálek, Petra Nesvačilová with Petr Kolečko, Jakub Prachař, Ondřej Pavelka, and others will personally introduce their films.

The festival is not just about films. The accompanying program, aimed at entire families, combines culture and sport, offering activities such as fencing shows and workshops with Jiří Beran, discussions, and exhibitions of paintings and glasswork. Special guests include American film stars Cameron Douglas and Edouard Philipponnat, as well as NBA basketball player Jon Koncak.

This year, a record 451 films from 77 countries were submitted for the festival competition, with 80 selected for the main competition. Over 50 films will be screened as part of the official program.

How to Get a Full-Festival Pass for the Six-Day Program for 600 CZK?
Passes, including the option to reserve individual films, are available [here]. Children and students can attend for free at all locations except the Automoto Museum in Lučany nad Nisou, where the screening includes a museum tour. Additionally, those who purchase a full-festival pass will be entered into a raffle for an exclusive dinner with Hollywood stars. Passes can also be purchased at the Festival Center in Kavárna Pošta, which hosts an exhibition of Olympic paintings by Liston Bocchetta.

A new venue, Desítky in Vratislavice, will feature an adrenaline-packed block of mountaineering films. Tickets for individual films can be purchased online on our website or on-site before each screening.

Screenings will take place for the first time at the summer cinema on the square in front of Liberec Town Hall. You can expect documentaries about football and ice hockey, as well as feature films. On this stage, the best sports journalists will be honored as part of the Ondřej Sekora Awards. Other screening venues include Rezidence RoSa and the Jedlička Institute, but the Klub Lípa is expected to attract the younger audience, featuring Jakub Štáfek’s Vyšehrad Dvje and, for the first time, the film Runner, personally presented by actors Douglas and Philipponnat. A highlight at Clarion Grandhotel Zlatý Lev is the world premiere of the Australian documentary about Věra Čáslavská, with director Ashley Morrison in attendance. Additionally, Petr Kolečko will personally present his new film Magic of the Derby, joined by actors Petra Nesvačilová and Jakub Prachař.

Alongside entertainment, the festival will address mental health in the conference “Mental Health: Doping and Drugs”, moderated by skier Šárka Strachová, who will invite a range of distinguished guests.

The festival culminates with the Gala Awards Ceremony, where prizes will be presented to the creators of the winning films. For the first time, the gala will take place at the F.X. Šalda Theatre and will be broadcast live on Czech Television. Petr Svěcený will host for the third time, with Vojtěch Nouzák directing. Special guests include athletes Štěpán Vojtěch and Tomáš Enge, hockey player Petr Nedvěd, biker Michal Maroši, and others.