Maggie Gyllenhaal and Jesse Eisenberg are heading to the 60th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival with career honors that point to more than their acting work.
The Czech festival announced that both artists will receive the President’s Award during its 2026 edition, which runs from July 3 through July 11 in Karlovy Vary.
Gyllenhaal will be honored at the opening ceremony, where the festival will recognize her work as an actress, director, producer, and screenwriter. Eisenberg will also receive the President’s Award, with Karlovy Vary citing his career as an actor, screenwriter, director, and producer.
Gyllenhaal will arrive with her Frankenstein-inspired film The Bride!, while Eisenberg is being honored after the awards-season run of A Real Pain.
Gyllenhaal Will Present The Bride! at the Festival
Karlovy Vary announced that Gyllenhaal will present The Bride!, her 2026 film for Warner Bros. She wrote, directed, and produced the movie.
The festival described the film as an imaginative continuation of the Frankenstein story, influenced by Mary Shelley’s original novel and the 1935 film Bride of Frankenstein.
The cast includes Jessie Buckley, Christian Bale, Annette Bening, Penélope Cruz, Peter Sarsgaard, and Jake Gyllenhaal.
The honor also follows Gyllenhaal’s feature directing debut, The Lost Daughter. Her adaptation of Elena Ferrante’s novel earned three Academy Award nominations, including Best Adapted Screenplay for Gyllenhaal.
Karlovy Vary Already Has History With Gyllenhaal
Gyllenhaal’s return to Karlovy Vary comes 20 years after one of her major festival wins.
The festival noted that Sherrybaby won the Crystal Globe for Best Film at the 2006 Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, while Gyllenhaal received the Best Actress Award for her performance.
That film arrived during a run that included Secretary, Stranger Than Fiction, and The Dark Knight. She later earned an Oscar nomination for Crazy Heart and won a Golden Globe for The Honourable Woman.
Her 2026 appearance places the earlier Karlovy Vary connection beside her current work as a filmmaker, with The Bride! now giving the festival a new project to screen alongside the career honor.
Eisenberg Will Be Honored After A Real Pain
Karlovy Vary also announced that Eisenberg will receive the President’s Award at the 60th festival.
The festival described him as a two-time Oscar nominee. His first nomination came for playing Mark Zuckerberg in David Fincher’s The Social Network.
His second came for A Real Pain, the 2024 film he wrote, directed, produced, and starred in opposite Kieran Culkin. Eisenberg earned Oscar and Golden Globe nominations for screenplay, while Culkin won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor.
Karlovy Vary also noted Eisenberg’s BAFTA win for the screenplay, along with awards from Sundance, the Independent Spirit Awards, and other groups.
The Festival Will Screen The Double in Eisenberg’s Honor
As part of Eisenberg’s tribute, Karlovy Vary will screen The Double, Richard Ayoade’s 2013 dark comedy in which Eisenberg plays the lead role.
The festival’s announcement also pointed to Eisenberg’s work beyond film acting. He has written and directed features, published fiction, contributed to The New Yorker, and had plays produced in New York and London’s West End.
His upcoming film The Debut, starring Julianne Moore and Paul Giamatti, is scheduled for release by A24 in fall 2026.
The 60th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival runs from July 3 through July 11.