Myanmar filmmaker Aung Phyoe wins top prize at 60th Karlovy Vary Film Festival for ‘Fruit Gathering’

Myanmar filmmaker Aung Phyoe has made cinematic history, capturing the prestigious Grand Prix – Crystal Globe for Best Film at the 60th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (KVIFF) for his debut feature, Fruit Gathering (Thit-thee Khu).

The award, which carries a $25,000 USD cash prize shared equally between the director and producers, was presented during the festival’s closing ceremony on July 11. The milestone marks the first time a film from Myanmar has ever competed in—let alone won—the top category at the historic European festival.

A quiet tale of queer longing

Fruit Gathering is a 97-minute romantic drama set against the backdrop of contemporary Yangon’s industrial zone. The film explores a subtle, slow-burning, same-sex relationship between two young female garment workers navigating grueling workdays and societal repression.

Starring Nandar Myat Aung as the reserved San Kyi and Nandar Myint Lwin as the pragmatic Theint Theint Oo, the film abandons conventional dramatic structures in favor of quiet observation.

The jury praised the film, noting that it “begins as a lush and meditative portrait of work and friendship before morphing, unexpectedly and organically, into a harrowing drama of obsession and queer desire.”

Accepting the award, writer-director Aung Phyoe expressed humble gratitude. “It’s my first film, my first major festival, and my first award,” he told the audience. “I don’t have much confidence in myself, but my producers believed in me; I’d like to thank them and the entire crew.”

The journey to the Crystal Globe

The film is a co-production between Myanmar, the Czech Republic, and France. It was spearheaded by producers Thu Thu Shein and Thaiddhi—founders of the Yangon-based Third Floor Productions.

Thaiddhi also served as the film’s director of photography. The European co-producers include Czech filmmakers Vít Janeček and Michal Mocňák, alongside France’s Claire Marquet.

Aung Phyoe, who previously directed three acclaimed short films (Evening Clouds, Cobalt Blue, and Seasonal Rain), has spent years developing Fruit Gathering.

The project first gained traction by winning a Jury Award at the Myanmar Script Fund in 2017 and was later showcased at the 2020 Locarno Film Festival’s Open Doors Co-Production platform in Switzerland.

A historic festival edition

Founded in 1946, the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival is one of the world’s longest-running and most revered cinema events. The 60th edition, held July 3-11, featured over 130 feature-length films from around the globe.

While Fruit Gathering took the top prize, other notable winners included Denmark’s The Guest (Special Jury Prize and Best Director for Mads Mengel) and Swiss actress Anna Schinz, who took home the Best Actress award for A Happy Family.

The 61st edition of KVIFF is scheduled to take place from July 2 to 10, 2027.