Hoffman received a Crystal Globe for Outstanding Artistic Contribution to World Cinema and praised festivals for supporting young actors and filmmakers. The celebrations unfolded against a dispute over Prime Minister Andrej Babiš’s plan to abolish license fees for Czech Television and Czech Radio and replace them with state-budget funding. The proposal would reduce the broadcasters’ income by about 15 percent, prompting protests and a staff strike over fears for their editorial independence. Culture Minister Oto Klempíř skipped the opening ceremony after being booed at a folklore festival, but later visited Karlovy Vary. The film festival receives 47 million Czech crowns annually under a state funding agreement covering 2025–2027. Czech public-media employees have warned the proposed reform could force hundreds of layoffs.