Petr Kostka is taking home the Golden Slipper from Zlín
03. June 2026
Actor Petr Kostka received the Golden Slipper Award for Outstanding Contribution to Children’s and Youth Cinema at the closing gala of the 66th Zlín Film Festival. This prestigious festival award is presented annually to individuals whose work has had a significant impact on the world of film and audiovisual productions for children and young audiences.
Petr Kostka is one of the most prominent figures in Czech theater and film. For decades, he has enriched cultural life with his extraordinary talent, professionalism, and humanity. We are presenting him with this award in recognition of his lifelong artistic contribution and the inspiration he has provided to several generations of audiences and colleagues,
said festival president Čestmír Vančura.
Audiences remember Petr Kostka from films such as The Higher Principle, Tomorrow I’ll Get Up and Scald Myself with Tea, Handsome Hubert, and The Prince and the Pauper. Television fairy tales and family stories also form a significant part of his acting career, including, for example, Kouzelník Žito, Království potoků, and O třech ospalých princeznách. It was precisely this long-term contribution to works that have appealed to both children and adults for decades that was the reason for this year’s award.
I think that when someone notices the work of others, it’s always a pleasure. Thank you,
Petr Kostka responded briefly to his award.
I’m very happy for him because, unlike him, I think he deserves it,
added his wife, Carmen Mayerová.
At eighty-six years old, he remains a respected and beloved figure on the Czech cultural scene. Even so, he is characterized by humility and perspective. When asked how he would like people to remember him one day, he replied with a smile:
Let them forget me. I’m not Jan Amos Comenius, and I don’t want to be Jan Hus.
The Golden Slipper is one of the most prestigious awards that has long been presented in Zlín to individuals who have made a significant contribution to film and television production for children and young people through their work. The award’s tradition dates back to 1997. Past recipients include, for example, Iva Janžurová, Eliška Balzerová, Zdeněk Svěrák, Karel Gott, Bolek Polívka, Simona Stašová, and Boris Masník. This year, Petr Kostka became the 36th recipient of this prestigious festival award.