Nick Cunningham

Some see OnlyFans as purveyors of “fair-trade” porn, allowing content creators control over their business from the safety of their home. Others see it as no less exploitative in its objectification of women than pornography has ever been. “It's consensual from both sides, so that's why we decided that we want to do it in a very observational way,” Czech producer Pavla Klimešová tells Business Doc Europe of her Ji.hlava opener Virtual Girlfriends. “We just wanted to shoot the situation and make the viewer make the decision about what they think.”

The 29th edition of Ji.hlava IDFF, the most important docfest within the CEE region and one of key staging posts within the global yearly calendar, kicks off October 24 with the world premiere of Virtual Girlfriends by Czech director Barbora Chalupová. The opening film may be Czech, but the festival is solidly international in outlook. “It is important for us to connect films from all over Europe in the program, to create a place where filmmakers from the North and South, as well as from the West and East, can meet,” festival director Marek Hovorka tells BDE.

The Irish-Scottish filmmaker will turn the January 17 event into "a live film-essay," working in close collaboration with film composer Dascha Dauenhauer and stage director Robert Lehniger. “I love playing with the form of film events, so I jumped at the chance to be part of the European Film Awards' evening,” says Cousins. “We hope to have some surprises. We'll try to conjure cinematic images, emotions and ideas.”

The outgoing Artistic Director of the world’s oldest docfest is in feisty mood, specifically on the defence of culture, as evidenced by his choice of Claire Simon’s Writing Life: Annie Ernaux Through the Eyes of High School Students as opening film. “[It] shows in exemplary fashion how important culture is in our lives, and how it shapes us as human beings…In these times, when culture institutions are being asked to spend less, and effectively reach fewer people, it is important to insist the work that we are doing is fundamental,” he tells BDE. The 68th edition of DOK Leipzig runs 27 Oct to 2 Nov. 

In an abandoned building in Lisbon, young people build a community, where art, affection, and resistance intertwine in a collective struggle for the right to housing. Meanwhile, like a Greek chorus, the choir of the Kantata of the Uncertain Roof sing songs of protest against housing injustice. “I’ve followed movements claiming the right to space in contexts from Mexico and Costa Rica to Rome and Lisbon,” says director Claudio Carbone. “In each project, I try to reflect on the everyday lives and collective desires of communities that resist displacement and alienation.”

End of the Present by Andrea Bussmann, and Hôtel Homère by Parastoo Anoushahpour, Faraz Anoushahpour and Ryan Ferko, have been selected for Jordà Residencies following the 2026 call for proposals. Both projects are “intertwined in their focus on memory and technological mediation,” the festival underlines. Organised by Museo Reina Sofía, Doclisboa and FIDMarseille, the residency is structured across three phases - in Madrid, Marseille and Lisbon.

Produced by Rodrigo Areias of Bando à Parte. André Guiomar’s feature project tells the extraordinary story of Mozambican Alex who, at the age of 4, escaped civil war in his country after his adoption by Chinese foster parents. Years later, as a Kung Fu master who trained at the Shaolin Temple, he returns to fight corruption, training the Special Forces. “It’s the Kung Fu mentality prevailing over the local culture, and martial arts and values transforming an unprepared police force into a high performance one,” Areias explains to BDE his fascination for the project.

Hugo Pedro’s deliciously-titled feature project portrays a “constellation” of young friends who refuse to kowtow to the world they live in. “By portraying this intimate space shared among a group of friends, we have this unfiltered and unique look into the lives of a non-conformed youth,” says production co-ordinator Vasco Esteves. “Hoping for a more humane world, their daily experiences are fuelled by the desire to conceive a parallel world, a refuge, a community, where they can play, feel happy and be free.”

Aleksandra (Ola) Staszel is set to take over from Christoph Terhechte who will leave the festival on January 31 2026. The pair will work together through January 2026 in order to ensure a smooth transition. “In Ola Staszel, the city of Leipzig will gain a general manager for DOK who brings with her a broad artistic vision as well as considerable experience in the documentary film industry and a thoughtful approach to it,” says Dr Skadi Jennicke, Leipzig’s Mayor for Arts and Culture, and Chair of the festival’s supervisory board.

Industry luminaries will determine winners across the Opus Bonum, First Lights, Testimonies, Czech Joy, Fascinations, Virtual Reality and Industry sections. The 29th Ji.hlava IDFF opens Friday October 24 with Virtual Girlfriends by Czech director Barbora Chalupová. The festival runs through to November 2.