News

The 28th edition of Ji.hlava hosted a talk with the multi award-winning DOP and director Kirsten Johnson. The US filmmaker is best known for her work on acclaimed documentaries such as Citizenfour, The Oath, and Dick Johnson Is Dead. In her talk, Johnson delved into the emotional impact of her work, the ethics of documentary filmmaking, and the role of images and AI in modern society.

'La Jetée, the Fifth Shot' by Dominique Cabrera was awarded the Golden Dove in International Competition Documentary. The Golden Dove Short Film went to celebrated British experimental filmmaker John Smith for 'Being John Smith,' while The Silver Dove Long Film, given to the best feature-length documentary film by an up-and-coming director, was won by Pierre Michel Jean for 'Twice Into Oblivion.' All awards…

The awards of the the 28th Ji.hlava IDFF, extended to 10 days in 2024, were handed out November 2. The Main Award in the Opus Bonum Competiton went to Ms President by Slovak director Marek Šulík, which chronicles Zuzana Čaputová’s five years as the Slovak Head of State. Ms President opened the festival on October 25. The Main Award in the Czech Joy section went to Tomáš Hlaváček for The Impossibility. All winners…

This year's Docs for Sale catalogue showcases a fresh slate of 331 films from more than 81 countries. Several distinct themes and approaches emerge in the line-up, “including the complicated relationship between man and nature, the fragility of ecosystems, and the effects of climate change,” write organisers. During the festival, Docs for Sale will once again take place at Felix Meritis from November 16 to 20.

Top German archive producer Monika Preischl filled in Business Doc Europe on the significant benefits to the wider industry now that international producers (doc and fiction) can access materials from the Film department of the German Federal Archives (Bundesarchiv) for little more than a small admin fee. This includes all its 2WW and Nazi footage and the likes of Leni Riefenstahl’s Triumph of the Will. (Preischl was archive producer on Andres Veiel’s Riefenstahl, which world-premiered at Venice 2024.)

Eight industry awards were presented 31 October to the most promising projects participating in the Ji.hlava New Visions Forum 2024. In total, thirty projects from Europe, United States and East & Southeast Asia in development, production and post-production were presented. The winners received cash and in-kind awards in accordance with the partners of Ji.hlava IDFF.

At Ji.hlava 2024, writer-producer-director Maté Konkol and producer Balász Zachar pitched their timely new doc project, titled Books Are Our Weapons. Set in Hungary, the feature delves into life within a socially committed student commune. “Today, we all feel that young adults are aware of living in a society ruled by patriarchy and capitalism. They want to change things and their ways of life,” says Konkol of the project that is nearing completion.

Nardelli and La Rosa’s feature doc project is set in an isolated neighbourhood of Palermo, where three kids turn an abandoned building into a secret shelter. Together, they try to escape the violence of the outside world and share their dreams. “Here growing up means becoming part of a community wherein girls get pregnant at the age of 15, and boys drop out of school to get odd jobs or join the ranks of organised crime,” La Rosa told the Ji.hlava audience.

BDE takes a closer look at Dmytro Hreshko’s documentary Divia, pitched at this year’s New Visions Forum, hosted by Jihlava 2024. The film, fully financed and currently in post-production, examines the environmental impact of Russia’s invasion on Ukraine. “It’s hard to put some emotions into words because most of them are inside this project,” said Hreshko. “It’s really personal, and it’s hard to realise how many natural resources have been destroyed, mined, or occupied by Russian military forces.”

Haunted by the silence that defined his father’s life, director André Robert seeks to confront the legacy of intergenerational violence burdening the men in his family in his feature doc, currently in post-production and pitched at New Visions Forum. “I’m a queer filmmaker; I’m sure you know what ‘remaining silent’ means,” he told the professional audience at Ji.hlava.