The East Doc Platform (EDP) will take place 19–25 March in Prague, presenting 40 documentary projects from more than 20 countries across the industry programme. With a theme of Afterimages, this year’s selection reflects on the consequences of historical upheavals, political conflict and personal turning points, exploring how individuals and communities navigate memory, identity and resilience in the aftermath of war, migration, family rupture and social change. The projects will compete for 13 industry awards.
SELECTED PROJECTS
East Doc Platform 2026 is structured across three sections – East Doc Forum, East Doc Market and Czech Docs: Coming Soon. “Many of the selected films engage with the idea of aftermath, examining what remains when conflicts end, regimes shift or families face irreversible change,“ organisers write. The full list of selected projects can be found here.
EAST DOC FORUM
The East Doc Forum presents 21 feature-length documentaries and docuseries, including 14 projects developed within the Ex Oriente Film workshop. The projects will be pitched to international industry professionals on 24 March at Kino 35.
Organisers explain that several films explore the long-term impact of war and political repression, including titles such as Crossing Oxus; Rojava, My Love and Not so far away places. Other projects address questions of identity, belonging and personal freedom, as seen in Metanoia; Two of Us and Stitch by Stitch. Intimate family portraits also form an important strand of the selection, with films such as Home Is a Dollhouse and The Enchantress examining how personal histories intersect with broader social and historical change.
The Forum also includes five docuseries, expanding the programme’s scope through multi-episode storytelling. Among them are Hijacked Life, a family saga spanning five decades and three continents that begins with a Soviet airplane hijacking; Justice as Legalised Terror, examining how justice systems can become tools of political intimidation; or World Divided, a journey through historically divided regions from Belfast to Western Sahara in search of resilience and co-existence.
CZECH DOCS: COMING SOON
The Czech Docs: Coming Soon showcase presents five upcoming Czech documentaries ahead of their premieres on 23 March. The event is organised in cooperation with the Audiovisual Producers’ Association (APA) and is open to the public with free admission.
“The selection reflects the thematic and stylistic diversity of contemporary Czech documentary filmmaking,“ organisers write. La Mona follows a former Colombian rebel fighter confronting the consequences of leaving armed struggle behind, while PLAYTOPIA observes children from different countries as they reveal how they perceive the world through play. Silence on the Path focuses on people searching for forgiveness after a suicide, while This House Is Undamaged examines the propaganda narrative surrounding the reconstruction of the Ukrainian city of Mariupol. In Valley of the Heart, a young man raised in a Brahmin family in a remote Himalayan valley leaves for Europe following his father’s death.
EAST DOC MARKET
The East Doc Market offers curated one-on-one meetings with international producers, financiers, editors and sales agents, and is divided into two programme strands. The rough cut and completed projects section (23 March) presents eight films, including 80 Angry Journalists, addressing press freedom and political pressure, and Letters. Other titles, such as Hide Me in the Light and Raid, explore personal vulnerability and the physical and emotional consequences of conflict and social instability, organisers write.
The development and production section (24–25 March) features six projects reflecting themes of migration, generational change and social transformation. Among them, Berliner follows a Georgian immigrant navigating memory and exile in Berlin, while Caretakers portrays undocumented Hungarian caregivers searching for belonging in Germany and the United States. Films such as Kind of Adults and nava mama examine generational identity and cycles of patriarchal violence, organisers write.
AWARDS
East Doc Platform 2026 offers 13 awards supporting documentary projects at different stages of development, production and distribution.
Among the key prizes is the Silver Eye Award, presented by the East Silver International Jury to the best rough-cut project from the East Doc Market. The award includes a year-long festival distribution service through East Doc Caravan.
Financial awards include the HBO Award (EUR 2,000), the Docs Up Fund Award (EUR 2,000 for human-rights-focused projects), the Golden Funnel Awards for Ex Oriente Film and Ex Oriente Series teams, the Ex Oriente Fine Cut Award, the Cut thru the Noise Award providing distribution strategy consultancy, and the Czech Television Award, offering a licence fee of CZK 150,000.
Additional prizes provide access to international industry platforms including the DOK Leipzig DOK Co-Pro Market, Baltic Sea Forum for Documentaries, East-West Talent Lab and Sheffield DocFest MeetMarket. The award framework is complemented by the DAE Talent Encouragement Award and the Pitch the Doc Prize, offering mentoring and expert consultancy.
Most awards will be presented during the closing ceremony on 24 March. The full list of awards can be found here.
The event is held in co-operation with the One World Film Festival and the French Institute in Prague.
