The East Doc Platform Award was handed March 28 to the Polish project Under His Spell by Lukasz Konopa, which explores the story of Dr. Kaspirovsky, who became famous for his hypnotic healing sessions in the 1980s.
Awarded for the 13th time, the East Doc Platform Award provides the winning project with financial support of €7,500 for further development. Under His Spell was selected by an international jury of Ania Trzebiatowska from the Sundance Film Festival, Lucie Kon from the BBC and Diana Karklin from Rise and Shine World Sales.
The jury commented on their selection: “Some of us who grew up in the Eastern Bloc know this story. But it is also powerful and interesting for those who are meeting the protagonist for the first time through this film. In these times of uncertainty, the story of a charismatic man who managed to seduce the masses invites discussion about what drives so many people to follow similar figures. We believe this is why audiences around the world will want to see the film and have this discussion.”
At the ceremony in the Lucerna cinema, Hanka Kastelicová presented the HBO Max Award to the project Birdie by Aneta Ptak project, valued at €2,000. In the film, an unexpected series of events throws Aneta off guard and in one sudden blast sweeps away from her life two most important men – her father and her husband.
Markéta Štinglová, manager of the Czech Television International Content Projects Centre, and general media partner of the Institute of Documentary Film, announced the winner of the Czech Television Co-production Award for the documentary series as Tito. The West’s Favorite Dictator. The award represents a financial investment of CZK 150,000 and a subsequent co-production contract. The synopsis reads how the story of this venerated yet controversial patriarch is interwoven with the history of Yugoslavia itself.
Awards of the Ex Oriente Film Documentary Laboratory and partners.
The winning projects were selected by Ex Oriente Film’s leading tutors Ivana Pauerová Miloševičová, Filip Remunda and Iika Vehkalahti.
- Cut thru the Noise Award, dedicated to the project team that has made the most progress during the workshop: The Poor Cry Too (dir. Viktorija Mickute, Ieva Balsiunaite, prod. Dagne Vildziunaite, LT, MX)
- Fine Cut Award , which brings the winning project a rough cut consultation worth €1,500: Keepers of the Ruins (dir. Mariia Shevchenko, prod. Ella Shtyka, UA, PL)
- The Golden Funnel for the most significant development during the workshop: Birdie (dir. Aneta Ptak, prod. Małgorzata Staroń, PL).
Twelve other awards were presented by international film festivals and other partners of the Institute of Documentary Film.
- Sunny Side of the Doc Prize: Not in the Business of Making Friends (dir. Monica Lăzurean-Gorgan, prod. Monica Lăzurean-Gorgan, Elena Martin, RO)
- DOK Leipzig DOK Co-Pro Market Award: Letters (dir. Andrei Kutsila, prod. Sofiia Zadorozhna, Mirosław Dembiński, PL, BY)
- DocsBarcelona Award: Tito. The West’s Favorite Dictator (dir. Bence Máté, prod. Gunnar Dedio, Regina Bouchehri, DE, AT, HR, IT)
- MIA Market Award: Man Under the Ice (dir. Eva Tomanová, prod. Michal Kráčmer, Veronika Kührová, Kenan Aliyev, CZ)
- Docs Ireland Award: Big in Gazi Baba (dir. Pauline Isabelle Monique Blanchet, prod. Avdi Thachi, Romir Jakupi, MK, UK)
- Baltic Sea Docs Award: Acting Classes (dir. Sasha Shegai, prod. Yevgeniya Moreva, Sasha Shegai, KZ)
- Millenium Docs Against Gravity: Birdie (dir. Aneta Ptak, prod. Małgorzata Staroń, PL)
- DAE Pitch Talent Encouragement Prize: Acting Classes (dir. Sasha Shegai, prod. Yevgeniya Moreva, Sasha Shegai, KZ)
- Pitch the Doc Prize: VOICE/OVER (dir. Bálint Révész, prod. Radovan Síbrt, Viki Réka Kiss, CZ)
