Seven outstanding documentaries from Central and Eastern Europe, planned for theatrical release during the upcoming 12 months – the Docu Talents from the East 2026 – were presented last night as part of CineLink Industry Days at the Sarajevo Film Festival.
Projects from Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, and Ukraine made it to the final selection of Docu Talents from the East 2026.
The Docu Talent Award was granted to the most promising project. The international jury decided to give the award to Luxembourg–Slovak co–production Ora et Labora by the director Dzhovani Gospodinov, produced by Bady Minck and Alexander Dumreicher-Ivanceanu. The award includes the invitation to the Ji.hlava New Visions Market 2026.
Jury statement:
For its exceptional access, humanity and irreverence, and the meaning of time in a timeless place, we award this very personal and unique take on generations and belief, the Docu Talent Award for the most promising project goes to Ora et Labora.
The 3,000 EUR in-kind DAFilms.com VoD distribution Award was awarded to Slovak project Retuning directed by Sára Prokopová and produced by Tereza Tokárová. The award covers international VOD release on DAFilms.com (including the Americas, Europe, and Asia) for two years.
Jury statement:
For an extremely timely film that is charged with a committed energy of resistance to retuning truth and freedom of expression in the media space, the DAFilms.com VoD distribution Award, with €3,000 in-kind for an international release on DAFilms.com, goes to Retuning.
Since 2005, Docu Talents curated by the Ji.hlava International Documentary Film Festival, has been a launch pad for a number of documentaries by both renowned and emerging directors such as Laila Pakalniņa, Vladimir Mansky, Bartek Konopka, Piotr Stasik, Peter Kerekes, Dmitrii Kalashnikov and Helena Třeštíková. Films presented at Docu Talents in the past have had world and international premieres at major film festivals including Cannes, Berlin, Locarno, Rotterdam and Sundance.
“It remains true that if you’re a filmmaker from Eastern Europe, your film is much less likely to be screened at festivals in Western Europe than those of your Western European colleagues. That’s why, for the past twenty-two years, we’ve been showcasing selected films as part of Docu Talents, drawing attention to them and helping facilitate their festival distribution”, says Marek Hovorka, director of the Ji.hlava IDFF.
“What makes Docu Talents from the East so exciting each year is the remarkable diversity of projects it brings together – different cinematic approaches, perspectives and stories, all reflecting the richness of documentary filmmaking in the region”, adds Jarmila Outratová, head of Ji.hlava Industry.
EMERGING PRODUCERS 2027 WERE ANNOUNCED
During the event, the representatives of the Ji.hlava IDFF also revealed the names of the Emerging Producers 2027. This unique programme aims at promoting talented European documentary film producers and provides them with a range of networking, educational and promotional support throughout the year. 17 European producers will be accompanied by a producer from Japan, which is the guest country of the 2027 Emerging Producers programme. The Emerging Producers programme consists of three workshops – taking place in Jihlava in October 2026, during the Berlinale in February 2027, the venue of the third session in spring 2027 is yet to be announced.
EMERGING PRODUCERS 2027
Stephan Herzog / Austria
Martina Netíková / Czech Republic
Rosalien Hollestelle / Netherlands
Friedemann Hottenbacher / Germany
Leonidas Liambeys / Greece
Péter Nadori / Hungary
Isabella Rinaldi / Italy
Louise Byrne / Ireland
Đorđe Vojvodić / Montenegro
Justyna Rutkowska / Poland
Bruno Moraes Cabral / Portugal
Ion Gnatiuc / Republic of Moldova
Michaela Kaliská / Slovakia
Jerca Jerič / Slovenia
André Robert / Spain
Olha Tuharinova / Ukraine
Nađa Lapčević / United Kingdom
Kyoko Takenaka / Guest country Japan
110,000 EUR WILL BE DISTRIBUTED TO CEE PROJECTS VIA JI.HLAVA /JB FILMS SUPPORT 2026
The Jihlava International Documentary Film Festival and Czech entrepreneur Jan Barta continue to support outstanding auteur filmmaking from Central and Eastern Europe through the Ji.hlava / JB Films support scheme. The deadline for applications is August 31.
JI.HLAVA INDUSTRY 2026 – GUEST COUNTRY AND DELEGATION
The Ji.hlava IDFF representatives also announced the industry guest country of its upcoming edition (October 23 – November 1), which will be Montenegro. The Focus is organized in cooperation with the Film Centre of Montenegro. The official delegation at Ji.hlava Industry 2026 will be Poland.
