At DOC.DREAM, the organiser of the Ji.hlava International Documentary Film Festival, Ji.hlava Industry, and other accompanying activities, we consider equality, diversity and inclusion to be a fundamental part of our mission and everyday practice.
We strive to create an open, safe and respectful environment for everyone, regardless of sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, health condition, parenthood, ethnic or national origin, social background, religious belief, or other life experience. We apply these principles both within the institution and in the programmes, communication and industry activities we organise.
We are committed to balanced representation of women and men in the institution’s leadership, the festival management, and across individual departments. Our team includes people with a wide range of experiences and identities, including members of national minorities and the LGBTQI community. When selecting new colleagues and collaborators, we regard respect for the values of equality, diversity and inclusion as an important prerequisite for cooperation.
We support flexible working arrangements and strive to create an environment that is welcoming to parents and caregivers. We believe that fair working conditions and the possibility of balancing professional and personal life are an important part of equal opportunities.
Since 2019, we have followed internal guidelines for the protection of children and vulnerable adults, which are binding for all members of our team. Our aim is to create an environment based on respect, trust, and the prevention of inappropriate or discriminatory behaviour.
In both Czech- and English-language communication, we consciously use gender-sensitive and inclusive language. We consider this an important part of public communication that reflects the diversity of the people we work with and speak to.
Equality, inclusion and representation are also an important part of our festival and professional programme. Over the long term, we have been committed to highlighting women filmmakers and other underrepresented voices in documentary cinema. In recent years, our retrospective sections have revisited the work of filmmakers such as Susan Sontag, Shirley Clarke, Marguerite Duras, and Anne-Marie Miéville.
Our programme also addresses topics related to minorities and underrepresented groups, such as Roma audiovisual culture, African American cinema, or support for female film students from Ukraine currently living in Prague.
We have long sought to achieve more balanced representation of women and men in the festival selection and to create greater space for LGBTQI perspectives. We see this as part of a responsible curatorial approach that reflects the diversity of contemporary documentary filmmaking as well as different social experiences.
We also apply the principles of equality and inclusion in our industry activities, for example in the Emerging Producers programme. We place emphasis on geographical diversity, balanced representation of countries with different production capacities, and gender balance among participants, tutors, and experts.
For us, equality, diversity and inclusion are not a formal declaration, but part of our institutional responsibility. We seek to embed these principles in the governance of the organisation, programme planning, partnerships, and communication. At the same time, we see them as an area that requires continuous attention, evaluation and development so that our institution remains an open and safe space for the widest possible range of people.
