08.10.2019 The 23rd edition of the Ji.hlava IDFF will kick off in two weeks! New films from the region, world documentary debuts, a showcase of works by Ukrainian director Feliks Sobolev, documentary experiments, films made by women about women, and a special reflection of 1989.
From the total of 277 films screened at Ji.hlava, 91 will be shown in their world, 47 in their international, and 17 in their European premiere. 3700 films altogether have been submitted to the Ji.hlava IDFF 2019.
You can find more info in the press release below.
01.10.2019 Climageddon, The Changing Woman, Re:Democracy, God & Co., Made in China – and most of all: How Not To Be Afraid. These are the main topics covered by this year’s Inspiration Forum organised under the banner of the twenty-third Ji.hlava International Documentary Film Festival. Make sure your last weekend in October will be dedicated to the “festival of thought”.
This year, the Inspiration Forum will take place for the ninth time. In the course of six festival days, it will open up six key topics and present over one hundred guests from all over the world, in more than thirty discussions.
“Live discussions after the screenings are an integral part of the Ji.hlava IDFF and often the reason why many directors and visitors alike keep on coming back. However, the Inspiration Forum gave the festival a brand new dimension. I have long dreamt of creating a comprehensive discussion platform that will bring together educated and curious festival audience with inspiring personalities in a focused discussion format and I am very thrilled to see it happening in the past few years. A live dialogue is priceless and I am very happy that guests and debaters literally stepped out of the film screen directly to the audience,” says Marek Hovorka, the director of the Ji.hlava International Documentary Film Festival and founder of the Inspiration Forum.
“The first step towards the transformation of the Inspiration Forum was made two years ago while last year, we finished the changes to create an authentic ‘festival of thought‘ which takes place concurrently with the film programme of the Ji.hlava IDFF. Topics, which will this year be discussed during debates, presentations, interviews and documentary dialogues were carefully selected and formulated. We believe that they are a key to better future. Because in order to change the world or at least to survive the threats we are facing, we have to understand the things around us a bit more: in civic, political as well as personal terms,” says Tereza Swadoschová, the Head of Inspiration Forum, summing up its purpose.
16.09.2019 Ji.hlava for the twenty-third time! On an environmental note, with Man Ray, erotica and a rich off-screen programme. Make sure your last weekend in October will be dedicated to documentary cinema.
Five more weeks to go – until Ji.hlava’s thirty first edition kicks off! Not only with a rich programme, but also with many novelties. Starting this year, the Ji.hlava IDFF will be even more environmentally conscious. It is also indicated in the visual concept of this year’s festival, again and in line with our tradition, produced by artist, Juraj Horváth. Festival Director, Marek Hovorka, adds: “Ecology is the main topic of some of the presented films and discussions, but our aim is to change the attitude of both the organisers and the festival guests and visitors. This is a long-term commitment, not a one-off activity. That is also why we set up a position of an environmental ombudsman who will help us implement the changes.”
The person to take up this role will be environmental philosopher and sustainability activist, Ľuboš Slovák. What will be the first measures that Ji.hlava will take to handle the challenge? “We will discontinue using single-use plastics, will favour public transport and introduce vegetarian buffets made of local produce,” says Slovák, enumerating the specific changes. He also adds that an analysis of the entire festival operation is planned by the end of the year.
You can download selected movie stills HERE and find more info in the attached press release.
