28.10.2023 Ten industry awards were presented today to the most promising projects participating in the Ji.hlava New Visions Forum 2023. In total, twenty-two projects in development, production and post-production were presented at the Forum. The winners received numerous cash and in-kind awards accorded in cooperation with the partners of Ji.hlava IDFF. See the list of all winners.
The creation of the Ji.hlava/JB Films co-production project, a joint initiative of Ji.hlava IDFF and the festival's long-term partner Jan Barta was also announced. Next year, up to EUR 110,000 will be distributed to creative documentaries from the region of Central and Eastern Europe. The films will be selected through a call for proposals to be announced in February 2024. The film projects in which Ji.hlava/JB Films will co-produce shall be announced in June 2024.
The Ji.hlava New Visions jury was composed of Gugi Gumilang (Executive Director, In-Docs & Docs by the Sea, Indonesia, Gita Saedi Kiely (Director of FilmAid, Internews’ in-house program, USA) and Nora Philippe (Head of Programme, EURODOC, France).
Ji.hlava New Visions Award 2023 for the most promising European project will receive post-production services in the value of 15,000 EUR (UPP) and 5,000 EUR (Soundsquare). The winner is:
If Pigeons Turned to Gold
Director: Pepa Lubojacki
Producers: Wanda Kaprálová, Klára Mamojková
Countries: Czech Republic, Slovakia
Jury statement: We found this film to be brave, sincere, incredibly creative, and boldly experimental. It interrogates our paths in the world, the different paths inside one family, and the ways to exist beyond the ongoing pain of addiction. With this award, we want to reinforce Pepa's commitment to share this difficult story. This film will be an alchemical process, and it will need some excellent post-production support to hone its potential and vision.
Two films received the Ji.hlava New Visions Forum Award 2023 for the most promising U.S. projects. The 7,000 USD cash award in partnership with AmDocs will be accorded to the following two projects:
Valley of the Night (5,000 USD)
Director and producer: Lynne Siefert
Country: USA
Jury statement: This is a stunning dive into a dystopian present, and we commend the filmmaker for her incredibly cinematic approach on such a relevant and pressing issue of these times. Introducing us to temporal migration with such poetic photography promises a very singular and fascinating film.
Vestibul (2,000 USD)
Director: Riley Hooper
Producers: Caitlin Mae Burke, Bryn Silverman
Country: USA
Jury statement: This is a bold and uncompromising film that will create a new conversation around the agency we have with our bodies, sex, and pleasure. We want this award to encourage this filmmaker as she begins this filmic journey that will break taboos and empower many girls, women, and all the humans that need support in building a good relationship with their bodies.
The other cash and in-kind awards were accorded in cooperation with Current Time TV, FilmAid, Docs Connect Taskovski training, Cannes Docs – Marché du Film, Documentary Association of Europe, European Film Market, EURODOC, and Meeting Point Vilnius.
Please see the list of all Ji.hlava New Visions Forum Awards 2023.
The Award for the Best Festival Posters of 2023 were accorded to Trieste Film Festival 2023 (Jury Award) and Visions du Réel 2023 (Audience Award).
27.10.2023 Please find more info and stills from the projects here:
Ji.hlava New Visions Forum: Europe 2023
Ji.hlava New Visions Forum: U.S. Docs 2023
Jury
Gugi Gumilang, Executive Director, In-Docs & Docs by the Sea, Indonesia
Gita Saedi Kiely, Director of FilmAid, Internews’ in-house program, USA
Nora Philippe, Head of Programme, EURODOC, France
Ji.hlava New Visions Award 2023 for the most promising European project
in cooperation with UPP and Soundsquare
Post-production services in the value of 15,000 EUR (UPP) and 5,000 EUR (Soundsquare)
DECISION: If Pigeons Turned to Gold
JURY STATEMENT: We found this film to be brave, sincere, incredibly creative, and boldly experimental. It interrogates our paths in the world, the different paths inside one family, and the ways to exist beyond the ongoing pain of addiction. With this award, we want to reinforce Pepa's commitment to share this difficult story. This film will be an alchemical process, and it will need some excellent post-production support to hone its potential and vision.
Ji.hlava New Visions Forum Award 2023 for the most promising U.S. project
in partnership with AmDocs
7,000 USD cash award
DECISION: Valley of the Night (5,000 USD)
STATEMENT: This is a stunning dive into a dystopian present, and we commend the filmmaker for her incredibly cinematic approach on such a relevant and pressing issue of these times. Introducing us to temporal migration with such poetic photography promises a very singular and fascinating film.
DECISION: Vestibule (2,000 USD)
STATEMENT: This is a bold and uncompromising film that will create a new conversation around the agency we have with our bodies, sex, and pleasure. We want this award to encourage this filmmaker as she begins this filmic journey that will break taboos and empower many girls, women, and all the humans that need support in building a good relationship with their bodies.
Current Time TV Award
The project will receive 2,000 USD as a cash award granted in cooperation with Current Time TV
DECISION: You Never Just Walk Away
FilmAid Award
for the project addressing underrepresented communities and groups
The project will receive 2,000 USD as a cash award granted in cooperation with FilmAid
DECISION: The Ferryman
#Docs Connect Taskovski Training Award
Mentorship and consultancy on the festival, marketing and distribution strategy
DECISION: Society
Cannes Docs – Marché du Film Award
Two complimentary Marché du Film badges & selection as a Cannes Docs 2023 'Spotlighted Project'
DECISION: Women Walk Home
DAE Award
Free memberships for one year and a DAE consultancy session
DECISION: Women Walk Home
EFM Award
Two EFM market badges and an EFM consultation session
DECISION: Barbara Hammer Project
EURODOC Award
One training session and EURODOC membership + online program for one year (in the value of 1,700 EUR)
DECISION: Anna Giralt Gris, Producer (Artifacts of War)
Meeting Point Vilnius Award
Two MPV badges and pre-arranged meetings
DECISION: Society
In cooperation with
BEST FESTIVAL POSTER – AUDIENCE AWARD
Visions du Réel 2023
ver. 1 / ver. 2 / ver. 3
BEST FESTIVAL POSTER – FESTIVAL IDENTITY AWARD
Trieste Film Festival 2023
25.10.2023 The Ji.hlava International Documentary Film Festival opened this year with the world the film Havel Speaking, Can You Hear Me? The first awards were handed out at the opening ceremony. The Award for the best short documentary film was accorded to an Indian film about motherhood, the producers’ award was handed to Pierre Olivier Bardet.
The 27th Ji.hlava International Documentary Film Festival was launched. In the next six days the audiences can enjoy nearly four hundred films. The opening film of the festival was the world premiere of Havel Speaking, Can You Hear Me? by Czech director Jiří Jančárek. The film contains never before published footage from the last three years of Václav Havel's life. "I started working with Václav Havel in 2003. Our relationship was characterised by Václav Havel's complete openness and trust and my absolute responsibility towards him. During the last years of Havel's life, more than 200 hours of unique, unpublished source material became the source for a feature-length documentary," said Petr Jančárek about the film.
This year's documentary Ji.hlava also gave out its first prizes. The best film in the Short Joy section was Kata's Motherhood by Indian filmmaker Santwana Bayaskar. The film deals with the question of whether someone can become a mother without giving birth to a child. The intimate documentary introduces the audiences to the most beautiful and vulnerable moments of life that are associated with childbirth. The winning film was chosen by the audience in an online vote on the VOD portal DAFilms.com. The film will receive distribution and promotion on the DAFilms platform worth three thousand euros. The films can be viewed for free on DAFilms.com until 29 October.
The APA World Excellence Award which annually recognises an outstanding contribution to film production was also presented. This year the award accorded by the Czech Audiovisual Producers´ Association and the Ji.hlava IDFF goes to French producer Pierre-Olivier Bardet who is behind films by Albert Serra, Wang Bing and Alexandr Sokurov, among others.
The 27th Ji.hlava IDFF takes place on October 24–29, 2023, with 357 film titles on its programme.