04/11/2011

The largest documentary event in Eastern Europe, the International Documentary Film Festival in Jihlava, hosted a strong industry section. It includes the East Silver Market, which offers completed films from central and eastern Europe, the East European Forum for projects in development, the Doc Launch presentation of films near completion, as well as the Ex Oriente workshop for development and funding. The industry section is organized by the Institute of Documentary Film (IDF) which also works year-round on individual projects with their authors, and on education projects aimed at young filmmakers.

This year, 182 industry professionals showed a strong interest in some of the 248 films presented at the East Silver Market. Like at most markets, the sales are rarely done right then and there, but one has been already reported - Serbian festival hit Cinema Komunisto by Mila Turajlić sold TV rights for Russia to The Right Film Company.

So, what are west-European producers and buyers looking for in eastern European documentaries? “My clients and I are interested in creative, universal, character-driven films with global topic and strong narratives,” says Thierry Detaille from Brussels-based production and distribution outlet Ventes-CBA/WIP which also co-produced Lost Land [+see also:
film review
film profile], winner of the Opus Bonum competition in Jihlava. “There's also a need for more classical anthropological and society films, of contemporary history, current affairs, and arts/culture contents.”

The statistics of the Market’s video library show that the industry was most interested in Anca Damian’s Crulic – The Path to Beyond [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Anca Damian
film profile] - winner of best mid-length film, Nikolaus Geyrhalter’s Abendland [+see also:
film review
film profile], Salome Jashi’s Bakhmaro - winner of the Between the Seas competition, and Martin Mareček’s Solar Eclipse - winner of best Czech film, audience award and East Silver Eye award. The most watched films were two Czech titles: 24 Hrs by Martin Blaľíček and The Generation of Singles by Jana Počtová, which is natural considering the location.

Besides Crulic and Abendland, the best-rated films were Wojciech Staron’s innovative Argentinian Lessons, Jaan Tootsen’s activistic The New World and Rudolf Šmid’s Chronicle of Oldřich S.

The Doc Launch presentation revealed nine appealing projects, and Ilean Metev’s Sofia’s Last Ambulance (Bulgaria-Croatia-Germany) seems most promising, being pre-sold to London-based Dogwoof Global Sales.

Regarding the crucial question of distribution channels for documentaries, German producer and sales agent Stefan Kloos said: “There are festivals, DVD’s and VOD platforms, but in most cases, most money comes from television. But their programme slots are becoming more and more practical and shaped to an audience that does want to experience, but also wants to be guided through a story. It’s a challenge for all of us producers and filmmakers to think about how to make creative documentaries with a personal approach and also guide the audience.”

Next year the IDF moves a part of the industry section to Prague. The new East Doc Platform will take place in March 2012 in association with the International Human Rights Documentary Film Festival One World.