19/08/2025 - The Docu Rough Cut Boutique awards and Docu Talents from the East prizes, as well as the Ji.hlava/JB Films support scheme winners, have been announced

All of the Docu Rough Cut Boutique participants and its organisational team (© Hanna Solti)

Monday evening at CineLink Industry Days' Festival Garden saw two awards ceremonies take place: that of Docu Rough Cut Boutique and that of Ji.hlava's Docu Talents from the East.

In the former section, Croatian director Anton Mezulić's first feature-length documentary project, Cordon, received the HBO Award of €2,000 and the East Silver Caravan Award worth €3,500 in distribution services. Co-produced by Oliver Setić, of Croatia's Restart, and Victor Ede, of France's Cinéphage, it tells the story of a young footballer, born of a mixed marriage, who has to decide whether to play for a Croatian or a Serbian team in his small, divided town.

We Shall Live Together by Croatian director Damir Markovina received the prizes from Movies That Matter and DOK Leipzig, which means that it will be presented at both festivals. It's a story of a politician from Yugoslav times who stayed in Mostar during the Bosnian war, only to be exiled by nationalists of his own nation. Thirty years after the war ended, his two sons urge him to return. Tamara Babun Zovko is producing through Wolfgang & Dolly, while Markovina is a co-producer through his own company, Osoba D.

Finally, the Hungarian project The Great Reset by Peter Akar and Ambrus Fater won the Avanpost Award, worth €20,000 in post-production services. It’s the story of 38-year-old Anna, who seeks to outdo her mother and earn her own recognition, so when she inherits her two-star Michelin restaurant, she tears it down to the studs to build her own legacy. The project is being produced by Rita Balogh and Barbara Frank for Other Films.

Among the Docu Talents from the East gongs, the Docu Talent Award went to A Song Without Home by Georgian director Rati Tsiteladze, produced by Olga Slusareva for ArtWay Film. The €25,000 in-kind Avanpost Post-production Award was handed to the Armenian-Swiss co-production Flying Cows by directors Vahagn Khachatryan and Aren Malakyan, produced by Khachatryan for Oolik Production and Irene Muñoz Martin for Autre Terre, while Land of Fire by Czech director Nikola Klinger bagged the €3,000 in-kind DAFilms.com Distribution Award. The project is being produced by Kristina Husová for Cinepoint. See the news for more details on the projects.

Ji.hlava also announced the recipients of the Ji.hlava/JB Films support scheme, a collaboration between the Czech festival and entrepreneur Jan Barta. Three hybrid documentaries will each be supported with €18,000: Bára Jíchová Tyson’s Playtopia (Czech Republic/Romania), Lynne Siefert’s Valley of the Night (Czech Republic/USA) and Lucia Kašová’s World of Walls (Slovakia/Czech Republic/Belgium/France/South Africa).

Here is the full list of winners:

Docu Rough Cut Boutique awards

HBO Award
Cordon – Anton Mezulić (Croatia/France)
Producers: Oliver Sertić (Restart), Victor Ede (Cinéphage)

Avanpost Award
The Great Reset - Peter Akar, Ambrus Fater (Hungary)
Producers: Rita Balogh, Barbara Frank (Other Films)

East Silver Caravan Award
Cordon – Anton Mezulić

Movies That Matter Award
We Shall Live Together – Damir Markovina (Croatia)
Producers: Tamara Babun Zovko (Wolfgang & Dolly), Damir Markovina (Osoba D)

DOK Leipzig Preview Award
We Shall Live Together – Damir Markovina

Docu Talents from the East awards

Docu Talent Award
A Song Without Home – Rati Tsiteladze (Georgia)
Producer: Olga Slusareva (ArtWay Film)

Avanpost Post-Production Award
Flying Cows - Vahagn Khachatryan, Aren Malakyan (Armenia/Switzerland)
Producers: Vahagn Khachatryan (Oolik Production), Irene Muñoz Martin (Autre Terre)

DAFilms.com Distribution Award
Land of Fire – Nikola Klinger (Czech Republic/Germany/Canada)
Producers: Kristina Husová (Cinepoint), Jan Wilde (zeitgebilde Filmproduktion), Taghreed Saadeh (Ram Film Production)

Ji.hlava/JB Films support scheme awards

Playtopia - Bára Jíchová Tyson (Czech Republic/Romania)
Producers: Alice Tabery, Kristina Husová
Co-producers: Radu Stancu, Cristina Hanes

Valley of the Night - Lynne Siefert (Czech Republic/USA)
Producers: Matej Sotník (Somatic Films), Lynne Siefert (Mousehaus)

World of Walls - Lucia Kašová (Slovakia/Czech Republic/Belgium/France/South Africa)
Producer: Matej Sotník (guča films)
Co-producers: CLAW Films, Harald House BV, FACTSTORY, ARTE GEIE, Czech Television, The Audio Room