24/10/2006

Central European documentaries are slowly but steadily clawing their way back to the big screen. Admittedly, the Jihlava International Documentary Film Festival and its incorporated events, the East European Forum and East Silver Doc Market, have played a key role in persuading the region’s filmmakers that documentaries are worth producing – and the region’s public that they are worth watching.

The Jihlava festival this year (October 24-29) is celebrating a first decade since its inception under the motto “Nikdy nebylo lip” (“It’s never been better”), a direct reference to the boom in documentary filmmaking in Central Europe in recent years.

“We founded this festival in order to help docs find their way back to the big screen. And I think we have done pretty well”, explains festival director Marek Hovorka, and the number of theatrical releases and admissions for documentaries this year prove him right.

In the East European Forum (October 25-29), Central and Eastern European filmmakers and producers will pitch their projects in the presence of industry decision-makers, including commissioning editors from Western Europe.

Discussion panels as side events are also planned, including one on “Old new neighbours”, on filming conditions, legislation and trends of documentary film in Central Europe.

The forum aside, however, there is another reason why western European producers or distributors might choose to visit Jihlava – the East Silver Doc Market, perhaps the biggest documentary market east of Vienna. This year’s library comprises 346 films from Austria to Uzbekistan and films from the previous editions of the market will also be available.

Over 110 international documentary films are featured in this year’s Jihlava festival programme, 18 of them world premieres. The festival’s guest of honour will be veteran Portuguese filmmaker Manoel de Oliveira.