The Institute of Documentary Film’s KineDok project has unveiled a new collection of 16 feature-length documentaries and a special archival short-film block for the 2025/26 season. Available for screenings from May across the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia and Romania, the programme continues KineDok’s commitment to presenting original, socially engaged documentaries in alternative venues such as cafés, galleries, barns and boats, fostering community dialogue beyond traditional cinemas.

Ivana Formanová, manager of KineDok, emphasises the strength of this year’s selection: “The new KineDok film collection is, without a doubt, one of the best we’ve ever curated in the history of the project. Together with our international partners, we’ve had the opportunity to assemble an exceptionally strong catalogue of documentary films – titles that are winning awards at international festivals while also surprising audiences with their boldness, playfulness and openness in both form and theme.”

The collection includes I’m Not Everything I Want to Be [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Klára Tasovská
scheda film] by Klára Tasovská (Czech Republic/Slovakia/Austria), a self-portrait tracing the life and photographic archive of Libuše Jarcovjáková; The Other One [+leggi anche:
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scheda film] by Marie-Magdalena Kochová (Czech Republic/Slovakia), which depicts a young woman’s attempt to reconcile her independence with her sister, who has atypical autism; and Byeway by Ivo Bystřičan (Czech Republic), which examines the stalled construction of the D8 highway.

An archival block features four short documentaries from the 1960s and 1970s, including A Gifted Town by Vladimir Kressl (Czechoslovakia), which exposes fabricated Nazi-era propaganda; Inhabitants of Castles by Judit Elek (Hungary), exploring the repurposing of imperial castles in socialist Hungary; Let Our Voices Be Heard by Krsto Papić (Yugoslavia), a glimpse into the role of pirate radio in rural Yugoslavia; and The Journals of Hrib by Slavomir Popovici (Romania), telling the story of a Romanian peasant’s museum dissolved under capitalism.

Other international titles include Balomania [+leggi anche:
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scheda film] by Sissel Morell Dargis (Denmark/Spain), celebrating a Brazilian brotherhood’s balloon festivals amid police scrutiny; A Silent Story by Anders Skovbjerg Jepsen (Denmark/Sweden), an autobiographical portrait of confronting childhood trauma; and Pelikan Blue [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Laszló Csaki
scheda film] by László Csáki (Hungary), following youths resorting to forging train tickets in order to escape economic hardship.

The collection also features Agent of Happiness [+leggi anche:
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scheda film] by Arun Bhattarai and Dorottya Zurbó (Hungary/Bhutan), a look at Bhutan’s Gross National Happiness survey, and Croatian documentaries such as Grand Prize by Anja Koprivšek, which follows a young trans man finding a community through ballroom dancing, and The Ground Where We Stand by Karla Crnčević, investigating a women’s self-sufficient community on Brač island, threatened by land disputes.

The Romanian films Imaginary Youth by Ruxandra Gubernat and Alice On & Off [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Isabela Tent
scheda film] by Isabela Tent explore the turbulence of youth amid pandemic disruptions and personal trauma, while the Slovak work Grey Zone [+leggi anche:
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scheda film] by Daniela Meressa Rusnoková addresses neonatal care and premature births, and Ms. President [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Marek Šulík
scheda film] by Marek Šulík (Slovakia/Czech Republic) chronicles the presidency of Zuzana Čaputová.

The Italian-Slovak-Czech-Austrian-Croatian co-production Wishing on a Star [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Peter Kerekes
scheda film] by Peter Kerekes follows an astrologer offering transformative experiences through birthday readings. The collection also includes the VR short Fresh Memories: The Look by Ondřej Moravec and Volodymyr Kolbasa (Ukraine/Czech Republic), an immersive experience confronting the war’s impact in Kharkiv, Ukraine, and the contemplative short 21-22 CHINA by Thierry Loa (Canada), meditating on urban transformation.

KineDok continues to break conventional cinema boundaries by partnering with over 200 alternative venues across Europe to bring these documentaries to communities in innovative, intimate settings. For venues wishing to join or audiences eager to explore this bold and engaging programme, full details and screening opportunities are available here. KineDok is supported by Creative Europe – MEDIA, the Ministry of Culture Czech Republic, the Czech Audiovisual Fund and the capital city of Prague.