18/10/2024 - The Czech gathering’s industry strand includes work-in-progress documentaries from emerging filmmakers, focusing on critical societal, environmental and personal narratives

The 28th Ji.hlava International Documentary Film Festival (25 October-3 November) once again offers a special platform to the new generation of producers and their works in progress through its Ji.hlava New Visions Forum (30-31 October), a financing, co-production and networking event. With a focus on exploring critical societal, environmental and historical issues, this year’s selection is both diverse and impactful, bringing attention to stories that span intimate personal journeys and broader geopolitical landscapes.

Among the projects in development is 368 ASL by Czech filmmaker Michael Jiřinec, a haunting tale of a family trapped in a bleak existence on the Czech-German border, intertwined with arms smuggling and the inevitability of loss. In a similarly introspective vein, FANTASMA by Tomáš Klein, of A Sensitive Person [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Tomáš Klein
film profile] fame, explores a dark form of therapy, creating a surrealist journey that questions the boundaries between fantasy and reality. On a more environmental front, Green Is the Fire’s Tint by Cristina Hanes follows the struggle of an indigenous community in India against land eviction, tied to the devastation wrought by mining activities. The project Homefire by Neus Pagès captures the personal story of a family living off-grid in the Catalan Pyrenees, whose dream of eco-tourism is threatened by industrial beekeeping, offering a poignant reflection on the intersection of nature, tradition and modern industry.

Several films in the production and post-production phase continue this exploration of human resilience. One such example is Books Are Our Weapons by Maté Konkol, a hybrid documentary set in Hungary, blending personal narratives with critical social theory. The project reflects on the challenges young activists face in a political climate that is increasingly hostile to dissent. Meanwhile, Dmytro Hreshko’s Divia documents Ukraine’s ravaged landscapes post-Russian invasion, juxtaposing the devastation of nature with the resolve of local environmentalists and deminers working to heal the land. The portrayal of nature as both victim and a symbol of resilience is also evident in The Castle, an Italian project by Danny Biancardi that follows a group of children in Palermo as they navigate the ruins of an abandoned kindergarten, discovering solace and freedom in a secret world amidst the rubble. Wasteland Chronicles offers an exploration of Slovakia's three most dangerous toxic-dump sites, using a hybrid documentary approach to reflect on environmental devastation, bureaucratic dysfunction and the human relationship with nature, as viewed through the lens of a trio of Slovak directors from the young generation – Viera Čákanyová, Barbora Sliepková and Lucia Kašová.

In addition to European projects, the forum includes a selection of works in progress from East and Southeast Asia and the USA, centring on themes of personal identity, cultural heritage and sociopolitical struggles. Many projects explore the effects of colonisation, conflict and environmental crises, while others focus on intimate narratives of personal transformation, resilience and societal marginalisation. Stylistically, these works frequently blend documentary with hybrid and experimental elements, offering innovative approaches to storytelling that challenge conventional forms and invite deeper reflection on both individual and collective experiences.

The Ji.hlava New Visions Forum will be accompanied by the Ji.hlava New Visions Market (JNV). All participants in the JNV Market also have the opportunity to take part in the Matchmaking Accelerator during the industry days.

Here are all 15 European projects set to be presented in the third Ji.hlava New Visions Forum:

Projects in development

368 ASL – Michael Jiřinec (Czech Republic)
Producer: Matěj Paclík (Breathless Films)

Fantasma – Tomáš Klein (Czech Republic/Slovakia)
Producers: Tomáš Michálek, Martina Netíková (Cinémotif Films)

Green Is the Fire’s Tint – Cristina Hanes, Arya Rothe, Isabella Rinaldi (Romania/India/Italy)
Producer: Cristina Hanes (NoCut Film Collective)

Homefire – Neus Pagès (Spain)
Producer: Laura Alvarez (Nanouk Films)

Rebellion of Memory – Joël Jent (Switzerland/France/Peru)
Producers: Sophia Rubischung, Charlotte Uzu, Claudia Chávez Lévano (Aaron Film/Les Films d'Ici/Amazona Producciones)

Semicolon – Ella Ramon Ferrer, Gala Diaz (Spain)
Producer: Anna Boneta (Benecé Produccions SL)

The Spaces We Inhabit – Bruno Cerpa Moreno (Italy/Spain/Peru)
Producer: Bruno Cerpa Moreno

Sugarland – Julia Groszek (Poland)
Producer: Alicja Gancarz (Autograf)

Projects in production and post-production

Books Are Our Weapons – Maté Konkol (Hungary)
Producers: Maté Konkol, Balász Zachar

Divia – Dmytro Hreshko (Ukraine/Poland/Netherlands)
Producers: Polina Herman, Glib Lukianets, Richard Valk (UP UA STUDIO/Gogol Film/Valk Productions)

Homemade Mulberry Vodka – Anzhela Frangyan (Armenia/France/Sweden)
Producers: Anzhela Frangyan, Stephane Jourdain, Mirjam Gelhorn (Dokino/La Huit/Mantaray)

The Castle – Danny Biancardi, Virginia Nardelli, Stefano La Rosa (Italy/France)
Producer: Giulia Campagna (Zalab Film/La Société du Sensible)

The Flight of the Stork – Berta Salas, Soumaya Djahdou (Spain/Algeria)
Producer: Matheus Mello

The Violent Skin – André Robert (Sweden/Costa Rica/Spain)
Producers: Mario Adamson, André Robert (Sisyfos Film Production)

Wasteland Chronicles – Viera Čákanyová, Barbora Sliepková, Lucia Kašová (Slovakia/Czech Republic)
Producers: Anna Mach Rumanová, Martina Netíková (filmsomnia/Cinémotif Films)