23-10-2008

Jihlave International Documentary Festival opens

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    With the recent EFA Prix Arte documentary film award to Czech director Helena Trestikova's Rene, interest in the Jihlava doc fest, running October 24-29, is on the rise.

    The festival's main guest is legendary American documentary filmmaker Frederick Wiseman, who presents nine of his films, dating from 1969 through 2006. Other festival guests include the boundary-breaking Austrian director Ulrich Seidl, who wil present a selection of his films, his Austrian compatriot Michael Pilz, Daniel Barrow with Winnepeg Babysitter, and Czech filmmakers Bretislav Richlik, Martin Rysavy, and Vit Janecek.

    A concurrent documentary pitching forum is another major event drawing filmmakers and industry professionals to the central Czech town.

    A complete list of the festival's competition sections and films follows:

    Opus Bonum
    is a unique section of the Jihlava festival aiming at contemporary international documentary film in all its variations and alterations - it focuses on films that were not awarded and still - or therefore - are notable and utterly auteurist. In 2006 Opus Bonum became a competition section. A single jury member, Philippine filmmaker Khavn de la Cruz, will choose the best international documentary film.

    LIST OF THE FILMS:

    Aka Ana
    Antoine d'Agata / France
    Coming alongside / Accoster / Přiblížit se
    Olivier Derousseau / France
    Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson / Gonzo: Život a dílo Dr. Huntera S. Thompsona
    Alex Gibney / USA
    Her Summer / Její léto
    Sun-hee Ahn / Korea
    Highway World - living, changing, growing / Dálniční svět
    Martin Hans Schmitt / Germany
    Iraqui Short Films / Krátké filmy z Iráku
    Mauro Andrizzi / Argentina
    Listener's Tale / Vyprávění naslouchajícího
    Arghya Basu / India
    Modern Life / La vie moderne / Moderní život
    Raymond Depardon / France
    Must Read After My Death / Otevřít po mé smrti
    Morgan Dews / USA
    Royal Road of Cachaça / Estrada Real da Cachaça / Královská cesta Cachaça
    Pedro Urano / Brazil
    So You Shall Reap / Tak bys měl sklízet
    Darryn de la Soul / United Kingdom
    Standard Operating Procedures / Standardní pracovní postup
    Errol Morris / USA
    The Threat / La Minaccia / Hrozba
    Luca Bellino, Silvia Luzi / Italy
    This Shall Be a Sign / Mělo by to být znamení
    James T. Hong / USA
    Vesterbro
    Michael Noer / Denmark

    Between the Seas
    In 2002 this competition section was established in order to map the most significant films from individual countries connected by the seemingly unapparent - and still connecting - spirit of Central Europeanism. An extensive choice of films from the region represents the most interesting works from Slovenia, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, Austria and the Czech Republic in a grand film mosaic.

    LIST OF THE FILMS:

    (Half) The Time of My Life / Mein Halbes Leben / V půli života
    Marko Doringer / Austria
    A Prima Vista / At First Sight
    Michael Pilz / Austria
    Corridor #8 / Koridor 8
    Boris Despodov / Bulgaria
    fopíčko . faux pas
    Jaroslava Bagdarasova / Czech Republic
    I Am von Höfler (Variation on Werther) / Von Höfler vagyok (Werther-variáció) / Jsem von Höfler (Variace na Werthera)
    Péter Forgács / Hungary
    Kites / Latawce / Létající draci
    Beata Dzianowicz / Poland
    Lotman's World / Lotmani maailm / Lotmanův svět
    Agne Nelk / Estonia
    No Borders / Bez granic / Bez hranic
    Nastia Tarasova / Russia
    Optical Vacuum / Optical vacuum
    Dariusz Kowalski / Austria
    The Flower Bridge / Podul de flori / Květinový most
    Thomas Ciulei / Romania, Germany
    The Revolution That Wasn't / Revolutsioon, mida ei olnud / Revoluce, která nebyla
    Aliona Polunina / Estonia
    Vixen Academy: How To Be a Bitch / Kak stať stěrvoj / Jak se stát mrchou
    Alina Rudnitskaya / Russia


    Czech Joy
    The competition of Czech documentary films is a prestigious component of the festival's program. The jury, composed of personalities from different fields of activities, selects films from those considered by organizers most important of the past year. Participation in the competition is not guaranteed simply by an offer, nor is it the summarizing harvest of one year's season - it is at the same time an open dialog of various auteurist approaches. The regulations of the competition allows not awarding the prize; the award is the result of a non-secretive discussion of an independent jury.

    LIST OF THE FILMS:

    All we know is everything will turn out well / Naše jediná jistota je, že všechno dobře dopadne
    Helena Papírniková / Czech Republic
    Black hearts (...the Earth is not round ) / Černá srdce
    Břetislav Rychlík, Monika Rychlíková / Czech Republic
    Cinemensonge (Film-Lie) / Cinémensonge (Film-lež)
    Tomáš Petráň / Czech Republic
    Gustáv Husák Centre Stage / V hlavní roli Gustav Husák
    Robert Sedláček / Czech Republic
    Gyumri
    Jana Ševčíková / Czech Republic
    Hauser and Žižek: teoreticians of postmarxistic philosophy / Hauser a Žižek: teoretikové postmarxistické filosofie
    Helena Všetečková, Boris Jankovec / Czech Republic
    Her Mistress's Everything / Paniččino všecko
    Kateřina Šedá, Vít Klusák / Czech Republic
    Heroes/Das Konzept
    Petr Hátle / Czech Republic
    Ivetka and the Mountain / Ivetka a hora
    Vít Janeček / Czech Republic
    Legion - Patria Nostra / Legie - Patria Nostra
    Lucie Králová / Czech Republic
    Malupien, Olšový Spas
    Martin Ryšavý / Czech Republic
    Merry Christmas, Bosnia! / Vánoce v Bosně
    Vít Klusák, Filip Remunda / Czech Republic
    Panda With Red Ears / Panda s rudýma ušima
    Vladimír Voříšek / Czech Republic
    Plani di giardini ideali
    Radek Tůma / Czech Republic
    RAPublic / Česká RAPublika
    Pavel Abrahám / Czech Republic
    Redemption Attempt of a TV Repairman Josef Lávička in Nine Scenes / Pokus o duchovní nápravu opraváře televizí Josefa Lávičky v devíti obrazech
    Lukáš Kokeš / Czech Republic
    René
    Helena Třeštíková / Czech Republic
    Roots of Relationship / Pravztahy
    Veronika Janečková / Czech Republic