Speaking with Film New Europe, panelist Jani Thiltges of EAVE commented on the widening variety of film genres coming from the region, and Guy Daleiden of Film Fund Luxembourg noted that the quality of the projects is at an international standard.

The session focused on directors in the early stages of their directing careers, making first, second or third films. Among the better known directors pitching projects were a pair of Slovaks, Mira Fornay with her third film (see production profile on today’s FNE) and Juraj Lehotsky with his third film, Erik, a Slovak/Czech coproduction. On the Czech side, the four projects included two debut films, including a rare gay-themed romance, The Beauteous which was developed at MIDPOINT, a sponsor of the event.

Jihlava doc fest director Marek Hovorka introduced 12 documentary projects in Docu Talents from the East. Among them were at least three documentary projects being presented by alumni of Jihlava’s young Emerging Producers programme. Six of the documentaries were Czech productions or coproductions. Estonia, Poland, and Slovakia were also represented.

Two minor themes emerged in the selected presentations. Several of the films are being coproduced by unexpected and surprisingly diverse international partnerships, bringing in coproducers from a range that extends from Israel to the UK, and from Armenia to Serbia. Perhaps coincidentally, three of the films are meta-themed films about filmmakers and or cameras recording photographers. Among the group is an especially promising Polish documentary about the Polish filmmaker Walerian Borowczyka with Oscar nominated producer Anna Wydra of Otter Film attached.