The first grants will support documentaries in the production or post-production stage that expect to premiere in fall 2017.

"We want to support remarkable and creative filmmakers and visual artists who have emerged in the recent years in the region, and help their films to succeed abroad," said Marek Hovorka, director of the festival.

The projects will receive visual post-production services in the value of 11,000 EUR supplied by UPP and sound mixing services by Soundsquare in the amount of 5,000 EUR. Both companies are located in Prague. The festival will also provide rough-cut feedbacks and tailored-made festival strategies for the films and connect the filmmakers with sales agents, distributors, VOD platforms, institutions and universities.

"We are primarily looking for projects with unique authorial style and a focus on contemporary and thought-provoking themes," Hovorka said.

The deadline for applications is 30 April 2017. The eligible countries are: Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Georgia, Hungary, Kosovo, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Serbia and the Ukraine.