However, the 10th anniversary Ex Oriente Film edition and the documentary market held by East Silver do not really end. The upcoming March in Prague is the setting for the second East Doc Platform edition, and IDF is already looking for developing, soon-to-be-finished and ready documentary projects that may apply for East European Forum, Doc Launch and East Silver. Ex Oriente Film Institute of Documentary Film is celebrating. Jihlava hosted the second session of the 10thanniversary Ex Oriente Film workshop which brings to Czech Republic talented East European documentary makers and producers. After the June session in Roztoky u Prahy, Jihlava welcomed the participating teams representing 13 documentary projects from Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Poland, Croatia, Hungary, Slovenia, Latvia, Russia, Estonia and Georgia. During the workshop they focused particularly on budgeting strategies, legal aspects of coproduction and further creative work on screenplay, its dynamics and rough cut concepts. Every workday was led by experienced international and local tutors and guests, while they provided every project with individual consultations.
Filip Remunda, one of the main workshop tutors, sees potential in Boris Bakal’s documentary project with a working title Vitić Dances: “The central theme of the film is the struggle to save a famous skyscraper in Zagreb downtown, designed by famous architect Ivo Vitić. At first, the author of the film intended to raise money to save the desolating, yet famous building. He eventually moved in with his family and formed the house’s self management. In course of several years he video-taped his neighbors and their attempts to arrive at some elementary consensus. The film has a happy ending: municipal government provides funds and the tenants will do the voluntary work on the house. The author is, however, left by his wife, whom the house deprived of all energy to keep on fighting for human rights and values. The house is a metaphor for society.”
The second session offered the workshop participants lectures by Àrea de Televisión head producer Oriol Porta (Spain), digital platforms expert researcher Mandy Rose (United Kingdom), international coproduction law expert Stefan Rüll (Germany), Autlook Films representative Andrea Hock (Austria), successful producer Siniša Juričić (Croatia), Czech documentary maker Míra Janek or controversial false identity collector Mads Brügger (Dennmark). The leadership of the workshop was, as usually, secured by the couple of top tutors Marike Rawie (Netherlands) and Mikael Opstrup (Dennmark).
Veronika Lišková, the head of Ex Oriente programme, evaluates the Jihlava part of the year-round workshop in positive tone:” In Jihlava we managed to intertwine the programme focused on producing aspects with particular examples of inspiring and, as I see it, rather daring European projects. Besides that, I am really happy to see we have managed to open the workshop to public as well. For example both master classes held by Siniša Juričić and Mads Brügger met with success among festival guests and regular festival visitors, too.”
Ex Oriente Film also estimates the future of the programme itself: “For 10 years we have supported about 130 documentary films which received prestigious awards at international film festivals, including Cannes and Oscar nomination. I am happy we managed to connect this year’s programme with Jihlava IDFF. Workshop participants took part in two new festival sections, Inspiration Forum and Emerging Producers which supports young producers. Next year we would like to divert from mainstream, to look for, with the best intent, for rather antiTV, creative feature documentaries for big screen,” says Remunda.
This year’s workshop edition arrives in the final station in Prague in March at the second East Doc Platform edition: last sessions and public pitching within East European Forum. Meanwhile, Ex Oriente Film continues to celebrate the 10th anniversary, releasing in the following months interviews with former workshop participants who met success.
East Silver Market 2012 The 9th East Silver Market, which ran from October 23 to 28, presented 267 new documentary films from Central and Eastern Europe produced in 2011/2012 (selected from nearly 600 submitted films). Additional 124 films from the programme of 16th Jihlava IDFF were included as well. The market was visited by 192 accredited industry professionals ranging from sales agents, distributors, festival representatives, TV buyers, as well as Eastern European filmmakers. The library visitors screened the films 2281 timesand requested 187 screeners from the producers.
The most watched films of East Silver Market 2012 are:
Citizen K. (Michal Dvořák, Czech Republic, 2012)- 52 views
Fortress (Klára tasovská, Lukáš Kokeš, Czech Republic, 2012) – 50 views
The Gypsy Vote (Jaro Vojtek, Slovakia, 2012) – 39 views
Two Nil (Pavel Abrahám, Czech Republic, 2012) – 37 views
The Greatest Wish (Olga Špátová, Czech Republic, 2012) – 24 views
Sofia's Last Ambulance (Ilian Metev, Bulgaria, Croatia, 2012) – 23 views
Iceland Year Zero (S.H. Magnússon, A. Chollat-Namy, Czech Rep., Iceland, France, 2012) – 22 views
The best rated films of East Silver Market 2012 are:
Fortress (Klára tasovská, Lukáš Kokeš, Czech Republic, 2012) – 15 ratings
Citizen K. (Michal Dvořák, Czech Republic, 2012)- 11 ratings
The Gypsy Vote (Jaro Vojtek, Slovakia, 2012) – 11 ratings
Mirage (Srdjan Keca, Serbia, UK, 2012) – 11 ratings
Sofia's Last Ambulance (Ilian Metev, Bulgaria, Croatia, 2012) – 8 ratings
Silver Eye Awards Year after year Ji.hlava IDFF closing ceremony have featured Institute of Documentary Film’s announcement of Silver Eye awardees. The holders of the awards are three extraordinary documentaries from East Silver Market, selected in three individual categories. This year’s Silver Eye winners are: Cut-Paste (dir. Rafal Samusik, Poland, 2012) in Best short documentary category, We Will Be Happy One Day (dir. Pawel Wysoczański, Poland, 2012) in Best mid-length documentary category, Sofia’s Last Ambulance (dir. Ilian Metev, Bulgaria, Croatia, 2012) in Best feature-length category. Jaro Vojtek was honored with Special mention for his energy-packed Slovakian documentary The Gypsy Vote that premiered here in Jihlava. While appreciating the dynamics of the, film the jury highlighted the high quality editing, full dose of humor and the undoubtedly positive message of the film. All the Silver Eye winners receive the trophy as well as 1500 EUR prize money. On top of that, the awarded films are about to enjoy the year-long distribution support within East Silver Caravan festival service, shipping them to more than 80 international film festivals., There are 32 East Silver Caravan titles, which will benefit from the submission assistance to international festivals and markets. A similar service is East Silver TV Focus, project aiming to increase the broadcasting of selected docs.
East Doc Platform Submit your documentary projects by December 1, 2012. Institute of Documentary Film supports East European documentary for the whole year culminates in Prague, March 4 – 10, 2013, with the second edition of East Doc Platform. The largest event of its kind in the region invites nearly 400 film professionals from the whole world – broadcasters, film festival programmers, sales representatives, distributors, funders and organizations related to documentary film. After last year's successful inaugural edition, East Doc Platform is organized by IDF in association with One World Human Rights Documentary Film Festival. East Doc Platform will present traditional activities like East European Forum, Doc Launch presentation, Project Market, East Silver Videolibrary with new included titles, and a substantial programme focused on the networking of East European documentary makers with international film professionals.
Institute of Documentary Film is now looking for new documentary projects in all stages of development. Deadline for projects is December 1, 2012. Finished documentaries applications will be processed by December 11, 2013.