The East Doc Platform is now taking place at the French Institute in Prague (Štěpánská 644/35) and as part of the open programme you can go to a number of interesting masterclasses or panel discussions and much more for free.
All events take place in Cinema 35 at the French Institute.
Saturday, March 23
9:30 – 10:45
MASTERCLASS by Ibrahim Nash'at (EG): Hollywoodgate
Ibrahim Nash'at is an Egyptian documentary filmmaker based in Berlin. Ibrahim holds a master's degree in documentary filmmaking from Met Film School. He co-edited Academy Award-nominated director Talal Derki's latest film UNDER THE SKY OF DAMASCUS Which premiered at Panorama – Berlinale 2023 and won the Golden Alexander at the 25th Thessaloniki Doc Festival. Ibrahim has directed multiple short films which were selected in multiple film festivals around the world. HOLLYWOODGATE is Ibrahim's first feature film which premiered at Venice Film Festival.
Masterclass is moderated by Ivana Pauerová Miloševičová.
In partnership with DAE
Saturday, March 23
17:00 – 18:30
LECTURE by Iikka Vehkalahti (FI): 10 most common sins in the teaser-thinking
Why is it so difficult to make a good teaser and is a teaser needed only to attract financiers? Let's try to find the 10 most common sins in the teaser-thinking. Iikka Vehkalahti, the leading tutor of Ex Oriente Film, is an executive producer of Rough Cut Service run by his own company IV Films also producing and consulting international documentary films. Commissioning Editor for the Finnish YLE (1998–2015), has been working with hundreds of documentaries as a writer, director, editor, producer or commissioner, which were awarded at many international film festivals, including Venice and Cannes. Selected producer's credits: Three Rooms of Melancholy (dir. P. Honkasalo, FI, 2004), The Act of Killing (dir. J. Oppenheimer, Ch. Cynn, anonym, DK, NO, UK, 2012), Armadillo (dir. J. M. Pedersen, DK, 2010), Machines (dir. R. JainIndia, DE, FI, 2016), Invisible Demons (dir. R. Jain, IN, FI, DE, 2021), The New Greatness Case (dir. A. Shishova- Bogoliubova, FI, NO, HR, 2022).
Sunday, March 24
9:30 – 11:00
PANEL: Dokufiction: working with reality in contemporary film
This year, for the first time, the One World Festival presents feature films in its programme. However, documentary film has always worked with fictional principles, just as fiction film uses various techniques known primarily from documentaries. Whether it is the repetition of scenes, their direct staging or the "actorly" work with performers in documentary filmmaking, or, on the contrary, the use of non-actors, "documentary camera" or natural light work in fiction film, the intermingling of both approaches has been a trend since the time of cinematic new waves. Many contemporary films, usually described as hybrid, then deliberately combine both cinematic modes, hovering somewhere in between. What challenges does this oscillation bring? How do contemporary filmmakers approach reality? And does it even make sense anymore to define films through age-old categories that may not have made complete sense at the time of their creation? These questions will be discussed in a panel of filmmakers with films represented in the program, such as Angelos Rallis, director of the hybrid feature Mighty Afrin: In Time of Floods, and other experts.
In partnership with One World Festival
Sunday, March 24
17:00 – 18:30
MASTERCLASS by Apolena Rychlíková and Kateřina Krutská-Vrbová (CZ): The Limits of Europe
Masterclass by Czech documentary filmmaker, writer and journalist Apolena Rychlíková together with her editor Kateřina Krutská-Vrbová related to the premiere of her latest feature documentary The Limits of Europe (Hranice Evropy, dir. Apolena Rychlíková, CZ, SK, FR, 2024, 98’) Rychlíková studied documentary at FAMU and she is engaged in socially critical documentaries. Her film The Limits of Work (Hranice práce, dir. Apolena Rychlíková, CZ, 2017, 71´) produced by Hypermarket Film for the Czech TV, won Best Czech Documentary Award and Audience Award at the 2017 Ji.hlava IDFF, and she was awarded the Open Society Fund Prize for Best Journalistic Commentary in 2017. Together with her film´s lead protagonist, Czech journalist Saša Uhlová, she received a nomination for the Journalism Award 2018 for their reporting series Property Seizures, the Guilty Conscience of the Czech Republic / Exekuce, černé svědomí Česka. She also received a nomination for the European Press Prize 2021. The shooting started in the summer of 2021 and wrapped in the summer of 2022. The film was shot in Germany, the UK, Ireland, France and the Czech Republic. The film is produced by Tereza Horská, Filip Remunda and Vít Klusák of Hypermarket Film (CZ) in co-production with Kolam Productions (FR), Kerekes Film (SK), Czech TV and ARTE G.E.I.E. Masterclass is moderated by Martin Horyna.
In partnership with DAE
Monday, March 25
10:00 – 11:15
PANEL: Documentary film as a tool for spreading democracy
In times of war and crisis, the medium of documentary film can be used in different ways. Many dictators throughout history have believed that film is a key tool for propaganda and maintaining the status quo. In the same way, however, documentaries can be used to spread the democratic values on which Western society is built. Raise awareness of regions suffering from poverty and war. To report on human rights violations in different parts of the world and to give a voice to people who would not otherwise have one. This ability of documentary films will be discussed in a panel discussion by the organizers of human rights film festivals, as well as by the filmmakers whose films are part of the One World Festival program.
In partnership with One World Festival
Monday, March 25
11:30 - 13:00
MASTERCLASS by Kumjana Novakova (NM)
Masterclass by director of Silence of Reason (2023) Kumjana Novakova on different aspects and challenges when working with archival material. The film is a forensic video essay built as a performative research into the first international criminal tribunal case to enter convictions for rape as a form of torture and for sexual enslavement as a crime against humanity. The masterclass is moderated by Ivana Formanová.
In partnership with DAE
Monday, March 25
18:00–18:40
PANEL: Pitch the Doc presentation
Think beyond the pitch! Be prepared, be proactive and be visible – the three pillars of efficiency in the European and international documentary market. At every stage of your project, the ability to attract production or distribution partners is paramount. While pitching events have undeniable value, they do not have to be your only strategy. Discover how Pitch the Doc and its innovative Coproduction Hub feature can enable you and your project to fully embody these principles.
Tuesday, March 26
16:30–17:30
PRESENTATION: Czech Docs: Coming Soon
What is coming up in the Czech documentary and what to look forward to in the future? Five upcoming Czech feature documentaries will be presented by their creators to an audience consisting of the general public, representatives of leading international film festivals, sales agents, distributors and other film professionals. The event is organized in cooperation with the Audiovisual Producers’ Association (APA). Moderated by Ivana Formanová (KineDok).
Wednesday, March 27
16:30 - 19:00
KINEDOK: How to Set Up a Screening Venue: Launch of the Manual
Discover the intricacies of organizing screenings step by step! Movies aren't just for theatres anymore; they can be shown in cafes, galleries, libraries, or even on a boat! With years of experience hosting screenings in unique places, KineDok is releasing a manual full of great advice and practical examples. We interviewed dozens of cultural organizers in Czechia, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Romania and Georgia and asked them to share their best practices with us. In the online publication, you can learn more about topics we discussed such as building a community, tackling technical issues, dealing with legal matters, promoting and communicating effectively, reaching out to new audiences, and planning the supporting program. This event will also include a panel discussion on organizing community-driven cultural events, which will broaden the ideas delivered in the manual. You can look forward to Angelika Schuster (One World Film Clubs, Austria), Karla Melichnová (Promítej i ty!, Czechia), Rebecka Borgström (Doc Lounge, Sweden), Szabolcs Szirony (KineDok Hungary) and Magdalena Żelasko (LET'S CEE Film Festival, Austria). Part of the event will also be dedicated to the screening of short films made by students of Gymnázium Teplice under the guidance of eminent personalities in the Czech documentary film scene (Haruna Honcoop, Kateř Tureček, Petr Salaba, Tereza Vejvodová and Tereza Reichová).