This year's main East Doc Platform Award went to the Polish project "Under His Spell" by Lukasz Konopa. This project explores the story of Dr. Kaspirovsky, who became famous for his hypnotic healing sessions in the 1980s. The HBO Max Award went to director Aneta Ptak for her project "Birdie", in which she brilliantly handles her personal story. The Czech Television Award went to the documentary series "Tito. The West's Favorite Dictator" by Hungarian director Bence Máté. The award ceremony took place during the closing ceremony of the One World Festival on 28 March at the Lucerna Cinema in Prague.
East Doc Platform 2024 Award
The East Doc Platform Award, awarded for the thirteenth time, provides the winning project with financial support of €7,500 for further development. The winning project was selected by an international jury of Ania Trzebiatowska from the Sundance Film Festival, Lucie Kon from the BBC and Diana Karklin from Rise and Shine World Sales.
The jury commented on their selection, "Some of us who grew up in the Eastern Bloc know this story. But it is also powerful and interesting for those who are meeting the protagonist for the first time through this film. In these times of uncertainty, the story of a charismatic man who managed to seduce the masses invites discussion about what drives so many people to follow similar figures. We believe this is why audiences around the world will want to see the film and have this discussion."
At the ceremony in the Lucerna cinema, Hanka Kastelicová presented the "Birdie" project with a €2,000 prize from East Doc Platform general partner HBO Max. Markéta Štinglová, manager of the Czech Television International Content Projects Centre, and general media partner of the Institute of Documentary Film, announced the winner of the Czech Television Co-production Award for the documentary series "Tito. The West's Favorite Dictator". The award represents a financial investment of CZK 150,000 and a subsequent co-production contract.
Awards of the Ex Oriente Film Documentary Laboratory and partners
The last afternoon of the East Doc Platform is traditionally dedicated to the award ceremony of the three Ex Oriente Film awards - Cut thru the Noise, dedicated to the project team that has made the most progress during the workshop, Fine Cut, which brings the winning project a rough cut consultation worth €1,500, and the Golden Funnel for the most significant development during the workshop. The winning projects were selected by Ex Oriente Film's leading tutors Ivana Pauerová Miloševičová, Filip Remunda and Iika Vehkalahti.
This year's winning projects are:
Cut thru the Noise Award: The Poor Cry Too (dir. Viktorija Mickute, Ieva Balsiunaite, prod. Dagne Vildziunaite, LT, MX)
Fine Cut Award: Keepers of the Ruins (dir. Mariia Shevchenko, prod. Ella Shtyka, UA, PL)
The Golden Funnel: Birdie (dir. Aneta Ptak, prod. Małgorzata Staroń, PL)
During the ceremony at the Art Critics Gallery, 12 other awards were presented by international film festivals and other partners of the Institute of Documentary Film.
Winning projects of the partner awards:
Sunny Side of the Doc Prize: Not in the Business of Making Friends (dir. Monica Lăzurean-Gorgan, prod. Monica Lăzurean-Gorgan, Elena Martin, RO)
DOK Leipzig DOK Co-Pro Market Award: Letters (dir. Andrei Kutsila, prod. Sofiia Zadorozhna, Mirosław Dembiński, PL, BY)
DocsBarcelona Award: Tito. The West's Favorite Dictator (dir. Bence Máté, prod. Gunnar Dedio, Regina Bouchehri, DE, AT, HR, IT)
MIA Market Award: Man Under the Ice (dir. Eva Tomanová, prod. Michal Kráčmer, Veronika Kührová, Kenan Aliyev, CZ)
Docs Ireland Award: Big in Gazi Baba (dir. Pauline Isabelle Monique Blanchet, prod. Avdi Thachi, Romir Jakupi, MK, UK)
Baltic Sea Docs Award: Acting Classes (dir. Sasha Shegai, prod. Yevgeniya Moreva, Sasha Shegai, KZ)
Millenium Docs Against Gravity: Birdie (dir. Aneta Ptak, prod. Małgorzata Staroń, PL)
DAE Pitch Talent Encouragement Prize: Acting Classes (dir. Sasha Shegai, prod. Yevgeniya Moreva, Sasha Shegai, KZ)
Pitch the Doc Prize: VOICE/OVER (dir. Bálint Révész, prod. Radovan Síbrt, Viki Réka Kiss, CZ)