East Doc Platform invites you to a diverse open programme for the public, which will take place mainly at the French Institute in Prague (Štěpánská 644/35). You can look forward to inspiring lectures, panel discussions, and film screenings, all held in English and free of charge.
The program offers a unique opportunity to explore the world of documentary filmmaking from various perspectives – from the development of original projects to international co-productions, distribution, and festival promotion. Come and listen to experienced filmmakers, producers, and experts in VR, archival research, and documentary ethics. The event also features exclusive film screenings, including VR experiences and discussions with their creators. It is a great opportunity for anyone interested in the contemporary documentary scene and its future.
Friday, March 14
Lecture by Claas Danielsen: The Spark of Originality
French Institute in Prague, Kino 35
16:00-17:00
Each film project marks a fresh journey into unknown territories that can only succeed if the perfect team comes together and has a clear vision of its destination. How to shape an idea into a film that sticks out? How to develop a realistic financing strategy, choose trustworthy co-production partners, develop a convincing distribution strategy and launch the film successfully? Claas Danielsen, co-founder of Documentary Campus, former Director of DOK Leipzig and Head of the MDM Film Fund, shares his observations and experiences when it comes to developing, financing and distributing ambitious films and series for an international audience.
Saturday, March 15
Panel discussion: Mr. Nobody against Putin (2025, DK, CZ)
French Institute in Prague, Kino 35
9:30-10:30
Inspirational discussion with the filmmakers behind the feature length documentary Mr. Nobody against Putin directed by David Borenstein and Pavel Talankin, produced by Made in Copenhagen in co-production with PINK. Danish - Czech co-production film premiered at Sundance Film Festival in World Cinema Documentary Competition 2025, awarded World Cinema Documentary Special Jury Award and continues an exciting festival journey screening in international competition of One World Film Festival in Prague. What were the greatest challenges throughout the project the producers, crew and directors were facing? How does international co-production with many major broadcasters involved works in practice?
In the panel: David Borenstein, Pavel Talankin, director, Radovan Síbrt and Alžběta Karásková, producers PINK, Lucie Kon, commissioning editor BBC Storyville.
Lecture by Jesper Osmund: Pitch trailer seminar
French Institute in Prague, Kino 35
17:30-18:30
Jesper Osmund will elaborate on how to make a compelling pitch trailer for your documentary project by showing examples and offering concrete advice. Jesper Osmund is an acclaimed film editor, narrative consultant, and tutor. With a career that began in fiction, Jesper found his calling in documentaries, embracing the creative freedom of editing without a script.
Sunday, March 16
Panel: Archives, Ethics & AI
French Institute in Prague, Kino 35
9:30-10:30
This inspiring panel will introduce the proposed guidelines from the APA and foster an open discussion on the ethical challenges and resposibilities faced by documentary filmmakers and producers. Key topics include the use, regulation, and rapid development of AI tools, as well as transnational policy-making in this evolving field. Panelists: Stephen Bergson – Archival producer, representative of the Archival Producers Aliance (APA), presenting the APA – Best Practices for Use (fall 2024), Lucie Králová – Documentary filmmaker, founder, and guarantor of the Future Memory Lab program and filmmaker Petr Salaba.
Lecture by Mirjam Wiekenkamp, NOISE Film & TV: Festival Publicity 101
French Institute in Prague, Kino 35
11:00-12:30
A publicity campaign is an essential part of launching your film into the world. But how does this work? What kind of materials do you need? How do you write a good synopsis? What makes a good film still? Which information should be included in a press kit? And what can be expected when it comes to press? International film publicist Mirjam Wiekenkamp (NOISE Film & TV) will share her ins and outs on publicity campaigns and get you ready to rock the festival circuit. Mirjam has been working as a publicist for both fiction and documentary since 2008. She is the founder of NOISE and represents films at festivals such as Berlinale, Cannes, CPH:DOX, IDFA, IFFR, Karlovy Vary, Locarno and Venice. Some of the documentaries she has recently been working with include Fiume o morte! (Igor Bezinovic, winner Tiger Award IFFR 2025), About a Hero (Piotr Winiewicz, opening film IDFA 2024), Songs of Slow Burning Earth (Olha Zhurba, Venice FF 2024), The Flats (Alessanda Celesia, winner DOX:AWARD CPH:DOX 2024), Intercepted (Oksana Karpovych, Berlinale 2024), Favoriten (Ruth Beckermann, opening film Berlinale Encounters Competition 2024), and Apolonia, Apolonia (Lea Glob, winner Best Documentary Award IDFA 2022).
Monday, March 17
VR Screenings: Darkening and Goodbye Mr. Octopus
French Institute in Prague, Guest Service
15:00-19:00
This is a two-day event taking place on March 17-18
Experience the unique world of virtual reality through a screening of a VR film that will immerse you in captivating stories and offer an unforgettable experience.
Darkening (dir. Ondřej Moravec, 25 min, Czechia, Germany, 2022)
What goes on in the head of a young person who is experiencing depression? And is there a way to get out of these states? That's the story behind the autobiographical animated film Darkening, which uses virtual reality to portray authentic experiences.
Goodbye Mr. Octopus (dir. Amaury Campion, Lily Lambert, France, USA, 10 min, 2020)
Goodbye Mr. Octopus is an illuminating coming of age story about the questioning of identity, of what our loved ones represent, and the perception of those around us.
Behind the Lens: Case Study & Screening of FAMU Films with Expert Insights by Sebastian Brameshuber
Lažanský palác (FAMU)
15:30-18:30
Join us for a screening of three short student films from FAMU International and FAMU Documentary and Production departments, followed by a discussion with expert Sebastian Brameshuber and FAMU faculty members. The program invites active participation from student filmmakers, including international film students from KineDok partner countries (Hungary, Slovakia, Croatia and Romania), fostering a rich exchange of ideas and perspectives. While designed for students, the event is open to the public, offering a unique opportunity to engage with emerging filmmakers and industry experts.
Czech Docs: Coming Soon...
French Institute in Prague, Kino 35
17:30-18:30
What is new in the sphere of Czech documentary filmmaking, and what can we look forward to in the future? Five upcoming Czech feature-length documentaries will be presented by their producer-director team 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 Zdeněk Blaha (programme director of the Institute of Documentary Film).
This year’s projects are: Who Is Missing Today? (dir. Květa Chaloupková), Land of Fire (dir. Nikola Klinger), How Long Until We Die Out? (dir. Juliana Moska), Wasteland Chronicles (dir. Viera Čákanyová, Lucia Kašová, Barbora Sliepková), Death of Death (dir. Davis Simanis). More information can be found here.
SCREENING: Movements of a Nearby Mountain and Q&A with the filmmaker Sebastian Brameshuber
Kino 35 (French Institute in Prague)
19:00-21:00
In a remote, abandoned industrial site near a centuries-old ore mine in the Austrian Alps, a self-taught mechanic runs a business exporting used cars to his native Nigeria. As he pursues his lonely day-to-day activities with wondrous serenity, past, present and future begin to overlap, and memories of a lost friendship resurface against the backdrop of a mysterious promise of everlasting resources. The screening will be accompanied by a Q&A with the director Sebastian Brameshuber.
Tuesday, March 18
VR Screenings: Darkening and Goodbye Mr. Octopus
French Institute in Prague, Guest Service
15:00-19:00
This is a two-day event taking place on March 17-18
Experience the unique world of virtual reality through a screening of a VR film that will immerse you in captivating stories and offer an unforgettable experience.
Darkening (dir. Ondřej Moravec, 25 min, Czechia, Germany, 2022)
What goes on in the head of a young person who is experiencing depression? And is there a way to get out of these states? That's the story behind the autobiographical animated film Darkening, which uses virtual reality to portray authentic experiences.
Goodbye Mr. Octopus (dir. Amaury Campion, Lily Lambert, France, USA, 10 min, 2020)
Goodbye Mr. Octopus is an illuminating coming of age story about the questioning of identity, of what our loved ones represent, and the perception of those around us.
Masterclass by Sebastian Brameshuber: Navigating Truth and Ethics in Documentary Filmmaking
French Institute in Prague, Kino 35
16:00-17:30
Documentary films on social issues raise important global questions, but they also present filmmakers with challenges related to ethics, authorship, and staying true to real-life stories—along with key questions of production and distribution. How can you tell powerful and truthful stories while maintaining credibility? How do you navigate artistic vision with respect for your protagonists? And how do you create a film that makes a real impact? Join documentary filmmaker Sebastian Brameshuber (Movements of a Nearby Mountain, In, Over & Out) for an inspiring masterclass. As a documentary filmmaker he has placed an emphasis on human relations and sociopolitical questions while maintaining a strong interest in form. He continues to question the nature of the moving image in his work and to reflect on the difficulties of representation in a world dominated by images. His work has been presented at major film and media art festivals such as the Berlinale, Viennale, Art of the Real, Cinéma du Réel, FID Marseille, IDFA, BAFICI, Karlovy Vary Film Festival, Sarajevo Film Festival, EMAF Osnabrueck, Impakt Utrecht, Media Art Friesland, etc. Sebastian offers a unique insight into the documentary filmmaking process. Through real-world examples, he will guide you through the essential aspects of documentary storytelling and reveal a set of key questions and tools to help you refine your approach to storytelling and sensitive topics—ensuring your documentary not only informs but leaves a lasting impact.
Panel discussion: New Opportunities for VR Distribution
French Institute in Prague, Kino 35
18:00-20:00
Virtual reality is transforming the way we tell stories, offering audiences unique and immersive experiences. What are the current trends in VR filmmaking? How is its distribution evolving, and how can new audiences be reached? What technological and creative innovations are shaping the future of this medium? Explore the rapidly developing landscape of VR distribution in this insightful discussion on new opportunities in the field. Leading experts Ondřej Moravec (Brainz Immersive), Sara Fatucci (Unframed Collection), and Gabriella Chihan Stanley (vrisch) will share their experiences and visions in this panel discussion. Together, we will explore successful projects and discover new ways to harness the potential of VR and push the boundaries of audiovisual storytelling. The panel discussion will be moderated by a XR, Web3 and immersive experiences expert and the founder of Holky v Metaverse Julie Šislerová.
Wednesday, March 19
Broadcasters and Documentaries in 2025
French Institute in Prague, Kino 35
13:00-14:30
A panel focusing on Czech TV stations and their programming plans for documentary filmmaking presents a new programme co-organised by the Institute of Documentary Film and APA - Audiovisual Producers' Association. The aim is to present current programming schemes and plans for documentary film and to connect Czech filmmakers with creative producers of selected stations. Moderated panel with representatives of Czech Television, Nova TV / Voyo.
You can look forward to:
Ivana Pauerová Miloševičová - Head of Documentaries, Czech Television
Erika Hníková - Creative Producer, Nova TV / Voyo
Moderated by Vratislav Šlajer (APA - Audiovisual Producers' Association, Bionaut)
The panel is in Czech language only.
This event is organized by the Institute of Documentary Film in cooperation with APA - Audiovisual Producers' Association.
ALL THE MONEY FOR CULTURE
French Institute in Prague, Kino 35
15:00–16:30
State funding for the cultural sector is a crucial component, especially in the context of artistic and documentary filmmaking. Whether in production, distribution, or the festival circuit, very few can operate without government support in Central Europe. But what specific funding opportunities—such as subsidies, grants, and public funds—are available not only to filmmakers but also to organizations and institutions that bring their films to audiences Focusing on the Visegrad region, this panel discussion will explore these questions with representatives from various areas of the film industry in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, and Hungary. This event is supported by the International Visegrad Fund and is organized in partnership with One World Festival.
You can look forward to:
Matej Sotník – producer, distributor (Somatic Films, Guča Films, Film Expanded)
Barbara Orlicz-Szczypuła – festival representative (Krakow Film Festival)
Enikő Gyureskó – festival representative (Verzió International Human Rights Documentary Film Festival)
Moderated by Andrea Slováková – festival representative (Ji.hlava IDFF)
The East Doc Platform is possible thanks to the financial support of Creative Europe MEDIA, Ministry of Culture, Czech Audiovisual Fund, International Visegrad Fund, the capital city of Prague, APA - Audiovisual Producers' Association, HBO, the Austrian Cultural Forum and the Creative Europe Desk Czech Republic. The general media partner is the Czech television. The event is held in partnership with the Council of Europe. Organised in cooperation with the One World Festival and the French Institute in Prague.