In just a few weeks, a new edition of Ex Oriente workshop programs - Ex Oriente Features and Ex Oriente Series - will bring together the most promising creative documentary projects from Central and Eastern Europe. Since its founding in 2003, this internationally respected training program has supported both emerging and established filmmakers in developing bold, author-driven documentaries and connecting them with key players in the global film industry.
This year, 12 feature-length documentaries and 5 docuseries in development and early production stage are selected to take part in three intensive residential workshops across Europe. Participants receive tailored mentorship from leading international experts, focusing on all stages of development – from story structure and visual concept to production strategy, international co-productions, legal aspects, and festival positioning. The cycle culminates in a final pitching session at the East Doc Forum during the East Doc Platform in Prague.
For this edition, we have selected exceptional projects from 17 countries, which reflect a broad range of voices and creative visions, including Not so far away places (dir. Renato Borrayo Serrano, Yulia Vishnevets), My Dear Vira (dir. Olga Chernykh, Maryna Brodovska), House in a Bottle (dir. Anna Morawiec), +7: Scamming For Revenge (dir. Oleksandra Horiienko), Shape of Silence (dir. Varun Trikha), Children of the Moon Land (dir. Roman Ďuriš), Dance with Me (dir. Leila Basma), I had a Dream about an Elephant (dir. Štefan Straka), Symphony of Seasons (dir. Sami Mustafa), Dekonstrukt (dir. Mateusz Góra, Kamil Wilk), VESNA FOREVER VESNA (dir. Hana Piscevic, Nebojsa Resanovic), and At Home (dir. Tamara Todorović). The selected series include Hijacked Life (dir. Andrius Lekavičius), Grandpa was a genius (dir. Kalina Nikolova), World Divided (dir. Soňa Nôtová, Štefan Straka), Justice as legalised terror (dir. Zora Cejnková), and When The Wind Blows (dir. Anna Savchenko).
The first session of Ex Oriente Features will take place from June 16–20, 2025, in Sheffield, United Kingdom, held in program partnership with Sheffield DocFest. Shortly after, the first session of Ex Oriente Series will follow from June 22–24, 2025, in La Rochelle, France, in collaboration with Sunny Side of the Doc 2025. The next sessions will be held in Sibiu, Brno and Prague. The complete timeline can be found here.
Leading Tutors of the 2025 Edition
The 2025 edition will be shaped by an experienced team of tutors who bring a wide range of perspectives and expertise.
Documentary Features:
Gitte Hansen
Gitte Hansen is independent consultant, tutor and mentor in the international documentary industry and serves at many regional and international events such as IDFA, CPH:DOX, FIPADOC, DokMunich, Nordisk Panorama and Documentary Campus Master School. She is a committed mentor with Close Up, CineDoc and Finnish AVEK/Kehittämö, and leading tutor for the annual Below Zero workshop and pitch in Tromsø focussing on life above the Arctic. Gitte has executive produced more than 20 international documentaries for First Hand Films in Zürich where she has been deputy director and headed sales and acquisitions for many years. Gitte holds a Master in Film & Rhetoric from the University of Copenhagen.
Filip Remunda
Filip Remunda is a graduate of FAMU’s documentary directing department, where he studied in the masterclass of Karel Vachek. His film Village B won an award at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival in 2002. In collaboration with Vít Klusák, he created the "film reality show" Czech Dream (2004), a satirical documentary about a fictional hypermarket, which was theatrically released in Europe and the USA and received numerous festival awards, including the Czech Academy Award. His 2016 film Steam on the River, an existential jam session with three jazz musicians, earned the Slovak Film Academy Award. During the COVID-19 pandemic, his personal documentary Chickens, Virus and Us (2021) won several environmental awards. Remunda co-founded the Institute of Documentary Film. In 2003, he and Klusák founded the independent production company Hypermarket Film, known for its globally recognized feature documentaries. His selected filmography as director, producer or scriptwriter includes Czech Dream (2004), Velvet Terrorists (2013), The Near Far East (2015), Steam on the River (2015), Town of Glory (2019), Caught in the Net (2020), Once Upon a Time in Poland (2020), Gorbachev.Heaven (2021), Eastern Front (2023), The Great Nothing (2023) and Happiness to All (2024).
Ivana Pauerová Miloševičová
Born in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. She graduated in humanities at Charles University and in documentary film at FAMU in Prague. Her creative professional experience includes direction of documentary films mainly on social and political topics. Ivana is one of founding members of Institute of Documentary Film, where she was head of workshop, Ex Oriente Film and East European Pitching Forum from 2002 to 2012. Ever since she has been involved with the Institute as a Lead Tutor for the Ex Oriente Film workshop and its Board member. Ivana has been a guest lecturer at the Prague Film Academy (FAMU), VŠMU (Bratislava) and others. Since 2014 Ivana has been cooperating and working with Czech Television, since 2025 as Head of Documentaries.
Diana El Jeiroudi
Diana El Jeiroudi is a seasoned, award- winning documentary filmmaker whose cinematic engagement extends beyond the big screen. Her films are personal narratives navigating the intricacies of socio-political realities that resonate beyond specific contexts. Her latest film, "Republic of Silence", (La Biennale di Venezia 2021) was released in cinemas to critical acclaim. Over two decades, Diana has also produced and co-produced notable films including "5 Seasons of Revolution" (Sundance), "NOTTURNO" (Venice), "Eau Argentée" (Cannes). Back in 2007, Diana co- founded DOX BOX as an international film festival and campus in Syria. In 2014, she reimagined DOX BOX as a support association in Germany, where she relocated. During her tenure as DOX BOX director she spearheaded initiatives, dynamic film labs, an online academy, and inaugurated the Documentary Convention advocating for fair international co-production practices. Her contribution to cinema culture and nurturing talent have earned her accolades. Devoted to the creative process, Diana is a returning mentor at Berlinale Talents, Ex-Oriente, The Circle, Docs by the Sea among other film labs and is a lifelong member of esteemed international film academies such as AMPAS, Deutsche Filmakademie, IDA, DOX BOX e.V., APSA and DAE, where she‘s also a member of the Advisory Board. Diana is currently the CEO of No Nation Films and heads an innovative international and equitable co-production model alongside her vocation as a script-writer, film director and editor.
Christian Popp
Christian was born in Romania in 1971. After a Master Degree in History and Arts in France and Germany he has been between 1998 and 2005 a commissioning editor for ARTE. From 2005 to 2024 he worked as producer in Germany and France for interscience film, Docdays Productions, YUZU Productions and TAG Film. He has produced more than 40 documentaries. Beginning of 2025 Christian joined the French company YAMI 2 Productions. The films Christian produced have screened at Festival de Cannes, IDFA, Sundance, Berlinale, Venice and more. He was for more than 20 years consulting and mentoring at various documentary events (IDFAcademy, EAVE, Documentary Campus, Ex Oriente…). Beside his job as producer and expert, he was Head of Industry at FIPADOC for the 2020 and 2021 editions.
Documentary Series:
Ruth Reid
Ruth Reid is a producer and consultant with two decades of experience in the film industry making films and series which have been screened globally on streaming platforms, at festivals, theatrically, in galleries and on linear tv. In the last five years Reid has been working in-house at two global streamers: HBO and Netflix. Originally from the UK, she is now based between Copenhagen and Stockholm.
Guest tutors of the 2025 Edition
Confirmed guest tutors for this year’s workshop are: Mark Edwards, former Head of Documentaries at Netflix Europe, now working as an independent producer and media consultant; Chris Westendorp, an award-winning screenwriter and documentary director currently developing two feature films and fresh off directing Hidden; Mikael Opstrup, a specialist in character-driven documentary development; Gianluca Matarrese, an actively working director whose films tackle gender, trauma, and social issues; Margje de Koning, Artistic Director of Movies that Matter; and Khadidja Benouataf, an impact strategist designing campaigns and training professionals across Europe. More tutors will be announced soon.
Ex Oriente Film continues to evolve alongside the changing documentary landscape, addressing new formats and storytelling approaches, while strengthening collaboration across the industry. The 2025 edition will once again serve as a creative lab and strategic launchpad for the next generation of ambitious documentary filmmakers.
Stay tuned for further updates on the selected projects, detailed session highlights, guest tutors, and insights from the 2025 edition of Ex Oriente workshop. For most up to date information, follow also our social media channels: Facebook and Instagram.
Partners
We are excited to announce a new partnership with the European Roma Institute for Arts and Culture (ERIAC), which is supporting the 2025 edition of Ex Oriente Film. Through this collaboration, ERIAC is funding a scholarship that covers the full participation fee for one Roma filmmaker or producer based in Central and Eastern Europe. This initiative strengthens our commitment to inclusive storytelling and supports underrepresented voices in the documentary field.
This edition is possible thanks to the financial support of Creative Europe MEDIA, Czech Audiovisual Fund and the Ministry of Culture Czech Republic.
