Institute of Documentary Film rounds out the slate of complex year-round activities focused on the support of East European documentary films. East Doc Platform in Prague hosted over 340 film professionals who networked, participated, tutored or observed the largest documentary industry event in the region: directors, producers, commissioning editors, sales agents, distributors, buyers, funders and film festivals representatives. In addition, the interest of broad public confirmed once again that East Doc Platform open programme is structured along attractive lectures, case studies and master classes held this year by leading professionals such as Marina Razbezhkina, Sean McAllister, Arash T. Riahi, Paul Pauwels, Helle Faber, Antoine Cattin, Hans Robert Eisenhauer, Alice Apley, Kristen Fitzpatrick and others.

East European Forum

The total of 20 selected East European documentary projects in development and production stage pitched at East Europan Forum that took place within East Doc Platform. Documentary makers from Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Poland, Croatia, Hungary, Slovenia, Germany, Slovakia, Latvia, Russia, Estonia and Georgia came on the Archa Theatre stage, introducing their ideas to international decision makers.

Joining the selection of 8 documentary projects at East European Forum in Prague while being the final stop of the year-long workshop focused on talented East European documentary makers and producers, the 10th anniversary Ex Oriente Film is now history. A very positive one, Mikael Opstrup from the Danish EDN, one of the two Ex Oriente Film head tutors, sums up: “East Doc Platform is a natural climax to several long-term activities Institute of Documentary Film runs throughout the whole year. As the second edition is over now, I can say for sure the overall concept is very well set. I especially appreciate the balance created by the mixture of projects that come to pitch together here in Prague. On one side, you have Ex Oriente Film projects that were picked on the basis of the authors’ capabilities to develop a strong creative documentary, on the other side you have projects selected only for the final week here in Prague and it is the documentaries themselves that were the criteria in this case. In the end all this makes an interesting selection and a unique pitching forum that only exists here in the Czech Republic.”

Marijke Rawie, ExpertDocs consultant and the head tutor of Ex Oriente Film workshop, praised that 2013 East Doc Platform edition raised the quality bar again: „This year was especially important for all the budget cuts that slowed everything down, including documentary film development. That is why I am very happy for the amazing feedback the projects got from commissioning editors and we have seen many promising ones here that already made particular deals right on the spot.”

Doc Launch

Doc Lauch opened the presentation weekend at East Doc Platform with 7 hand-picked documentary rough cuts and projects in post-production. Having two days to consolidate the presented material with the help of two experienced editors Stefan Krumbiegel and Stan Neuman, all the participants left the stage with a substantial success.

“After four years I have been coming here I can say the quality of the projects gets better and better. It is both the fact that today's economy forces Eastern European filmmakers to improve their skills when approaching international decision makers, but it is also the result of what you are doing as the Institute of Documentary Film,” commented Thierry Detaille from Ventes-CBA/WIP-Sales in Belgium.

In addition, Doc Launch presentees had the opportunity to meet decision makers individually within pre-scheduled one-on-one meetings at Project Market among the total of 356 meetings of 42 producers and directors from Eastern Europe with over 50 international decision makers.

East Doc Platform Awards

In order to highlight the most promising projects and provide them with extra support, presentations at East Doc Platform concluded with awards. East Doc Platform Award for the Best documentary rough cut went to Czech project Long Live Hunting!, directed by Jaroslav Kratochvíl and produced by Pavla Kubečková. The award was decided about by the jury - Stan Neumann (France), Stefan Krumbiegel (Germany), Youn Ji (Austria) and Peter Kerekes (Slovakia).

The traditional Golden Funnel, awarded to a project that made greatest development throughout one Ex Oriente Workshop year/cycle, was received by Albena Mihaylova for Para i Vyara - Steam and Faith. Marijke Rawie commented on the selection: “Golden Funnel went to a documentary that has changed completely since it was admitted to Ex Oriente Film workshop. Albena Mihaylova managed to structure Steam and Faith along more confident narrative while stressing a storyline that involves particularly intensive family memory.”

The awarded projects in production and post-production stages will receive from IDF a tailor-made support according to the specific needs of the winning projects. IDF provides either intensive one-on-one rough cut consultations with some of our regular experts/editors (Stan neumann, Erez Laufer, Niels Pagh Andersen and others) or a made-to-measure support of the same value. Two Awards were given to Roman Bondarchuk, Uldis Cekulis and Darya Averchenko for Sherrifs of Stara Zburyevka (aka Ukrainian Sherrifs) - IDFA Award that allows the winner network at Amsterdam industry, and DocsBarcelona Award with free pitch in Spain.

East Silver Videolibrary

The 2nd East Silver Videolibrary featured 267 documentary films from October selection (presented in Jihlava), added with 77 new documentaries from Central and Eastern Europe produced in 2012/2013. (selected from nearly 250 submitted films). Additional library of over 100 films from the programme of One World Human Rights International Documentary Film Festival were included as well. The Videolibrary was available throughout the whole East Doc Platform, open to all the industry professionals, guests and accredited filmmakers. All the documentary films from the East Silver Market can still be watched by One World guests until the festival ends on March 13, 2013, at the Festival Centre, Langhans Gallery.

Beyond Belief

Institute of Documentary Film has been supporting documentary film in the region for more than twelve years, which rates the organization among the oldest and most stable ones in the region. Since the 2013 East Doc Platform edition, like many other events, took place despite stressful economic conditions, we have imprinted this uneasiness into this year’s motive – Beyond Belief – as it is mainly thanks to all the partners and the great effort of the organization team that we go on. East Doc Platform is a natural paramount of the slate of year-round activities that aim primary at the support of East European documentary production, its international potential as well as various cultural values that are tied to it. As the outcome of this mission, East Doc Platform once again managed to keep up with is role at the forefront of international documentary scene:

“We decided to take this year's East Doc Platform beyond rather outdated models, and attempted to connect the participants also with other international producers with substantial experience with Central and East European co-productions. In the times of shrinking budgets and limited competences of European commissioning editors, the focus on foreign independent producers who reach for local resources is logical. All the meetings at this year's East Doc Platform and positive atmosphere only confirm that,” sums up Hana Rezková, the East Doc Platform manager. Browse through East Doc Platform photogallery so believe it all.