The EDN Award 2008 is presented to Institute of Documentary Film - IDF, located in Prague. They receive the award for their enthusiastic and energetic work with establishing a central organisation and professional platform for the development and promotion of Central and Eastern European documentary. The award will be presented on Friday March 14 at 19:30 (Greek Time) at an award reception at the international documentary pitching session Docs in Thessaloniki.

Institute of Documentary Film is a non-profit training, promotion and networking centre focusing on the support of creative documentary films from Eastern Europe. IDF was established in 2001 by directors and producers of documentary film. Since then the institute has established the Ex Oriente Film Workshop for developing new documentary projects, the East European Forum for project financing and East Silver Market for selling finished films. IDF is also running the information and resource site www.DOCUinter.net. Together all activities from IDF form a complete development and promotion programme to support professional documentary film making in Eastern and Central Europe.

Upon presenting the EDN Award Leena Pasanen, Director of EDN says:
It is a great honour to present the EDN Award 2008 to IDF. Their work with establishing a documentary institute and all their activities to develop, encourage and promote documentary films have been of great importance for filmmakers and producers in the Central and Eastern European countries. Their tireless effort to contribute to the development of the documentary genre and industry is outstanding. IDF's work with creating better conditions for this region's documentary filmmaking and bring the regional films to the international scene serves as an excellent example of outstanding pioneer work.

The EDN Award is presented annually during Docs in Thessaloniki to an institution, group or private person for outstanding contribution to the development of the European documentary culture. Previous the award has been presented to Finnish Broadcaster YLE or The Dutch Jan Vrijman Fund.

European Documentary Network, EDN, is a member-based organisation for professionals working with documentary film and television. The organization has over 900 members from more than 60 countries.