14/06/2023 - A total of 17 projects are taking part in the event, and the first workshop is scheduled to be held from 17-21 June in La Rochelle, France

The Ex Oriente Film workshop has announced the 12 creative documentaries and five documentary series projects that will be participating in its 21st edition. Organised by the Institute of Documentary Film (IDF), the three-module workshop is a training programme focused on the development and funding of creative documentary films and series from Central and Eastern Europe that are in development or at the early production stage. The first workshop session is scheduled to be held from 17-21 June, in collaboration with Sunny Side of the Doc, in La Rochelle, France.

Anna Kaslová, Ex Oriente Film project manager, stated: “All of the selected projects have strong international potential, and cover a variety of relevant and important topics reflecting current social, political and human stories and issues. They come from talented, passionate, daring and innovative storytellers.”

As a dynamic hub for established and emerging film professionals, the Ex Oriente Film workshop functions as a creative laboratory that offers comprehensive support to projects throughout their entire journey, from conception to distribution. In response to the growing worldwide interest in documentary series, the training programme has expanded its scope beyond feature-length projects. For the first time, it will incorporate creative documentary series projects, reflecting the evolving needs of the industry.

Ruth Reid, producer and leading tutor of Ex Oriente Series, explains: “A documentary series is a genre with endless possibilities. It challenges our industry's practices and opens new doors to audiences we have never met before with creative documentaries. I'm thrilled to be acting as the lead tutor for this unique pilot programme – the first of its kind in the region. I look forward to working with teams who have an eagerness to interrogate the essence, and elevate the potential, of their projects, and to challenge and expand the genre itself. By bringing creative documentary practice to the series format, the sky's the limit.”

Throughout the workshop, participants will receive valuable guidance from a diverse panel of tutors, including directors, curators and producers from around the world. These experts will assist attendees in analysing and comprehending the potential of their subject matter, ideas and plot. The aim is to identify universal themes, strengthen the film's narrative and characters, and assess the strengths and weaknesses of each project. The panel will also help construct a fundamental backbone for the film's production and financing strategy, including navigating the landscape of European funding, grants and broadcasters. Additionally, the initial phase of the workshop will include inspirational sessions led by renowned filmmakers and screenings of notable films.

For the first time, the second session will take place in Germany in October during DOK Leipzig, and Nadja Tennstedt, director of DOK Industry at DOK Leipzig, comments: “The IDF has been a valuable and trusted partner of DOK Industry for many years. Each year, we are continually impressed by the high quality of the projects selected for Ex Oriente. Therefore, it brings us great joy to welcome the talented creative teams behind documentary features and documentary series along with the knowledgeable and inspiring professionals who will be guiding and mentoring these teams.” The third and final session will be organised by the Institute of Documentary Film during East Doc Platform in March 2024, in Prague, in partnership with One World Film IHRDFF.

The projects selected for the 2023 Ex Oriente Film workshop are as follows:

Ex Oriente Feature Films

Acting Classes - Sasha Shegai (Kazakhstan)
Producers: Assel Yerzhanova (FilmFilmFilm), Yevgeniya Moreva

Armenia Phantom - Tamara Stepanyan (France/Armenia)
Producer: Céline Loiseau (TS Productions)

Becoming Roosi - Margit Lillak (Estonia/Germany)
Producer: Margit Lillak (Tiny Desk Productions)
Co-producers: Dirk Manthey (Dirk Manthey Film), Hõbe Ilus (Tiny Desk Productions)

Birdie - Aneta Ptak (Poland)
Producer: Małgorzata Staroń (Staron Film)

Do Magic - Vera Lacková (Austria/Slovakia)
Producer: Peter Drössler (Golden Girls Film)

How I Became a Hijacker - Andrew Carter (Poland/Germany)
Producer: Aleksandra Szczesna

Keepers of the Ruins - Mariia Shevchenko (Poland/Ukraine)
Producer: Ella Shtyka (New Kyiv)

Letters - Andrei Kutsila (Poland/Belarus)
Producer: Sofiia Zadorozhna

Lights - Mila Teshaieva (Germany/Ukraine)
Producer: Marcus Lenz

Man Under the Ice - Eva Tomanová (Czech Republic)
Producers: Michal Kráčmer (Analog Vision), Veronika Kührová (Analog Vision), Kenan Aliyev

The Poor Cry Too - Viktorija Mickute, Ieva Balsiunaite (Lithuania/Mexico)
Producer: Dagne Vildziunaite (Just a Moment)

What About Little Peter? - Martin Trabalík (Czech Republic)
Producer: Jan Bodnar (GNOMON PRODUCTION SRO)

Ex Oriente Series

Exit Only - Timo Novotny (Czech Republic/Austria)
Producer: Tereza Horská (Hypermarket Film)

The Murderers of Anna Labancz - Balázs Dudás (Hungary)
Producer: Balázs Dudás

She Is Not in the Business of Making Friends - Monica Lăzurean-Gorgan (Romania)
Producers: Monica Lăzurean-Gorgan, Elena Martin (Manifest Film)

Tito. The West's Favorite Dictator - Bence Máté (Germany/Austria/Croatia/Italy)
Producers: Gunnar Dedio (Looks Filmproduktionen GmbH), Regina Dr Bouchehri (Looks Filmproduktionen GmbH)

Unhero or a Falling Star - Georgi Tenev (Bulgaria)
Producer: Martichka Bozhilova (Agitprop Ltd)