The Ji.hlava International Documentary Film Festival has been officially launched. The Opening Ceremony introduced the first award-winners. The Best Documentary Book Award went to The Taste of Mulberries / Travel Message of the Wizard’s Apprentice (Zašlá chuť morušek / Cestovní zpráva čarodějova učně) by Miloslav Nevrlý. The winner of the Short Joy section selected traditionally by DAFilms viewers is Open Mountain by Maria Rojas Arias. During the Opening Ceremony, DAFilms presented their new category – DAFilms Junior. APA World Excellence Award was accorded to French producer Jacques Bidou.
The anniverary edition of Ji.hlava IDFF was launched! The festival returns to cinemas after the pandemic year and newly offers over three hundred films from sixty-three countries. The entire film programme is more than twelve thousand minutes long and it would take eight and a half days of continuous watching. The anniversary edition of the festival kicked off with When Flowers Are Not Silent by Belarusian director Andrei Kutsila that captures the atmosphere in Belarus after last year’s presidential election.
The Opening Ceremony held in DKO featured the presentation of the first awards. The Best Documentary Book Award is this year’s novelty and it went to The Taste of Mulberries / Travel Message of the Wizard’s Apprentice (Zašlá chuť morušek / Cestovní zpráva čarodějova učně) by Miloslav Nevrlý.
The traditional award for the best short film was also presented. In the Short Joy section, the winners were chosen by viewers who voted via the DAFilms portal. The Award went to Colombian-Portuguese Open Mountain by Colombian filmmaker Maria Rojas Arias that deals with a long-forgotten revolution. In July 1929, a group of cobblers organized a one-day revolution in a Colombian village in an attempt to improve the living and working conditions in the country. The witness and anarchist Aura believes their struggle continues to this day. “I can see dirt roads, chickens being cut up for soup, and the undergrowth at the foot of the mountains where traces of Latin America's first guerrilla are disappearing. The characters in this story live believing that their struggle does not end,” says the director about the film. “This year, Short Joy offered a remarkable representation of the contemporary world. However, the weight of the current problems must not eliminate the lessons of the past. One such lesson was provided in Open Mountain, a film made of found footage that come together to create an exquisite audiovisual experience. We’re happy to see the audience vote for this particular movie,” said Diana Tabakov, the Executive Director at DAFilms. Diana Tabakov also introduced a new project by DAFilms – DAFilms Junior that provides an innovative content for children from three to twelve years of age.
Respekt Award for the best TV, video and online investigative reportage was granted by the jury to the reportage collage A Look at Babiš and his Rallies, or What his PR Will Never Reveal (Podívejte se na Babišovy mítinky, jak vám je jeho PR nikdy neukáže) by Václav Dolejší.
The award for outstanding producer’s contribution was also presented at the Opening Ceremony. APA World Excellence Award was accepted from the hands of producer Radim Procházka by his French colleague Jacques Bidou.
Ji.hlava Live Stream
This year again, the Ji.hlava IDFF offers live broadcasts in Czech and English – in the form of festival streams that will bring interviews with filmmakers, film recommendations and other tips as well as audience polls. There will also be a regular time slot devoted to Ji.hlava for Kids, the Inspiration Forum and the Ji.hlava Industry Programme.
The live stream will treat the viewers to two discussions of the Inspiration Forum. One of them will be the online appearance of American feminist, philosopher and gender studies legend Judith Butler. Digital technologies will be the focus of Canadian philosopher and writer Nick Srnicek.
