Ex Oriente Film and East Doc Forum

Register Display Schedule

Code Completion Credits Range Language Instruction Semester
303MEXOR credit 2 8 seminar hours (45 min) of instruction per semester, 44 to 54 hours of self-study English summer

Subject guarantor

Alice RŮŽIČKOVÁ

Name of lecturer(s)

Filip REMUNDA, Alice RŮŽIČKOVÁ

Department

The subject provides Department of Documentary Film

Contents

Ex Oriente Film is an international documentary workshop focused on creative development and financing. During 3 meetings, directors develop the theme, story, visual style, and presentation of their upcoming films and producers work intensively on the financial plan, production, and distribution strategy of their project and gain knowledge of the international market. The module includes lectures on the economic aspects of film production, directing masterclasses, and producing case studies.

  1. Ex Oriente Film workshop: “Market, Here I Am!“

The lectures of the third meeting of the Ex Oriente Film workshop offer practical case studies of distribution, production, marketing strategies, and directing masterclasses.

Open Program of the Ex Oriente Film and East Doc Platform 2026:

Thursday, March 19, 2026

19:00 – 20:00

KineDok Conference | Reaching the Next Generation: Distribution Strategies for Young Audiences

Cinema 35, French Institute

How can filmmakers, producers, and distributors effectively reach young audiences in today’s fragmented media landscape? This panel explores current and emerging distribution strategies targeting children and young adults, from festivals and cinemas to digital platforms, educational contexts, and regional initiatives. Drawing on concrete case studies and international experience, the discussion will focus on where young audiences are today, how their viewing habits are changing, and what kinds of distribution models and partnerships can help content reach the next generation.

Guests: Paul Rieth, Magdalena Zelasko, Katharina Bergfeld, + TBA

20:30 – 22:00

SCREENING: Non-Aligned: Scenes from the Labudović Reels

(dir. Mila Turajlić Serbia /France, Croatia, Montenegro, Qatar / 2022 / 100 min)

Cinema 35, French Institute

 

Friday, March 20, 2026

9:30 – 10:30

Pivotal Guide to World Sales and Distribution of Creative Docs, incl. Q&A

Lecture by international sales agent Anna Berthollet (FR-CH) of Lightdox

Cinema 35, French Institute

In this lecture, we will explore the current landscape of sales and distribution for creative documentaries. We'll dive into the role of a sales agent, outlining key strategies for building a productive and healthy collaboration. You’ll learn how to best position your film for international markets and festivals. Additionally, we’ll discuss practical insights and essential tips for those interested in navigating DIY distribution. By the end, you'll have a clearer understanding of how to make the most of your documentary's journey from production to audience.

16:30 – 17:30

Lecture by producer and audience marketing expert Dimitra Kouzi (GR)

Cinema 35, French Institute

Dimitra Kouzi is a creative producer, director, curator, and audience development expert with a background in journalism and public broadcasting, and extensive experience across film, television, radio, and cultural institutions. In her lecture, she will focus on publicity and outreach for documentary projects, drawing on concrete case studies such as the promotional campaign of Apolonia, Apolonia, and offering practical strategies for filmmakers working with projects in development, production, or release stages.

Saturday, March 21

9:30 – 12:00

Masterclass by director Igor Bezinović (HR)

Cinema 35, French Institute

Igor Bezinović is a Croatian filmmaker from Rijeka whose work focuses on socially engaged cinema, collective filmmaking, and innovative approaches to historical storytelling. In his lecture, he will present his award-winning film FIUME O MORTE!, which received the European Documentary Award (European Film Award), and discuss its unique participatory production process and its exploration of history, propaganda, and political performance.

16:30 – 18:00

Editing as Directing

Lecture by director and editor Michal Palm (AT)

Cinema 35, French Institute

As a film editor, I have often the feeling that I am doing the film director’s job. As a film director, I feel strongly for the film editor who works with the footage with a new eye and fights himself/herself through the masses of footage. The lecture will focus on some aspects of the collaboration between editor and director, with some musings about the case when both are included within the same person.

 

Sunday, March 22

10:00 – 11:00

Keynote by expert, curator and producer Caroline Libresco (US)

Cinema 35, French Institute

Caroline Libresco is a leading curator, producer, and creative executive, Caroline spent 19 years as senior programmer at the Sundance Film Festival, where she co-headed documentary and international competitions. She also founded and directed the Sundance Women's Program and Sundance Catalyst, where she raised $32 million for 89 projects including Won't You Be My Neighbor, Truffle Hunters, and Crip Camp.

11:30 – 12:30

Introduction to Audience Design

Lecture by audience design expert Paul Rieth (DE)

Cinema 35, French Institute

Audience design is a powerful framework for early identification of target audiences, which can help in shaping both the creative and strategic direction of a documentary. This session with audience design expert Paul Rieth explores how the question of a project’s goals, motivation and intent can guide story development and production choices while ensuring alignment between writer/director, producer and those involved in the documentary’s release (world sales and distributor). Participants will examine how understanding and defining audiences early helps build stronger stories, tailor communication strategies and position projects effectively in the international market. The session offers practical insight into how audience design can inspire creative collaboration, strengthen market relevance and open pathways to reach and engage audiences across borders.

17:00 – 18:00

Making, Funding, and Positioning Documentary Practice Today

Masterclass by director Mila Turajlić (RS)

Cinema 35, French Institute

How does an archive-driven project move from open-ended investigation to a work that can be pitched, financed, and shared without flattening its complexity? Drawing from her long-term research project Non-Aligned Newsreels and films including Non-Aligned & Ciné-Guerillas: Scenes from the Labudović Reels, Mila Turajlić shares a practice of working with archives as contemporary, contested terrain. The session also explores the expansion of documentary practice beyond film - into performance and art contexts - as both an aesthetic choice and a production strategy. Framed through today’s funding ecosystem for documentary projects, with particular attention to Central and Eastern Europe, the masterclass connects creative decisions to positioning, pitching, and circulation.

Monday, March 23

17:30 – 18:30

PRESENTATION: Czech Docs: Coming Soon

Cinema 35, French Institute

Five upcoming Czech feature-length documentaries will be presented by their producer-director team to an audience consisting of the general public, representatives of leading international film festivals, sales agents, distributors and other film professionals. The event is organized in cooperation with the Audiovisual Producers' Association (APA). Moderated by Ivana Formanová

Tuesday, March 24

9:00-14:00

EAST DOC FORUM PITCHING SESSION

Cinema 35, French Institute

Public pitch presentation of 16 feature length documentary & 5 docuseries projects

to international commissioning editors, film funds representatives, buyers, distributors, sales

agents, independent producers and other funders.

17:00–18:30

East Doc Caravan Showcase: Introducing the program and Screening: In Hell with Ivo

Cinema 35, French Institute

Doc Caravan is a curated initiative of the Institute of Documentary Film, supporting distinctive creative documentaries at the crucial moment of festival launch and international circulation. After the showcase, stay for a curated screening from the East Doc Caravan Collection:

Screening: In Hell with Ivo (Kristina Nikolova, 2025, Bulgaria/USA)

A famous queer Bulgarian artist embarks on a series of intimate home concerts before returning home to confront his abusive past—culminating in one final performance for his parents. Winner of the Jury Award, Sarajevo Film Festival 2025.

Speaker: Iuliia Mamaeva, East Doc Caravan Manager.

Wednesday, March 25

12:00–13:00

Who Pays for Czech Docs Now - And What It Means for Creative Docs

Cinema 35, French Institute

Commissioning is shifting fast: feature docs vs. series, rights and windows, editorial priorities, and the changing power balance between public service media and commercial players. This blunt, practical panel looks at what Czech commissioners buy and what they avoid, plus how these trends reshape co-productions from Central and Eastern Europe. If you’re packaging a project in 2026, you need this reality check.

Speakers: Featuring commissioning perspectives from Czech Television, Nova/Voyo, Prima and Czech Audiovisual Fund. Moderated by APA. Discussion in Czech only.

14:00–15:30

Responsibility, Accountability, and Power: Musings on Safety in the Documentary Industry

Cinema 35, French Institute

“Safety” means different things to different people—and “safe space” can easily become a slogan. In a field shaped by power dynamics and hierarchies, what does safety actually look like at markets, festivals, trainings, and in the editing room? Who is responsible, what risks are acceptable, and how can institutions reduce harm in practice?

To address these questions and develop shared language and tools, the international #DocSafe initiative was launched in 2023. It evolves through ongoing dialogue, research, and advocacy - challenging the normalisation of malpractice and working toward concrete solutions.

In this session, Marion Schmidt (#DocSafe) introduces the initiative and shares key insights from its first two years, followed by an open discussion with the audience.

IDF is a member of #DocSafe. Participants can meet Marion after the session; interested projects may arrange short consultations.

Speaker: Marion Schmidt, #DocSafe

Open program as of 12, February, subject to change.

Public screenings related to the lectures:

Thursday, March 19

20:30 – 22:00

Non-Aligned: Scenes from the Labudović Reels

(dir. Mila Turajlić Serbia /France, Croatia, Montenegro, Qatar / 2022 / 100 min)

Cinema 35, French Institute

Cameraman Stevan Labudović followed Yugoslavia’s President Tito on his transcontinental search for new allies during the cold war. Decades later, the director discovers the film footage created back then in a Belgrade film archive and turns it into a fascinating and touching account of an almost forgotten mission and a time full of hope for a better world.

Saturday, March 21 – Tuesday, March 24

VR Screenings

Weekend: 10:00–16:00

Weekdays: 15:00–19:30

Galerie – VR, French Institute

Step into new worlds and experience stories in virtual reality. VR screenings offer a unique opportunity to immerse yourself in documentary worlds, discover new perspectives, and experience storytelling in an entirely new way. The VR program is organised by KineDok.

21-22 CHINA

(dir. Thierry Loa, 25 min, Kanada, 2022)

Would we see the world differently if our perspective changed?

21-22 CHINA presents an immersive, meditative journey across the world’s fastest-growing superpower, a land undergoing rapid urbanization, major industrial development, and massive topographical transformations.

Fresh Memories: The Look

(dir. Ondřej Moravec, Volodymyr Kolbasa, 10 min, Ukraine, Czechia, 2023)

Can you look into the eyes of those whose lives have been shattered by war?

Fresh Memories: The Look is a short Czech-Ukrainian VR film that transports viewers into the heart of bombed-out Kharkiv—one of the cities most devastated by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Through powerful, direct eye contact, the film shares the emotional stories of local residents affected by the war. Viewers find themselves in ruined apartments, hospitals, and playgrounds, where people silently convey their pain and resilience.

Learning outcomes

The aim of the module is to deepen students' knowledge of educational programmes, markets, and co-production forums focused on documentary films.

Prerequisites and other requirements

MANDATORY REGISTRATION until February 28, 2026 with Eliška Plechatová, plechatova@dokweb.net, +420601553935

Literature

https://dokweb.net/activities/east-doc-platform/2026/open-programme

https://dokweb.net/activities/east-doc-platform/2026/about

https://dokweb.net/activities/ex-oriente-film/2025/2025-edition-details

Evaluation methods and criteria

Attending at least 3 lectures and submitting a 2NS reflection on what you found interesting and new in the lectures.

Note

Modules KDT FAMU

Lecturers: Anna Kaslová + Mila Turajlić, Igor Bezinović, Caroline Libresco, Anna Berthollet, Michael Palm, Paul Rieth, Dimitra Kouzi (garant Alice Růžičková)

Date and time: 19-25 March 2026, in person - French Institute (Cinema 35), Štěpánská 35, Prague 1 (unless otherwise stated)

Assignment: pro/2 - participation in at least 3 lectures + submission of reflection 2NS

Capacity: 50 / Optional for: FAMU / AMU / Language of teaching: English

Further information

Course may be repeated

This course is an elective for all students of this school

Schedule for winter semester 2025/2026:

The schedule has not yet been prepared

Schedule for summer semester 2025/2026:

Date Day Time Tutor Location Notes No. of paralel
19.03.2026 – Alice RŮŽIČKOVÁ
Filip REMUNDA
19-25 March 2026, French Institute parallel1

The subject is a part of the following study plans