Festival

Ji.hlava International Documentary Film Festival

The idea to create an event known under its present title – Ji.hlava International Documentary Film Festival – was conceived in the minds of a group of high school students in the Czech city of Jihlava in 1997. Since then, each autumn the Ji.hlava IDFF brought together dozens and later hundreds and thousands of viewers, directors, producers, film critics, journalists, and friends of documentary cinema to spend several days "thinking through film".

Today, 25 years later, we can proudly claim that this celebration of creative documentary cinema has long been recognized as one of the leading European documentary film festivals and the largest event of its kind in Central and Eastern Europe.

The Ji.hlava’s main competition section “Opus Bonum” comprises up to 18 feature films screened in world, international and European premieres. Aside from the main award, the jurors of Opus Bonum also hand out awards for the best cinematography, editing, and sound design. At the same time, outstanding formats, such as the best film essay, will be highlighted. The jury awards a prize to the most significant debut film as well as to the best film from the region of Central and Eastern Europe.

In addition to the main competition section, Ji.hlava offers three other categories: “Fascinations" for the best experimental films, “Testimonies" for the best films with political, ecological or scientific themes, „Short Joy“ for the best short docs, and the traditional national competition "Czech Joy".

Ji.hlava IDFF is among the festivals whose winners are eligible for the pre-selection of the Academy Awards® and the European Film Award.

info(at)dokument-festival.cz

http://www.dokument-festival.com