Today, we selected one of the 26 documentary film projects presented at the 29th edition of Baltic Sea Docs and granted it the IDF Award, which secures participation at the East Doc Market within East Doc Platform 2026. The award goes to the Hungarian project Kind of Adults. Congratulations!
The jury stated: "The Institute of Documentary Film Award – Accreditation to East Doc Market goes to a project that offers a raw and immersive portrait of Gen Z. Co-created with its protagonists over five turbulent years, it captures identity crises, fleeting joy, and the fragile transition from adolescence to adulthood. With sensitivity and honesty, it also portrays the spirit of contemporary Hungarian youth. The award goes to Kind of Adults."
By winning this award, Kind of Adults will take part in the East Doc Market, a key industry event where filmmakers meet over 70 international funders, broadcasters, distributors, sales agents, and festival representatives. During two intensive days, projects are pitched in curated 15-minute meetings, resulting in more than 400 one-to-one sessions that spark collaborations, deals, and long-term partnerships. The East Doc Market is part of the East Doc Platform – the largest co-production, funding, and distribution platform tailor-made for Central and East European documentaries.
KIND OF ADULTS (dir. Peter Akar, co-dir. & prod. Rita Balogh, prod. Gül Togay, Hungary)
The moments that shape who we are can be hard to pin down, but the final year of high school is undeniably a turning point. This is where our film starts – when the safety of childhood begins to slip away, and the uncertainty of adulthood starts to take hold in the lives of our characters. Kind of Adults follows a group of classmates over five years, tracing the emotional journeys of four central characters – LEO, ROSE, ÁKOS, and LOLA – as they navigate first loves, fractured friendships, and the pressure to define themselves in a rapidly shifting world.
Leo and Rose’s intense, on-again, off-again relationship runs through the film like a fault line, capturing the pain of letting go. Depression hovers beneath the surface, even as parties and chaotic nights fill their routines. Ákos confronts the cost of hiding his true self in school, looking back with regret but also clarity. Lola experiences the heartbreak of drifting from childhood friends, seeking connection first through fleeting relationships, then through bold, boundary-pushing art. Their personal struggles unfold against a backdrop of late-night adventures, much of it filmed by the characters themselves. At first they live entirely in the present, but soon the weight of choices and adult expectations begins to bear down. Their closeness becomes both a source of support and something that holds them back – comforting, but also hard to let go of. Rather than following a conventional arc, the film unfolds in fluid, interwoven fragments. The rhythm is shaped by the characters’ own footage, blended with observational scenes and a sometimes highly emotional, sometimes minimalist score. The real drama lies in what remains unspoken: a flicker of doubt, a private confession, a shared silence. While no single event defines their transition, an emotional logic drives the film, revealing how growing up rarely happens all at once – it shows up in small fragments.
Kind of Adults captures the vibrant, raw, and often contradictory spirit of Gen Z, offering a deeply personal glimpse into what it means to grow up when the future feels perpetually uncertain.
Photo & info about the film: Baltic Sea Docs