We are delighted to announce that several films developed through the activities of the Institute of Documentary Film (IDF) won awards at the 29th edition of the Ji.hlava International Documentary Film Festival. Among them was Silver (dir. Natalia Koniarz, Poland, Finland, Norway, 2025), which won the Main Award for Best World Documentary Film 2025 in the Opus Bonum section.
The film Silver by Polish director Natalia Koniarz participated in the Ex Oriente Film workshop in 2021, was later presented at the East Doc Forum pitching in 2022, and in the same year won the Main Award at the East Doc Platform. At Ji.hlava, it triumphed three times in the Opus Bonum section – receiving the Main Award for Best World Documentary Film 2025, the Best Documentary Film in the Visegrad Region Award, and the Best Cinematography Award. The film offers a striking view of life in the highest mine in Bolivia, where death carries the same weight as the silver that is mined. The jury particularly appreciated “outsider perspective that has nothing but respect for the dignity of a local population ensnared by an industry that both gives them their living, and all too often takes it“.
Another awarded film, What About Petey? by director Martin Trabalík, follows a widowed father trying to keep his family together while caring for his autistic son Petr and daughter Vanesa. Is love alone enough to manage all the new responsibilities? The film had its Czech festival premiere at Ji.hlava, winning both a Special mention and the Student Jury Award in the Czech Joy section. It was developed within Ex Oriente Film 2023, presented at the East Doc Platform 2024 and 2025, and showcased at the East Silver 2024 and 2025.
In the same section, the Best Cinematography Award was given to the Slovak-Czech film Chronicle, with the jury highlighting the director's attentiveness and patience. The film was presented at East Doc Forum 2019. The Best Sound Design Award went to the documentary Kapralova, which participated in East Doc Forum 2024 and East Silver 2025. The film depicts the life of Czech composer Vítězslava Kaprálová, and the jury praised the filmmakers for successfully personifying the legacy of an exceptional artist who is unfortunately unknown to a wider audience.
Congratulations to all the award-winning filmmakers, and our thanks go to our partners – Creative Europe MEDIA, the Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic, the Czech Audiovisual Fund, the Prague City Hall, and others – for their long-term support, which enables us to continue supporting author-driven documentary projects from Central and Eastern Europe.