Ji.hlava unveils 29 projects for 30th-edition industry forum
Twenty-nine documentary projects from 15 countries will be presented at the New Visions Forum of the Ji.hlava Documentary Film Festival, Variety reported. The selection forms part of the festival's 30th edition. It gathers new work from across Europe and beyond in a single pitching programme.
The forum runs Oct. 28-30. It sits inside an industry programme that draws around 1,200 professionals. The forum is described by the festival as a platform for carefully selected documentary and audiovisual projects at various stages of development, according to Ji.hlava.
Eight of the 29 projects are directed by first-time film-makers. They include Lindsey Sitz with Searching for SmarterChild and Simantini Chakraborty with Impossible to Ignore. The list also features Ali Razi with Archiveless Memories, for an Imaginary Museum and Agnieszka Zwiefka with Words We Never Say. Each project will be introduced to potential partners live at the festival.
Europe provides a large share of the line-up. Thirteen European projects were selected for the 2026 forum, Cineuropa reported. That group includes Iridescence by Dominika Kováčová. Projects in the forum range from development through production to post-production, the stage when a film is edited and finished.
Two alumni of the festival's Emerging Producers programme return with new work. Charlotte Heilstone from the U.K. and Matej Sotnik from Slovakia both have projects in this year's selection. Their presence links the festival's talent development strand directly to its co-production market.
Montenegro has a strong showing this year. Six upcoming projects from Montenegro are included in the selection. Montenegro is the Country in Focus of Ji.hlava's industry programme this year, which gives its producers and directors a dedicated showcase.
The forum has long presented documentary and audiovisual projects from Europe, the United States and East and Southeast Asia. That broad geography remains in place for 2026. Industry awards attached to the forum include routes to partner events, with the Docs by the Sea Award winner invited to take part in Docs by the Sea 2027 with accommodation.
What makes this stand out is the mix. First films sit alongside projects from experienced producers. Early ideas share the slate with nearly finished films. For audiences, these are titles that could reach cinemas, television and streaming over the next couple of years.
