Ji.hlava awards Docu Talents projects in Sarajevo, selects 18 Emerging Producers

Armenia and Switzerland collaborative production Flying cow He was one of the winners of the Docu Talent Awards held by the ji.hlava International Documentary Film Festival as part of the Sarajevo Film Festival.

The films of Vahagn Khachatryan and Aren Malakyan won the Avanpost Post Production Award in physical form for 25,000 Euros. Flying cow Following the calves born in the chaos of the Armenian-Azerbaijan war, they are sold to cow traders and transported to Iraq. The film is aiming to premiere in the first half of 2026. Producers are Khachatryan, from Armenian Oolik Productions and Irene Munoz Martin.

The Docu talent judge said: Flying cow It polarized the ju umpire and elicited a strong response from all of us. What we agreed to is to continue that on our journey to the audience. Animal experiences are set within a divisive political context, which gives us a strong sense of scenes and narrative. ”

The Docu Talent Award for the most promising project was awarded to the Georgian title of Rati Tsiteladze A song without a houseabout young trans women from a conservative country running away from their homes. €3,000 In-Cing Dafilms.com Distribution Award has been sent to Nikola Klinger’s Czech Project Land of Fireon the quest for justice for a daughter killed in wildfire-hit terrain.

Docu’s talent for East Programme has focused specifically on the countries of the Southern Caucus, Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan this year. “The selected project presents the region’s strong cinema tradition and the ability to turn the historical tensions of long-term armed conflict into universal questions about human identity.”

Emerging producers

Ji.hlava selected 18 producers for its emerging producers programme consisting of 17 European producers and one producer from Ethiopia.

The programme consists of three workshops to be held in Zilaba, Czech Republic in October 2025. During Berlin in February 2026. The third venue was announced in spring 2026.

Producers include Belgian Marten Darlan of Culter Films. Bernard Lopez, producer of Portugie, who made the films that included the 2022s. Suburbs.

Three projects have been selected for the Ji.hlava/JB Films Support scheme, each receiving 18,000 euros: Bara Jichova Tyson’s Playtopia;Lin is sailing Valley of the Nightand Lucia Casova A world of walls.

The next edition of Ji.hlava will be held from October 24th to November 2nd to 24th this year, with Croatia as a guest country and Austria providing official delegation.

The Sarajevo Film Festival will continue until Friday, August 22nd.