The 29th Ji.hlava International Documentary Film Festival kicks off this Friday, and we’re excited to bring you the latest updates – including the festival’s opening film, the composition of this year’s juries, and highlights from the Czech Joy, Testimonies, Constellations, and Virtual Reality sections, along with much more. The Ji.hlava Industry Programme will welcome over 1,000 film professionals this year, and we warmly invite you to explore its rich line-up of events and activities.
JI.HLAVA KICKS OFF ON FRIDAY WITH THE ONLYFANS PHENOMENON
The opening film of this year's festival will be Virtual Girlfriends by Czech director Barbora Chalupová, which explores digital intimacy and the transformation of relationships in the era of artificial intelligence. Through the stories of three women, the film follows the process of content creation, conversations with subscribers of the OnlyFans internet platform, and the everyday dynamics of their romantic and work relationships. Where is the line between work and intimacy, and who is actually the victim in all this? The festival opening takes place on Friday night, October 24.
Photo still: Virtual Girlfriends by Barbora Chalupová
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INTRODUCING JI.HLAVA 2025 JURY MEMBERS
We are honoured to introduce the juries of the 29th Ji.hlava International Documentary Film Festival. The Opus Bonum Award jury consists of Georgian producer Tekla Machavariani, Berlin-based film critic Jessica Kiang, British researcher and film director Dominic Lees, Serbian producer and director Ognjen Glavonić, and Czech director Jana Ševčíková. The First Lights competition jury features Slovak film director and screenwriter Mira Fornay, U.S. curator and writer Rachael Rakes, and Belgian film curator Juliette Duret. The Testimonies jury includes Canadian-Palestinian medical doctor and peace activist Izzeldin Abuelaish, cross-media film editor and media artist Szilvia Ruszev, and Czech sociologist Ondřej Lánský. The Czech Joy award will be decided by Slovak cinematographer Simona Weisslechner, cultural sociologist Ludmila Dobrovolná Wladyniak, theatre dramaturg Ilona Smejkalová, and film directors Aleš Suk and Tomáš Hlaváček. The traditional Fascinations family jury comprises Swiss curator Patrick Huber, artist Christine Koch, and Jil Charlotte Koch, a student of visual communication in Bern. The award for the Best Virtual Reality Project will be decided by Czech game studies scholar Tereza Fousek Krobová, Italian philosopher Luca Marchetti, and Tate Modern curator Valentine Umansky. Finally, the Industry Jury is composed of Bosnian film curator Rada Šešić, Danish film consultant and journalist Tue Steen Müller, and U.S. producer Chris White.
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CONFERENCE ON ETHICS IN DOCUMENTARY FILM: FOCUS ON AI
The fifth edition of the Conference on Ethics in Documentary Film, which has been an integral part of the Ji.hlava Industry Programme, is dedicated to exploring artificial intelligence and its role in the creative process. The discussion will focus on how AI is reshaping the concepts of authorship, control, and responsibility in filmmaking. Can we regard AI as merely a tool – or as a co-creator? And how does its presence influence the ethics, trust, and authenticity of documentary film? The conference will take place during the 29th Ji.hlava on October 30. Explore the full programme and guest speakers here.
Photo still: Wider Than the Sky by Valerio Jalongo
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CZECH JOY HIGHLIGHTS
Among the eighteen films featured in the Czech Joy competition will be Markéta Ekrt Válková's time-lapse film Amira's Children, which follows a Syrian family as they strive to integrate into life in Prague, and Tomáš Elšík's Resilience, a work that blurs the line between lyrical essay and environmental detective story. In Time to the Target, Vitaly Mansky sharply reflects on the current reality in Ukraine, while in the meditative Chronicle, Martin Kollár constructs a visually precise mosaic of contemporary Slovakia. Viera Čákanyová once again explores the digital and philosophical layers of existence in Bardo, and the documentary comedy Is It Worth It? by Jan Strejcovský takes us behind the scenes of the Czech and international art market. Industry professionals are invited to meet the filmmakers at the Czech Joy in the Spotlight presentation, which will take place on October 28 from 5 p.m.
Photo still: Is It Worth It? by Jan Strejcovský
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TESTIMONIES FROM ACROSS THE GLOBE
The Testimonies competition presents a selection of fifteen films that capture the current state of the world from diverse perspectives — works that deserve attention for many different reasons. Originating from Argentina, Belgium, the Czech Republic, France, Italy, Latvia, Canada, Congo, Germany, Norway, Paraguay, Peru, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States, these films engage with pressing social, political, and environmental issues.
Photo still: Death of Death by Davis Simanis
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BEST OF FESTIVALS – FORTY-THREE FILMS IN CONSTELLATIONS
The Constellations section, which traditionally presents a selection of the finest films from major international festivals, will feature the Academy Award–nominated Mr. Nobody Against Putin by Danish director David Borenstein, Venice Film Festival winners Below the Clouds by Gianfranco Rosi and Riefenstahl by Andres Veiel, and My Dear Théo by Ukrainian director Alisa Kovalenko, which had its world premiere at CPH:DOX, as well as Fiume o Morte! by Igor Bezinović, awarded at the IFF Rotterdam. Five documentaries nominated for the European Film Awards are also included in this year’s selection. Discover all forty-three brilliant films featured in the Constellations section!
Photo still: Fiume o Morte! by Igor Bezinović
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VIRTUAL REALITY: TRULY EXPERIENCING THE STORY
This year's Virtual Reality competition section will present 11 works. As usual, it will feature the latest and most interesting in immersive documentary storytelling and interactive art. This year's VR projects include works reflecting on ecology, war, mental health, physicality, and self-perception. The Exploding Girl depicts an uncontrollable inner explosion as a mirror of social tension. The powerful documentary VR film Shelter draws the audience into everyday situations from the war in Ukraine. Other titles include the award-winning project The Choice – Chapters 2 & 3 on reproductive rights, and the emotional Fly to You about families divided by the Korean War.
Photo still: The Exploding Girl by Caroline Poggi and Jonathan Vinel
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