Ji.hlava Documentary Film Festival has revealed to Variety the projects that the participants of its 2026 Emerging Producers program are working on. The producers were asked to deliver an elevator pitch for their projects. Since 2010, the festival has selected 18 up-and-coming documentary producers — 17 from Europe and one from outside the continent (Japan is the 2026 guest country) — offering them educational, networking and promotional opportunities.
The Emerging Producers portal has become a valuable resource for documentary filmmakers seeking co-producers, featuring over 250 profiles of alumni from the program. Here are the pitches from the 2026 lineup: Title: Glorious UtopiaProducers: Tomáš Gič, Katarína Krnáčová/Silverart (Slovakia)Director: Marek MoučkaGenre: DocumentarySynopsis: “Glorious Utopia” observes the citizens and kings of the unofficial microstate Elgeland-Vargaland. Through the story of two aging kings and their encounters with real social events, the film explores topics of identity, power, and the meaning of borders in current world.Pitch: Every utopia eventually meets reality.
The fictional microstate Elgaland-Vargaland begins as an artistic game but evolves into a powerful lens on borders and identity. As global tensions continue to reshape our world, the story became strikingly timely, with the potential to resonate at international festivals as well as wider audiences. Title: MadamProducers: Pavla Klimešová & Eva Rejč/Helium Film (Czech Republic)Director: Barbora ChalupováGenre: Intimate dramaSynopsis: As dominatrix Madam Chimera, Nela is untouchable; off duty she’s a regular single 35 year old longing for love and acceptance.
When two men – a potential partner and a manipulative client – enter her life, Nela has to confront her family history all while trying to decide whether to freeze her eggs.Pitch: Inspired by true events, Madam blends dark humor with emotional realism to tell a deeply human story set in the rarely explored world of professional domination. Offering a fresh female perspective on sex work, it explores love, autonomy, fertility, belonging and the search for genuine human connection. Title: Story of the Painter Who Created a PhotographerProducers: Julie Meigniez, Vincent Gazaigne/Talweg (France); Michaela Jeleneková/Arytmia (Slovakia)Director: Christian PaigneauGenre: DocumentarySynopsis: Amid the turmoil of World War II, painter Ester Šimerová and lawyer Martin Martinček endured profound personal loss.
After the war, Martinček became a photographer under Šimerová’s influence. The film explores artistic inspiration, the bond between two creators, and whether art can help heal the wounds of grief.Pitch: Built from personal correspondence, archival footage, and careful fictionalization, the film brings two lesser-known artists to international audiences. Their rare artistic bond offers an intimate perspective on defining events of 20th-century Europe and Czechoslovakia, creating a hybrid documentary with broad cultural, historical and emotional appeal.
Title: See What I Say!Producer: Ringailė Leščinskienė/Zero Copy Reel (Lithuania)Director: Artūras JevdokimovasGenre: Creative observational documentarySynopsis: What if connection began where words failed? In Bologna, Vilnius and Kyiv, deaf bartenders run the bar, and hearing visitors must adapt to order, connect and be understood. Misunderstandings, laughter and moments of fragile intimacy create a cinematic exploration of communication beyond words.Pitch: “See What I Say!” is co-authored by deaf collaborators who shape its frame, sound and rhythm — not merely consulted, but creating.
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