14 Oct Announcing New Collaboration with Ji.hlava International Documentary Film Festival
We are thrilled to announce our exciting new collaboration with the Ji.hlava International Documentary Film Festival where we are supporting the participation of three talented filmmakers from the Caucasus regions.
One of the selected filmmakers, Anzhela Frangyan, will present her project at the prestigious Ji.hlava New Visions Forum. Meanwhile, the other two filmmakers, Nurlan Hasanli and Atanur Nabiyeva (Azerbaijan) will have their projects showcased at the Ji.hlava New Visions Market, where they will engage in matchmaking and further develop their works.
All of their projects are available to over 1,000 industry professionals attending the festival, providing a fantastic opportunity for networking and collaboration. For more information, visit: Ji.hlava Projects.
The three filmmakers to receive support to participate are below, along with a description and synopsis of their projects.
Anzhela Frangyan (Armenia)
Homemade Mulberry Vodka
Length: 80 min
Completion date: November 2026
Logline: The moving story of a woman in war an exceptional document on the disappearance of Nagorno-Karabakh. With a strong personal voice, director Anzhela Frangyan chronicles a community on the verge of collapse.
Synopsis: Nagorno-Karabakh, the contested territory between Armenia and Azerbaijan, is the home of director Anzhela’s most vivid childhood memories. It’s also a place where she ends up during a war that leaves Anzhela with lasting trauma. All she can think of is to go back and reconnect to her childhood joy, stirred up by the dream of Mulberry trees.
Nurlan Hasanli (Azerbaijan)
The Amateur Photographer’s Family Portrait
Length: 80 min
Completion date: November 2026
Logline: While a filmmaker, whose script was shot without notice and ruined by the Ministry of Culture in Azerbaijan, seeks creative revenge by uniting his family to remake the film.
Synopsis: Azerbaijani filmmaker Nurlan (32) sets out to bring his script, shot without notice and ruined by the Ministry of Culture, to life with his family as an act of creative revenge. As the family members become aware of his situation, they eagerly join the project to assist their beloved one. As Nurlan starts pre-production, his family members’ own needs and hopes make this process difficult. The grandfather cares for his Alzheimer-stricken wife until her death and, besides this, his mission is to buy a place for a family grave.
Atanur Nabiyeva (Azerbaijan)
Echoes of Avey
Length: 80 min
Completion date: September 2027
Logline: At the base of Avey Mountain in Azerbaijan, the fates of women and their land are deeply connected under patriarchal and industrial pressures.
Synopsis: Azerbaijani filmmaker Atanur Nabiyeva returns to Avey Mountain – her childhood home, after 17 years abroad. Over the years, she felt increasingly out of place, struggling to find where she truly belonged. But upon her return, she finds it is not the same mountain she remembers. Accompanied by her grandmother who has never left the village, Atanur starts to uncover traces of the past in the abandoned landscape. Despite their different lives and experiences, their interactions bring painful family stories to the surface.
About Ji.hlava International Documentary Film Festival
The Ji.hlava International Documentary Film Festival is a key European documentary event, the co-founding member of Doc Alliance network, and the largest event of its kind in Central and Eastern Europe. The festival retains a distinctive and progressive programming approach and has built a rich Industry section, featuring projects such as EMERGING PRODUCERS, Ji.hlava New Visions Forum and Market, Festival Identity, Ji.hlava Academy, and Inspiration Forum. The festival is famous for its informal atmosphere, discussion character, and full screening venues. The Ji.hlava IDFF will celebrate its 28th edition this year between October 25–November 3, in the Czech Republic.
Find out more by visiting the website.