Pavel Koutecký Award
The ELBE DOCK was originally established in 2018 around the Pavel Koutecký Award, which has been awarded since 2007 for the most distinctive Czech documentary film of the past year.
The award is given in two competition categories:
PAVEL KOUTECKÝ AWARD - SHORT FILM
In the short film category, a total of 7 films will be presented this year.
In her short animated essay entitled Doubt, director Adéla Križovenská describes all stages of the creative process through the voices of four different authors from different fields of art.
Olexia Chubun's film Homeward tells the story of a Ukrainian family divided by the Russian invasion but who want to be together for Christmas.
A powerful life story that begins with the sentence "I've actually had a strange relationship with sex all my life..." can be heard in Aneta J.'s film In the Dark.
Another filmmaker is Bao Long Ly with his film In Between. His film looks into a part of identity that is given to most people from birth. Is it really true that as many languages as you know, so many times you are human?
Radek Barták's Trippin' on the Sidewalk offers an unconventional, almost surreal look at something otherwise quite ordinary; walking along the sidewalk to one of Ostrava's train stations can be a real trip for some.
Josef Švejda's Quarry is a documentary based on strong visual poetics. What is it like to miss a loved one?
And last but not least, the true story of a woman who almost lost her life in a violent sexually motivated attack. It reveals the horrors of this event and its emotional aftermath. Natálie Durchánková's Rising Above shows the way to overcome the trauma and, above all, the strength, courage and resilience of the survivors.
PAVEL KOUTECKÝ AWARD - FEATURE-LENGTH DEBUT
In the feature debut category, the jury will decide between 5 films.
The first one is The World According To My Dad. In this film, director Marta Kovářová presents the story of Jiří Svoboda, who never stops believing that certain things make sense to do simply because they are right.
What is the real price Europe is paying for misguided labour migration? What are the fates and motivations of those who carry it out? These questions are likely to be answered after watching the film Limits of Europe, directed by Apolena Rychlíková.
Jan Husek's open documentary Bedwetter replies to the question of whether it is possible to achieve "true masculinity".
Another feature debut is My Paradise Is Darker Than Your Hell, a film by Kateřina Dudová that follows the fate of "fallen angels".
And last but not least, Greta Stocklassa's Blix Not Bombs reminds us that the century we live in is full of wars, political extremes and climate disasters. So why the diplomacy doesn't help?
THE JURY, composed of prominent Czech and foreign artists and personalities of social life, will select the most interesting, innovative film from each competition category.
Barbora Příkaská is a graduate of the Department of Production at FAMU in Prague, producer of animated films and series.
Michal Kučerák is a researcher, lecturer and curator focusing on art mediation and digital projects.
Sara Polak is an anthropologist, artificial intelligence archaeologist and AI popularizer.
Dávid Štumpf combines working for clients with making his own short films, working as a director and mainly as a 2D animator.
Daria Kashcheeva is an independent filmmaker based in Prague and a graduate of FAMU.