The 21st edition of Docu Talents from the East will take place on 17 August at the Sarajevo Film Festival, spotlighting seven documentary projects currently in post-production. Selected by the Ji.hlava International Documentary Film Festival, representing the cutting edge of non-fiction cinema from Central and Eastern Europe.
Since its founding in 2005, Docu Talents has become a crucial launchpad for emerging talent, attracting the attention of festival programmers, distributors, buyers, and international media. The 2025 edition continues this tradition, with projects presented by their directors and producers during the Cinelink Industry Days and is open to all accredited industry guests.
An award ceremony, presented in partnership with Avanpost and DAFilms.com, will follow on Monday, 18 August.
Selected Projects
- A Song Without Home
This immersive journey follows a young trans woman seeking freedom in Europe and her mother facing estrangement in Georgia, bound by love, longing, and the search for self-liberation across divided worlds.
Director: Rati Tsiteladze
Producer: Olga Slusareva
Country: Georgia - Flying Cows
In the chaos of war, a cow gives birth to a calf. As villagers pack their belongings and flee their homes, the calf is sold to cattle traders and begins a journey from Armenia to Iraqi Kurdistan.
Directors: Vahagn Khachatryan, Aren Malakyan
Producers: Vahagn Khachatryan, Irene Muñoz Martin
Countries: Armenia, Switzerland - I Am One of Them
A Syrian filmmaker and a Polish nationalist cross paths, beginning a complex journey of friendship, self-discovery, and the struggle to bridge their differences.
Director: Nadim Suleiman
Producer: Kasia Kuczyńska
Countries: Poland, Saudi Arabia - Land of Fire
In the wilderness of British Columbia, a grieving father’s quest for justice for his murdered daughter interweaves with local rituals of healing and demolition derby races.
Director: Nikola Klinger
Producers: Kristina Husová, Jan Wilde, Taghreed Saadeh
Countries: Czech Republic, Germany, Canada - Monument of Revolution
The Monument of the Uprising of the Peoples of Banija and Kordun is one of the most significant monuments ever built in this region. Filming both casual and intentional visitors throughout the seasons, this film shows its gradual decay, which, in a metaphorical sense, means more than just the disappearance of a single monument.
Director: Mladen Ivanović
Producer: Tamara Puizina
Country: Croatia - Shut the Fuck Up!
When a 16-year-old activist from a village near Kyiv exposes local corruption on Facebook, he triggers a storm of threats and violence. As he runs for office under pressure, he must also confront a deeper personal struggle — in a country at war and a community that seems not ready for change.
Director: Taisiia Kutuzova
Producer: Alona Savchuk
Country: Ukraine - Strange Sea
In the depths of the Caspian Sea the whispers of its dark past intertwine with the tales of ordinary life. Through a personal journey, ‘Strange Sea’ paints an impressionistic portrait of Azerbaijan.
Director: Lala Aliyeva
Producer: Aysel Akhundova
Countries: Azerbaijan, Georgia
