Local and international filmmakers wrap up a week of training focused on distribution

Prominent figures such as Sergio Fant, Dimitra Kouzi, Marek Hovorka, Paolo Benzi, and Irena Taskovski took part in the program.

Over the past week, ten Balearic documentary filmmakers have participated in a prestigious international training event. Thanks to the collaboration between the ICIB (Institut d’Indústries Culturals de les Illes Balears) and the Ji. hlava International Documentary Film Festival (IDFF), these creators joined the select group of European filmmakers chosen for the Emerging Producers 2025 program. This European initiative—driven by the Czech festival—held its third and final session in Palma, focusing this time on film distribution and featuring insights from numerous industry experts.

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Palma Concludes the European Program for Emerging Documentary Filmmakers

Among those who contributed to the program in Mallorca’s capital were renowned professionals such as Sergio Fant, with an extensive background in major international festivals; Dimitra Kouzi, a specialist in communication strategies and audience development; and Marek Hovorka, director and head of the Ji.hlava IDFF. Also leading the training sessions were the program’s two main tutors, Paolo Benzi and Irena Taskovski, both experts in documentary film production and distribution. Diana de la Cuadra, managing director of the ICIB, also gave a session that introduced the institute’s funding opportunities and discussed the various options for audiovisual co-productions with the Balearic Islands.

This Friday, nearly thirty participants presented their group projects centered on film distribution. This hands-on exercise not only fostered professional collaborations between local and international producers but also marked the conclusion of an intensive week of emerging cinema. The program closed with a celebratory event to officially end the session.

“Training programs like this are a great opportunity to internationalize regional documentary filmmaking,” noted de la Cuadra. Echoing her words, the filmmakers from the archipelago emphasized both the potential for building a network of professional alliances and the importance of such initiatives for the future of Balearic film production.