“Baltic UXO” and “The Big Chief” received awards on Sunday at Docu Talents From the East during the Sarajevo Film Festival ‘s CineLink Industry Days.

Eight documentaries from Central and Eastern Europe, scheduled for release in theaters over the next 12 months, were highlighted at Docu Talents From the East.

The Lithuanian-German-Latvian co-production “Baltic UXO,” directed by Agnė Dovydaitytė and Alexander Belinski, and produced by Dagnė Vildžiūnaitė, secured the top award, accompanied by a $5,000 prize, in collaboration with Current Time TV.

The film looks at how 1.6 million tons of munitions, including chemical weapons, were dumped into the Baltic Sea and the North Sea after World War II. The film explores the ecological effects on marine life and the coastal landscapes.

The jury praised the project, stating it “appeared highly professional, showcased stunning cinematography, and successfully transformed a hidden secret into a universal story.” They further commented: “We envision the success of the planned impact campaign, connecting the film to current discussions surrounding environmentalism, militarism, and political decisions made without public awareness.”

The DAFilms.com Distribution Award, valued at 3,000 Euros, was presented to “The Big Chief”, a film by Polish director Tomasz Wolski and produced by Anna Gawlita. The award grants the film an international VOD release on DAFilms.com, spanning the Americas, Europe, and Asia, for a period of two years.

The film focuses on Leopold Trepper, a World War II espionage mastermind, who faced a nightmarish struggle in 1970s Poland. Once a war hero, his “Red Orchestra” fame made him a target of the communist authorities. Stripped of his position and under constant surveillance, he desperately sought a travel document but this was denied. The USSR, his former ally, saw him as a burden.

News of his plight reached France. The activities of the committee for Trepper’s release commenced. Author Gilles Perrault urged him to emigrate, but attempts to document his story or pressure Poland were thwarted by the secret police. The French film crew faced confiscation of their footage, and baseless accusations of espionage further complicated matters.

Finally, after a hunger strike and increasing international pressure, Poland relented. Trepper departed, eventually settling in Israel.

The jury stated: “This project may look back to the past, but has the potential of a great modern thriller. It presents us with a character who many will not know, and explores his controversial life through a wealth of archive footage.”

Since 2005, Docu Talents – curated by the Ji.hlava Documentary Film Festival – has been a platform for documentaries by both renowned and emerging directors, such as Laila Pakalniņa, Vladimir Mansky, Bartek Konopka, Piotr Stasik, Peter Kerekes, Dmitrii Kalashnikov and Helena Třeštíková. Films presented had world and international premieres at major film festivals including in Cannes, Berlin, Locarno, Rotterdam and Sundance.

Marek Hovorka, director of Ji.hlava, stated: “Documentarians are pioneers in the world of filmmaking, often being the first to capture and present the most current reflections of our time. This year’s Docu Talents showcase, presenting a selection of the most compelling upcoming films from Central and Eastern Europe, highlights themes that strongly resonate today—mental health, environmental concerns, and the impact of the war in Ukraine on neighboring countries.”

During the awards ceremony, representatives of Ji.hlava announced the Emerging Producers for 2025. This program aims to support the work of European documentary film producers, providing them with various networking, educational, and promotional opportunities throughout the year.

Seventeen European film producers will be joined by a Canadian producer, representing the guest country of the 2025 Emerging Producers program. The program features two workshops – one held in Jihlava in October 2024 and the other during the Berlinale in February 2025.

The Emerging Producers for 2025 are Vahagn Khachatryan (Armenia), Michal Sikora (Czech Republic), Danai Anagnostou (Finland), Elise Hug (France), Michael Kalb (Germany), Loránd Balázs Imre (Hungary),
Zofia Kujawska (Poland), Daniel Pereira (Portugal), Elena Martín (Romania), Danilo Lazovic (Serbia), Monika Loťťáková (Slovakia), Zoran Dževerdanović (Slovenia), Miguel Eek Quesada (Spain), Ashley Smith (Sweden), Irene Muñoz Martin (Switzerland), Luiza Paiva (U.K.), Mariia Ponomarova (Ukraine/Netherlands), and Audrey-Ann Dupuis-Pierre (Canada).