Hovorka noted the predominance of local projects, telling FNE, “Czech and Slovak production is very strong. Three of the films presented are Slovak productions or coproductions and eight of the films have Czech participation.

“I’m also happy with the richness and diversity of the films,” Hovorka said, adding that they were “strong and personal” as well as dealing with history. “It’s not about talking heads,” Hovorka said.

One of the most intriguing curiosities is Estonian director Jaak Kilmi’s comedic take on the world’s largest and oldest religious commune, Jesus Lives in Siberia. The full-length film is slated for a January 2014 release. The film is produced by Margus Ounapuu for Film Tower (www.filmtower.com).

Polish director Michal Wnuk mixes European history and personal history in AGFA 1939, which unveils the mystery hidden within a box of WWII era home movies. The film, scheduled to be released in May 2014, is produced by Magdalena Kaminska for Balabusta (www.balabusta.pl).

Hungary was represented by Tibor Kocsis’s political look at the fate of the oldest village in Romania, the 2,000 year old Rosia Montana, which happens to sit on a goldmine, when a Canadian company decides to demolish the community along with four mountains. The film, produced by Kocsis through Flora Film International (www.florafilm.hu) is preparing for a November 2013 release

The presenters were a mix of established names in documentary filmmaking including Jan Gogola and Peter Kerekes (working together on Excursions for release in June 2014) and Filip Remunda (coproducing and codirecting Jazz Wars with Robert Kirchhoff), and student or debuting directors.

A complete list of the projects is available at www.dokument-festival.com/industry/docu-talents-from-the-east.