KineDok at East Doc Platform 2026: Reaching young audiences and experiencing stories in VR

All events are held in English at the French Institute in Prague and are free of charge.

Where: French Institute in Prague, Cinema 35

When: Thursday, March 19, 19:00-20:00

How can filmmakers, producers, and distributors reach young audiences in today’s changing media landscape? This panel explores distribution strategies for children and young adults from festivals and cinemas to digital platforms, schools, and regional initiatives. Through case studies and international experience, speakers will discuss shifting viewing habits and the partnerships that help content reach the next generation. Featuring Paul Rieth, Magdalena Żelasko, Katharina Bergfeld, and Radka Hoffman.

Magdalena Żelasko 

Magdalena Żelasko, born in the Polish city Krakow, has lived in Vienna for around 30 years. The certified marketing and advertising expert studied Slavic studies as well as journalism and communication science at the University of Vienna, where she completed her doctorate in 2005. She has worked in management for several international companies and as a journalist for various Austrian and Polish media. Before founding the LET’S CEE association and managing the successful festival of the same name from 2012 to 2018, she worked as a lecturer in the Department of Slavic Languages and Literatures at the University of Vienna. Since 2022, she has been implementing the innovative EU-funded film education project EU Youth Cinema: Green Deal, which is now offered in twelve countries.

Katharina Bergfeld

Film producer since 2014, Katharina Bergfeld joined Ma.ja.de. Film in 2023. With Ma.ja.de., she recently produced the Colombian feature UN POETA (2025, Cannes Un Certain Regard Jury Prize) and is currently in production with two international documentaries. Previously, she produced with Flare Film, including CIRCUSBOY (2025, Berlinale Generation, ECFA Award winner), WALCHENSEE FOREVER (2020, Berlinale; German Film Awards nominee), EVERYTHING WILL CHANGE (2021, Zürich; released across Europe and Asia), and ONE IN A MILLION (2022, Sheffield; EFA Young Audience Award nominee). She is a member of the European Film Academy and the German Film Academy, teaches at two German film schools, and is an alumna of Eurodoc, the AV Female Leadership Program, and the EAVE Producers Workshop 2025. 

CIRCUSBOY (2025), directed by Julia Lemke and Anna Koch, marks the third documentary for young audiences following GLITTER & DUST (2020, Anna Koch & Julia Lemke) and ONE IN A MILLION (2021, Joya Thome). The film screened at over 50 festivals worldwide and received several international awards, including the 2026 ECFA Award for Best European Documentary. Across her work, Katharina is driven by a strong commitment to shaping a more diverse, ambitious, and inspiring media landscape for children and young audiences. 

Paul Rieth

Berlin-based Marketing & Crowdfunding consultant, Audience strategist and film producer. Within his consultancies and workshops, he advises companies, organizations and individuals in strategic planning regarding target group, audience(s) and online marketing activities. He regularly lectures, leads panels and gives presentations at universities, festivals and a wide range of organizations. Within Germany, Europe and as far as Nigeria and Uganda. Paul also produces various formats of web-video content such as pitching videos, corporate films, interviews, documentaries and short-clips. A member of the German Documentary Association AG DOK since 2014, and a founding member of the German Crowdfunding Network, where he joined the expert group ‘Crowdfunding & Film’.

Radka Hoffman

Radka Hoffman is Head of Industry & International Relations at the cultural association krutón (BOO International Short Film Festival, Kino Kavalírka, KRUTÓN LAB, Young & Short). She studied Radio and TV Dramaturgy and Scriptwriting at the Janáček Academy of Music and Performing Arts in Brno, where she is currently completing her Ph.D. Her research focuses on contemporary cinema for youth in a European context. She is a board member of the European Children’s Film Association (ECFA) and has collaborated as a scriptwriter with Czech Radio, Radio and Television of Slovakia, Storylab Audio, and CAMP – Center for Architecture and Metropolitan Planning in Prague.

Where: French Institute in Prague, Gallery

When: VR screenings will take place from March 21 to 24. On weekends from 10:00 to 16:00 and on weekdays from 15:00 to 19:30

Step into new worlds and experience stories in virtual reality. VR screenings offer a unique opportunity to immerse yourself in documentary worlds, discover new perspectives, and experience storytelling in an entirely new way. 

21-22 CHINA (dir. Thierry Loa, 25 min, Canada, 2022)

Would we see the world differently if our perspective changed?

21-22 CHINA presents an immersive, meditative journey across the world’s fastest-growing superpower, a land undergoing rapid urbanization, major industrial development, and massive topographical transformations.

Fresh Memories: The Look (dir. Ondřej Moravec, Volodymyr Kolbasa, 10 min, Ukraine, Czechia, 2023)

Can you look into the eyes of those whose lives have been shattered by war?

Fresh Memories: The Look is a short Czech-Ukrainian VR film that transports viewers into the heart of bombed-out Kharkiv, one of the cities most devastated by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Through powerful, direct eye contact, the film shares the emotional stories of local residents affected by the war. Viewers find themselves in ruined apartments, hospitals, and playgrounds, where people silently convey their pain and resilience.