Belgian Magic Realism Film '6TM' Wins Top Ji.hlava Industry Prize
The project secured 20,000 euros in post-production support, while a documentary about early 2000s chatbots received the U.S. category award.
By Nadia Singh ·
Two documentary projects secured major industry funding and recognition at the Ji.hlava Documentary Film Festival on Friday. The Belgian feature '6TM' took home the New Visions Award for the most promising European project. The U.S.-Canadian documentary 'Searching for SmarterChild' claimed the corresponding prize for North American work.
'6TM' is directed by Karim Akalay and produced by Walid Bekhti. The film is structured as a three-chapter family comedy set in the Cité Modèle, the largest housing project in Brussels. The narrative follows a scorching summer where three parallel stories unfold within a single family. Two children pursue a magic lamp to save a wheelchair-using friend from eviction caused by broken elevators. A teenage girl assembles a team of misfits for a soccer tournament. A mother organizes neighbors to investigate the theft of rain.
The jury praised the film for blending magical realism with social relevance. They noted that the project challenges conventional representations and offers new possibilities for inclusive storytelling. The award came with an in-kind grant from UPP worth approximately 15,000 euros for visual post-production. Soundaquare also contributed sound mixing and a final sound master valued at about 5,000 euros.
The jury for the European category included Katrine Kiilgaard, managing director of CPH:DOX in Denmark; Anda Ionescu, managing partner at Tangaj Production in Romania; and Robert Y. Chang, co-producer of American Documentary at POV in the United States.
'Searching for SmarterChild' is directed by Lindsey Sitz and Zan Gillies. Produced by Erin Williams-Weir, the film examines the 2003 creation of SmarterChild, one of the first online chatbots. The documentary revisits conversations with the bot to explore human nature and accountability as artificial intelligence becomes more embedded in daily life. The filmmakers describe the chatbot as a sounding board for a generation that confided in, insulted, and propositioned it.
The New Visions Award for the most promising U.S. project was presented in partnership with AmDocs. The winning team received 7,000 dollars in cash.
The festival also presented the APA World Excellence Award to Danish producer Signe Byrge Sørensen. The honor recognizes her contributions to international film production and world cinema.
