The Kratom Collectors: A documentary by SU and TBU students wins the Audience Award at the AFO festival
31. July 2025A film that openly and objectively explores the substance on the borderline between medicine and drugs. The documentary film Kratom Collectors, co-produced by students of the Silesian University in Opava and students of the Audiovisual Arts Studio at the Faculty of Multimedia Communications TBU, caught the attention of both the expert jury and the public. In addition to its world premiere at the Academia Film Olomouc (AFO) festival, where it won the Audience Award, the film has been screened throughout the Czech Republic and is currently heading for television and school distribution.
A film about a controversial substance
The Kratom Collectors looks at a substance that’s been the subject of a lot of debate in the Czech Republic – kratom. Until 2025, it was legally sold as a “collector’s item” and was freely available in vending machines without any age restrictions. The film not only explains the chemical nature of this substance, but above all its impact on human lives, whether positive or with serious consequences. “Kratom is a substance with psychomodulatory effects that has been sold in our country for years as a collector’s item. Anyone could buy it from vending machines or on the internet without age restrictions. Because of this, kratom came under the spotlight of the Czech media and became a controversial social issue. However, the information spread in the media is often one-sided or misleading. We therefore tried to look at the issue of kratom comprehensively – from all possible perspectives,” explains the film’s director, Libor Cinegr.
“The film takes viewers to Indonesia, where the Mitragyna Speciosa plant, from whose leaves the popular green powder is produced, is grown. It focuses on the processing of kratom and its effects, and also draws attention to the stories of people whose lives have been changed, either positively or negatively, by kratom,” explains Monika Horsáková, head of the Department of Film, Television, and Radio Production at Silesian University, who is the dramaturge and one of the film’s executive producers. “When used correctly, kratom can serve as a medicine, but unfortunately it is also an easily abused and highly addictive drug. So we tried to find out where the line between drug and medicine lies,” adds Cinegr.
FMC students’ contribution to film production
Two students from the Audiovisual Arts Studio at FMC TBU also made significant contributions to the film. Danuše Hladíková not only edited the final version of the film, but also contributed to the screenplay. “The editing post-production took place primarily in the editing rooms of the Image Post-Production Center at our faculty, and it took seven months to edit the film into its final form. We worked closely with director Libor Cinegr on the script, and I found the feedback from my teachers, comments from editing presentations, and collaboration with dramaturge Monika Horsáková very valuable. I consider the film to be the first step in raising awareness about this substance and sparking discussion. These discussions challenge the idea that kratom is on the same level as green tea or, conversely, hard drugs,” explains Hladíková.
Leona Vyhnálková, last year’s graduate of the Audiovisual Arts Studio at FMC, who was responsible for the final sound composition of the film, also played a significant role in the final form of the film. “When I was deciding whether to join the project, I was immediately drawn to the film not only by its content, which now resonates strongly with society, but also by the director’s enthusiasm. Since its premiere in April, there have been more than 15 screenings throughout the Czech Republic, and each time the theater was almost full. Personally, I am proud to have been part of something so big, and I wish the film much more success. Hopefully, this includes the promised mandatory screenings in schools, cooperation with Czech Television, and a sequel.
Success at Academia Film Olomouc and plans for the future
The film had its world premiere in April 2025 at the 60th Academia Film Olomouc festival, where it was presented in the Czechoslovak competition and won the Audience Award. Three screenings took place during the festival, all with full theaters. “People stood in a long line in front of the screening room, even though it was at full capacity,” recalls Hladíková. The film was produced by students from two departments at Silesian University in Opava – Multimedia Technology and the Department of Film, Television, and Radio Production. Director Libor Cinegr and cameraman Ondřej Wepper graduated with their bachelor’s degrees in 2024 with The Kratom Collectors.
Education as the main goal
“I think it’s very positive that a public university has opened up what may be a controversial but socially very important topic. I am convinced that this is one of the roles of universities,” says Monika Horsáková, adding: “We consider public education to be one of the most important things. We believe that our film could contribute significantly to this.” The film is 50 minutes long and is now awaiting distribution. The filmmakers want to offer it to schools, cinemas, and television stations. The collaboration between FMC TBU and Silesian University was not only professionally beneficial but also personally enriching. As Hladíková adds, “I am very happy that I was able to participate in a project that deals with such an important and current topic. We are currently preparing the sequel.”
In the group photo, from left: Leona Vyhnálková – sound mixing, Danuše Hladíková – editing, Martin Kuchař – toxicologist, Libor Cinegr – director, Ondřej Wepper – cameraman, Petr Holzhauser – chemist