The 9^th edition of European Work in Progress (EWIP) awarded 10 outstanding film projects during a festive ceremony on the evening of September 29^th, 2026. In cooperation with FilmFest Hamburg and MOIN Filmförderung Hamburg Schleswig-Holstein, EWIP for the second time took place as part of FilmFest Hamburg Industry Days.

 

25 film projects were chosen from a record number of more than 270 applications. All participating projects are in the final stages of production and are on their way to shape the future of European cinema. During EWIP, around 300 high-profile colleagues from the European film industry (world sales, distribution, festivals, production, financing and marketing) were given the exclusive first looks into the selected projects and had the opportunity to meet and talk to the filmmakers in person securing valuable deals in an early stage of production.

 

The independent international jury of renowned and highly experienced experts – Christian Bräuer, Managing Director of Yorck Kinogruppe, Germany’s largest arthouse cinema group; Paolo Bertolin, member of Selection Committee Venice International Film Festival and Artistic Director of Whānau Mārama: New Zealand International Film Festival; Rebecca De Pas, renowned and experienced film curator for the International Film Festival Rotterdam; Valeska Neu, responsible for Management & Sales for world sales „Films Boutique“; Iñigo Trojaola, Editorial Manager for Spanish PayTV and VOD platform Movistar+ – selected the award winner from among the 25 international film projects presented and awarded prizes totalling over 100,000 Euros.

 

This year’s EWIP awards were supported by many longstanding partners. EWIP continued the successful partnership with The Post Republic and K13 Studios. The Post Republic pledged its continued support by providing a voucher for post production, color grading and DCP production and the K13 Studios renewed their longstanding contribution for EWIP with two vouchers for a Dolby Atmos Mix and professional dubbing. Furthermore EWIP continued its partnership with „Northern Stars – Hamburg Film Partners“ , consisting of the audio studio Loft Tonstudios, audio specialist Zeigermann_Audio, post production firm Optical Art and costume rental Zeitkostüm GmbH. Post Production company Cine Complete joined EWIP as a new sponsor this year by funding an award. EWIP is furthermore supported by Creative Europe MEDIA.

 

Projects presented at EWIP have gone on to premiere at Cannes, Venice, Berlin, Sundance, San Sebastián, Rotterdam, Toronto, and more – often securing key international sales and distribution deals.

Two of last year’s winners of EWIP were part of the official selection in Cannes this year: ELEPHANTS IN THE FOG by Abinash Bikram Shah, which won „The Post Republic Award“ – a post production support worth 30.000 Euros and I’LL BE GONE IN JUNE by Katharina Rivilis, winner of “Way Film Translation Award“ at EWIP 2025. Both have premiered at „Un Certain Regard“, where ELEPHANTS IN THE FOG won the Jury Prize. Further successful EWIP participants include I SPY WITH MY LITTLE EYE, directed by Alisa Kolosova, as well as ZEJTUNE by Alex Camilleri (EWIP 2024) both of which celebrated their World Premiere at the Tribeca Festival this June. Most recently, two films from the EWIP 2025 selection have also received awards at the Locarno Film Festival: DOWN BY THE RIVER by Enock Carvalho and Matheus Farias, which won the Special Jury Prize in the International Competition, and PARADEISA by Marleen Valien, winner of the Locarno Kids Award la Mobiliare.

 

 

Winners and Jury statements 2026

 

European Work in Progress The Post Republic Award

Voucher worth €30,000 for post-production services

 

FOLK PLAY (NARODNA DRAMA)

Director: Mirjana Karanović / Drama / 100 Minutes / Serbia, France, Luxemburg, Croatia, Slovenia, Montenegro

Production: Snezana van Houwelingen (THIS AND THAT PROD.)

Coproduction: Denis Carot (ELZEVIR FILMS), Ulysse Payet (NOCTUA FILMS), Jani Thiltges (SAMSA FILM), Ida Weiss (BELA FILM D.O.O.), Ankica Jurić Tilić (KINORAMA), Marija Perović (KINO D.O.O)

 

FOLK PLAY is a contemporary love story about a young woman breaking free from the life chosen for her. In a small town bound by tradition, dutiful Anka is set to marry the man everyone expects her to, until Branka, a flamboyant folk singer from Belgrade, awakens in her a desire for love, freedom and a life of her own.

 

Jury statement: An intimate depiction of the awakening of a young woman through an unexpected and revelatory meeting, this project plays with tropes in the representation of female characters, subverting them through affectionate sincerity.

 

 

European Work in Progress K13 Studios Award

Voucher worth €10,000 for Dolby Atmos mixing

 

EKA

Director: Suman Sen / Drama / 90 Minutes / India, Australia, France

Production: Maud d’Amade (ZORBA PRODUCTION)

Coproduction: Alan McAlex (SUITABLE PICTURES), Emmanuel Pappas, Manjari Makijany (ASIA PACIFIC PICTURES)

 

In a decaying Kolkata, a disillusioned middle-aged man, haunted by past guilt and a lifetime of broken promises, reaches his breaking point. His personal rebellion unexpectedly becomes the spark for a worldwide movement.

 

Jury statement: Set on the backdrop of a chaotic and careless metropolis, this closely observed character study is bound to develop into a potent and timely political statement. Through subdued direction and a heartfelt lead performance, this project hails a promising debut feature.

 

 

European Work in Progress K13 Studios Award

Voucher worth €5,000 for dubbing

 

KARMIC KNOT

Director: Signe Baumane / Animated, Black Comedy, Epic Family Drama / 100 Minutes / Latvia, Germany

Production: Dominiks Jarmakovičs (STUDIO LOCOMOTIVE), Fabian Driehorst (FABIAN&FRED)

 

While her impoverished family builds a secret rose empire in Soviet Latvia, Ragne struggles to find her own voice. When the USSR collapses, the beautiful flowers become the seeds of the family’s downfall.

 

Jury statement: A touching family saga, caught in a pivotal historical moment, narrated with humour and empathy.

 

 

European Work in Progress Loft Tonstudios Award

Voucher worth € 10.000 for sound post-production services

 

SPROSS

Director: Friederike Güssefeld / Drama / 100 Minutes / Germany

Production: Anton Kaiser (SCHRAMM FILM KOERNER WEBER KAISER)

 

11-year-old Orlando falls in love with his new classmate, Freya. The two roam through nature and their village, and everything could go on like this forever. But Freya comes from a family of völkisch settlers, and eventually, the adult world threatens to collapse over the children’s heads.

 

Jury statement: In a time of polarization of societies, we see two kids becoming friends and overcome the fear of others easily. An urgent topic told in an atmospheric way.

 

 

European Work in Progress Optical Arts Award

Voucher worth € 10.000 for color grading.

 

LA UNIÓN

Director: Cordelia Alegre / Drama / 90 Minutes / Spain, Colombia

Production: Àngels Masclans (DOS SOLES MEDIA SL), Roger Torras (DESARROLLOS MEDIÁTICOS INTERNACIONALES SL / WKND), Federico Duran (EL SOL ERMITAÑO SAS), Jaime Guerrero (RARA CINE SAS)

 

Two 19-year-old twin sisters, born in Colombia and raised in Barcelona, travel to their country of birth to spend Christmas with their paternal family. As Cecilia delves into their father’s past and Juliana struggles to understand her own present, their discoveries gradually drive them apart. Only together can they piece together their family’s story.

 

Jury statement: We valued its cinematical approach to the complex construction of family memories.

 

 

European Work in Progress Zeigermann_Audio Award

Voucher worth € 10.000 for sound on set or audio post-production

 

WITCH (ZHALMAYUZ)

Director: Adilkhan Yerzhanov / Post Horror / 110 Minutes / Kazakhstan, France

Production: Aigerim Abaykhanqyzy, Olga Khlasheva (SIRIUS PRODUCTION)

Coproduction: Gullaume de Seille (ARIZONA FILMS)

 

A crime against women has been committed in a rural village. Imam Abbas wants to protect them. However, according to Sharia, women cannot act as witnesses. Imam will have to go against the law.

 

Jury statement: For a film that uses genre tropes in an extravagant and bold visual style to reason on folklore, human relations and patriarchal oppresion.

 

 

European Work in Progress Gruvi Award

Voucher worth € 5,000 to be spent on marketing ad technology, including audience analysis, landing page design, and a GDS report

 

PANNA SOPHIA / COMENIUS (PANNA SOFIA)

Director: Václav Kadrnka / Drama, Historical / 100 Minutes / Czech Republic, Slovakia, Turkey, The Netherlands

Production: Simona Kadrnková, Václav Kadrnka (SIRIUS FILMS S.R.O.), Katarína Krnáčová (SILVERART S.R.O.)

Coproduction: Burak Çevik (FOL FILMS), Minco Eggersman (RINA FILM)

 

Winter 1627. Hunted for his non-Catholic faith, the young pastor hides with his family in the mountains. When he is called to a sick girl who claims to have visions, her images begin to unsettle the world around him and guide him through a time of fear, oppression and spiritual crisis. Based on a true story from the life of Jan Amos Comenius.

 

Jury statement: An ambitious project that reflects on the eternal yet contemporary dynamic between faith and reason in an exquisite cinematic way.

 

 

European Work in Progress Way Film Translation Award

Voucher worth € 5,000 for subtitling

 

A HOUSE ON THE WAVES (KHANEI BAR AMVAJ)

Director: Lily Mousavi / Drama, Thriller / 120 Minutes / Iran, France

Production: Gholamreza Mousavi (FILMSAZAN JAVAN)

Coproduction: Florian Môle (LES GRANDS ESPACES)

 

After years abroad, Raha returns to Iran when her mother, who has Alzheimer’s, is hospitalized and Arezou, the young woman who cared for her, suddenly disappears. As Raha searches for her, she uncovers a decades-old family secret that reveals a cycle of violence against women echoing across generations.

 

Jury statement: A gripping family drama set in Iran after the Woman, Life, Freedom movement, which through a story of fading memory and buried crimes intimately reveals how patriarchal violence shapes women’s lives across generations.

 

 

European Work in Progress Zeitkostüm Award

Voucher worth € 2.500 for costumes

 

DON’T BE A STRANGER

Director: Robert Thalheim / Neo-Western / 90 Minutes / Germany

Production: Andreas Banz, Matthias Miegel, Robert Thalheim, Jasmin Saunders (KUNDSCHAFTER FILMPRODUKTION GMBH)

 

Deep in Germany’s Black Forest, a cowboy-fan cattle rancher „Fränk“s struggle of saving his farm takes an unexpected turn when the rugged Texan ranch hand he’s expecting is replaced by a seventeen-year-old skater from New York City. Their unlikely encounter brings two very different visions of life into collision, challenging both men to see each other and themselves anew.

 

Jury statement: A neo-western that confidently reworks the codes of the genre, turning a clash between two worlds into a warm, contemporary story about belonging.

 

 

European Work in Progress Cine Complete Postproduction Award

Voucher worth € 15.000 for post-production services

 

MOTHER OF SUGAR (MARE DE SUCRE)

Director: Clàudia Cedó / Drama / 100 Minutes / Spain

Production: Ariadna Dot (DELIRIS FILMS), Rafa Molés (SUICA FILMS), Tono Folguera (LASTOR MEDIA)

 

María is 35 years old and has a 65% intellectual disability and a lifelong, deeply held desire to become a mother, a dream she has never dared to voice. When those around her question her right to motherhood, Maria decides to reclaim control over her body and future and stop asking for permission.

 

Jury statement: A sensitively observed look into a relevant topic, served by complex writing and excellent acting.