Projects 2019

28 feature-length film projects had been selected to present first scenes to the attending group of international buyers, distributors, festival programmers, financiers as well as other key decision makers and experts to give them an ahead of the game look and to find complementary partners in their final stage of production.

The international jury consisting of Lili Hinstin, Artistic Director Locarno Film Festival, Margrit Stärk, Director of Acquisitions Feature Films at ZDF Enterprises, Sabina Kodra, co-founder of the Albanian film production company ERAFILM as well as Yohann Comte, Sales Agent and co-founder of the world sales agency Charades in France, has acknowledged the winners with prizes worth around 45.000 EUR including post-production services as well as international festival publicity. Award Sponsors are ARRI Media, K13-Studios, Eclair, LAVAlabs Moving Images and ZOOM Medienfabrik.

The award winners & jury statements of European Work in Progress Cologne 2019:

EWIP ARRI Media Award: € 10.000 for colour grading services
MEMORY HOUSE (Brazil, France/Bossa Nova Filmes, Maneki Films) by João Paulo Miranda Maria
Cristovam, a native from the Brazilian hinterland, works in a former Austrian colony in Brazil. Lonely and ostracized, he discovers an abandoned house, where he takes refuge to the point of losing his sanity and committing murder.

Jury: “This promising first-time director shows a strong visual creativity, rich imagination and sensitivity in approaching the political situation of his country through a main character representing the major issue of minorities today.”

EWIP K13-Studios Award: € 10.000 for soundmixing
GRACE (Poland/ Polished Productions) by Mizutani Eri
Chigonomai, the chosen ones, are young girls practicing the sacred dance to calm Mount Fuji and explore the core of Japanese tradition. Meanwhile, their teacher Keiko not only strives to find her successor but also seeks to answer the questions about what tradition truly means today and what the role of women in the Kawaguchiko society is.

Jury: “For staging the huge gap between tradition and present of its culture, for its very sincere way of showing authentic and fascinating character through a very cinemathographic point of view, we give the K13 Studios Award to GRACE.”

EWIP Eclair Award: 2 x € 2.000 for the subtitling of a movie in two languages
NIGHT OF FIRE (Mexico, Germany/Pimienta Films, Match Factory Productions) by Tatiana Huezo
Life in a town at war seen through the eyes of three young girls on the path to adolescence.

Jury: “To support the festival journey of the third feature film of the most talented director nowadays who demonstrated with this new project an outstanding directing style we give the Eclair Award to NIGHT OF FIRE.”

EWIP LAVAlabs Moving Images Award: € 10.000 for visual effects TAILOR (Greece, Germany, Belgium/ Argonauts Productions, Elemag Pictures, Made in Germany, IOTA Production) by Sonia Liza Kenterman
Α coming-of-old-age story of a dreamy tailor on the brink of ruin. With a wondrously strange tailor shop on wheels he reinvents his life and changes the brides of Athens.

Jury: “For having found a way of talking about one of the most serious economical crises in Europe with a great sense of humour and poetry that will make it travel worldwide, we give the LAVAlabs Moving Images Award to TAILOR.”

EWIP ZOOM Medienfabrik Award: € 7.500 for international festival public relations
THE WHALER BOY (Russia, Poland, Belgium/ Rock Films, Man’s Films Productions, Orka Studio Produkcyjne) by Philipp Yuryev
Everything changes for the 15-year-old hunter Leshka when he becomes spellbound by a stunning girl “from the computer”. The protagonist’s crush on such a faraway image, the fair stranger’s blurred silhouette, prompts him to the most audacious act in his life – to set on a dangerous journey across the rough waters of the Bering Strait towards the world unknown in order to find his love.
and
NAKED ANIMALS (WT) (Germany/CZAR FILM) by Melanie Waelde
Five young friends try to cope with their everyday lives and to hold on to their self-created little family. But nothing is forever.

Jury: “For two promising first films that equally deserve to be rewarded, the ZOOM Medienfabrik Award will be shared between NAKED ANIMALS and THE WHALE HUNTER.”

EWIP 2019 included the following 28 selected projects:

A BLACK JESUS, Germany/Italy Genre: Documentary, Directors: Luca Lucchesi & Hella Wenders, Writers: Luca Lucchesi & Hella Wenders, Producer: Wim Wenders (Road Movies), Co-Producers: Dugong Films (Marco Alessi) and NDR

BLAST, France Genre: Thriller, Director: Vanya Peirani-Vignes, Writer: Vanya Peirani-Vignes, Producer: Loïc Magneron (WIDE)

BORGA, Germany/Ghana Genre: Drama, Director: York-Fabian Raabe, Writer: York-Fabian Raabe & Toks Körner, Producer: Alexander Wadouh (Chromosom Film GmbH), Elaine & Tommy Niessner (East End Film GmbH), Executive Producers: Danny Damah, Tony Tagoe, Holly Gilliam (Deal Real Productions)

CITY ON THE RIVER, Latvia/Lithuania/Czech Republic Genre: Tragicomedy, Director: Viesturs Kairišs, Writer: Viesturs Kairišs, Producer: Guntis Trekteris (Ego Media), Co-Producers: Julietta Sichel (8Heads Productions), Kestutis Drazdauskas (Artbox), Peter Ragaus

EMILY, Albania Genre: Drama, Director: Ajola Daja, Writer: Ajola Daja, Producers: Ajola Daja, Rezar Gjoka, A.R.Production), Co-Producers: Edmond Topi (MMS Nositi), Arta Dobroshi

GAMES PEOPLE PLAY, Finland Genre: Comedy, Drama, Director: Jenni Toivoniemi, Writer: Jenni Toivoniemi, Producers: Elli Toivoniemi & Venla Hellstedt (Tuffi Films)

GATE TO HEAVEN, Armenia/France/German/Lithuania Genre: Drama, Director: Jivan Avetisyan, Writer: Artavazd Yeghiazaryan, Producer: Kęstutis Drazdauskas (ARTBOX Production House), Co-Producer: Marco Gilles (7 Morgen Filmproduktion)

GRACE, Poland/Finland Genre: Documentary, Director: Mizutani Eri, Writer: Mizutani Eri, Producer: Anna Fam (Polished Productions), Co-Producers: Finnish Television Yle (LOI), Niklas Kullstrom, Hillstream Pictures (LOI)

HEAVENS ABOVE, Serbia/Germany/Croatia/Macedonia/Slovenia Genre: Dark Comedy, Director: Srdjan Dragojevic, Writer: Srdjan Dragojevic, Producer: Heino Deckert, (Ma.ja.de. Fiction), Co-Producers: Biljana Prvanovic (Delirium d.o.o), Angela Nestorovska & Vladimir Anastasov (Sektor Film), Darija Kulenovic Gudan (Hommage Zagreb Production), Eva Rohrman (Forum)

IGUANA TOKYO, Germany/Japan/Turkey Genre: Science-Fiction, Director: Kaan Müjdeci, Writer: Kaan Müjdeci, Producers: Kaan Müjdeci, Ryôhei Tsutsui, Co-Producer: Kanat Doğramacı (Coloured Giraffes)

IN THE SHADE OF THE TREES, Chile/Germany/France/Argentina/Colombia Genre: Drama, Director: Matías Rojas Valencia, Writer: Matías Rojas Valencia, Producer: Giancarlo Nasi (Audiovisual Don Qujote Films), Co-Producers: Titus Kreyenberg & Linus Günther (Klinkerfilm Production), Denis Vaslin (Mandra Films), Ivan Granovski (Autocroma), Jorge Botero (Septima Films)

JESUS EGON CHRIST, Germany Genre: Hybrid, Director: David & Saša Vajda, Writers: David & Saša Vajda, Producers: David Vajda (vajda film)

MEMORY HOUSE, Brazil/France Genre: Drama, Director: João Paulo Miranda Maria, Writer: João Paulo Miranda Maria, Producer: Paula Cosenza (Bossa Nova Filmes), Co-Producer: Didar Domehri (Maneki Films)

NAKED ANIMALS, Germany Genre: Coming of Age, Director: Melanie Waelde, Writer: Melanie Waelde, Producer: Anja Wedell (Czar Film), Executive Producers: Thorne Mutert, Jan Fincke

NOCHE DE FUEGO, Mexico/Germany Genre: Drama, Director: Tatiana Huezo, Writer: Tatiana Huezo, Producers: Nicolás Celis & Jim Stark (Pimienta Films), Co-Producers: Michael Weber & Viola Fügen (Match Factory Productions)

PORTRAIT OF A WHITE WOMAN WITH GREY HAIR AND WRINKLES, Spain Genre: Drama, Director: Iván Ruiz Flores, Writer: Iván Ruiz Flores, Ana González Gutiérrez, Producer: Carlo D’Ursi (Potenza Producciones), Co-Producers: David P. Sañudo, Agustín Delgado Bulnes, Elena Maeso (Amania films)

SIMPLE THINGS, Poland Genre: Drama, Director: Grzegorz Zariczny, Writer: Grzegorz Zariczny, Producers: Magdalena Sztorc, Przemysław Miękinia (Before My Eyes), Co-producers: Wojciech Suleżycki, Marek Śledziewski (Cinelitera)

TAILOR, Greece/Germany/Belgium Genre: Drama, Director: Sonia Liza Kenterman, Writer: Sonia Liza Kenterman, Tracy Sunderland,Producer: Ioanna Bolomyti (Argonauts Productions), Co-Producers: Tanja Georgieva (Elemag Pictures), Melanie Andernach (Made in Germany), Isabelle Truc (IOTA Production)

TALIA’S JOURNEY, Belgium/Senegal/Luxembourg Genre: Inspirational road movie, Director: Christophe Rolin, Writers: Christophe Rolin, Marc Recchia, Producer: Monique Marnette (ADV Productions), Co-Producers: Rhady Sissoko (Sunuy Films), Adolph El Assal (Wady Films)

THE DIARIES OF ADAM AND EVE, Germany/Argentina Genre: Fantasy, Romance, Director: Franz Müller, Writers: Franz Müller, Mark Twain, Producers: Eva-Maria Weerts, Franz Müller (Mizzi Stock Entertainment)

THE JUDGEMENT, The Netherlands Genre: investigative thriller, Director: Sander Burger, Writers: Bert Bouma & Sander Burger, Producer: Joram Willink (BIND)

THE MEANING OF LOVE, Germany/Spain/Ireland/South Africa Genre: Documentary, Director: Alexander Kleider, Writer: Alexander Kleider, Producer: Alexander Kleider (DOK-WERK filmkooperative), Co-Producer: Dok-Werk

THE WHALER BOY, Russia/Poland/Belgium Genre: Drama, Director: Philipp Yuryev, Writer: Philipp Yuryev, Producers: Alexey Uchitel (Rock Films), Kira Saksaganskaya (Rock Films), Co-Producers: Marion Hansel (Man’s Films Productions), Radoslawa Bardes (Orka Studio Produkcyjne)

TRASH, Italy Genre: Animation, Director: Luca Della Grotta, Francesco Dafano, Writers: Andrea Nobile, Francesco Dafano, Producers: Alan Vele, Mario Lanti, Riccardo Cesarini (AL-ONE)

WHAT HAVE WE DONE WRONG?, Spain/México Genre: Dramedy, Director: Liliana Torres, Writer: Liliana Torres, Producer: Daniel Froiz (Matriuska Producciones), Co-Producer: María Zamora (Avalon)

WHEN I’M DONE DYING, Turkey/ Germany Genre: Drama, Director: Nisan Dağ, Writer: Nisan Dağ, Producers: Müge Özen, Jessica Caldwell (Solid Film), Dorothe Beinemeier (Red Balloon), Yağmur Ünal

woMEN, GermanyGenre: Documentary, Directors: Kristine Nrecaj, Birthe Templin, Writers: Kristine Nrecaj, Birthe Templin, Producer: Katrin Springer (Filmkantine)

WORLD’S SHORTEST POEM, Austria Genre: Drama, Director: David Clay Diaz, Writers: David Clay Diaz & Senad Halilbasic, Producers: Bruno Wagner, Antonin Svoboda, Barbara Albert (coop99 filmproduktion)

Selected projects in 2018