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CPH:DOX 2023 CPH:DOX Industry / Awards

Only on Earth wins at CPH:FORUM

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- The project by Robin Petréiljana Tutorov has received the Eurimages Co-production Development Award, while Red Zone by Iryna Tsilyk snagged the Special Eurimages Development Award

Only on Earth wins at CPH:FORUM
The team behind the winning project Only on Earth (centre), surrounded by the jury

The three winners of this year's edition of CPH:FORUM, an international event focused on the financing and co-production of creative documentaries, and part of the prominent Nordic documentary festival CPH:DOX, were announced on 23 March.

Only on Earth, directed by Danish filmmaker Robin Petré, and produced by Signe Skov Thomsen and Malene Flindt Pedersen for Hansen & Pedersen, won the Eurimages Co-production Development Award, valued at €20,000, which was given out for the tenth consecutive year at CPH:FORUM. The project showcases an exploration of Galicia, one of Europe's areas most prone to scorching fires, where local cowboys oversee wild horses roaming the mountains. These animals have been instrumental in preventing fires, but are now facing extinction owing to the conflict between humans and nature.

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This year's jury – consisting of Emma Scott, head of Distribution and Short Film Production at Screen Ireland; Rikke Tambo Andersen, producer at Tambo Film; and Heino Deckert Makri, producer at ma.ja.de. – explained their motivation behind the award. They stated that it “goes to a visually stunning project that brought us to a place where nature is burning, climate change is evident, but hope is to be found between humans and animals”.

In a show of support and solidarity with the Ukrainian film industry, the Council of Europe's Eurimages Fund handed out a Special Eurimages Co-production Development Award, worth €20,000. The recipient of this award was the project Red Zone, directed by Iryna Tsilyk and produced by Darya Bassel for MOON MAN. The project puts forth the notion that war not only results in the loss of lives, but also has a profound impact on the survivors, in ways that are often understated. Through her personal lens as a woman, the filmmaker examines the question of what it means to be a woman during times of war.

In their statement, the jury said: “This innovative look at the inner lives of women as they go about their daily lives with humour and courage while in the midst of a terrifying war captivated the imagination of the jury”. This year's project line-up at CPH:FORUM, CPH:WIP and CHANGE, which includes projects from the European Union's Eastern Partnership countries, featured a robust representation of Ukrainian productions and co-productions, which accounted for 12% of the selection. These projects were eligible for both of the Eurimages awards and were part of CPH:DOX's development co-production training programme, in collaboration with IMS and EAVE.

CPH:FORUM, TitraFilm and Unifrance collaborated to present the inaugural Unifrance Doc Award at this year's CPH:FORUM. This prize is given to the best pitch for a French majority or minority co-production, and includes €2,300 in post-production support for subtitling at TitraFilm, to be used within three years, as well as a one-year Unifrance membership, worth €1,590, for the project's producer. In addition, a Unifrance membership provides access to other forms of support, including the refund of promotional expenses, limited to €1,500. Overall, the total value of the award is €5,390.

The jury – composed of Nora Philippe, director at EURODOC; Vibeke Vogel, producer at Bullitt Film; and Emelie Persson, deputy programme director, Culture and Society at SVT – singled out Cuba & Alaska by Yegor Troyanovsky, produced by Olha Beskhmelnytsina, of Ukraine’s 2Brave Productions, and Christian Popp, of France’s TAG film. The project follows the lives of two young paramedic women, Cuba and Alaska, as they navigate the war-torn Kharkiv region. Despite the challenging circumstances, their mission remains focused on saving lives, while maintaining a positive attitude and an unwavering belief in eventual victory.

On their motivation, the jury said: “This pitch took us to a space and time where life and death dwell together in unspeakable proximity, where courage and combat are female, and where the fight against oppression is led in the name not only of Ukraine, but also of us who are further away in Europe and in the world. We wish to acknowledge a project that is bold and strikingly alive, the intimate access to a singular, sisterly duo, a portrait that embraces the complexities of youth, care, creativity and trauma, and finally, a co-production endeavour (between Ukraine and France) that will hopefully bring the project to full funding and rapid completion.”

Here is the full list of winners at CPH:FORUM 2023:

Eurimages Co-production Development Award
Only on Earth - Robin Petré (Denmark/Spain)
Producers: Signe Skov Thomsen, Malene Flindt Pedersen (Hansen & Pedersen)

Eurimages Special Co-production Development Award
Red Zone - Iryna Tsilyk (Ukraine)
Producer: Darya Bassel (MOON MAN)

Unifrance Doc Award
Cuba & Alaska - Yegor Troyanovsky (Ukraine/France)
Producers: Olha Beskhmelnytsina (2Brave Productions), Christian Popp (TAG film)

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