04/11/2024 - The two Nordic projects have won the Council of Europe Series Co-Production Development Award and the Eurimages Co-production Development Award, respectively

Producer Petter Lindblad with his Eurimages Co-production Development Award for Millie and the Secret of the Crocodile (© Merijn Wierenga)

This year’s Cinekid for Professionals, the industry strand of Cinekid, ran from 29 October-1 November alongside the festival itself, which unspooled from 19 October-3 November. The awards were handed out at Amsterdam’s Skatecafé on 31 October. On this occasion, two Nordic projects took home the two top prizes.

The Council of Europe Series Co-Production Development Award (worth €50,000) was granted to the Swedish series Puck, directed by Anna-Karin Garhamn and produced by Caroline Drab (Sweden). This prize supports independent producers across Eurimages member states by enhancing access to development funding and fostering creative collaboration. The jury praised Puck for its relatable storytelling, capturing “real life and the human imperfection of the characters”.

Meanwhile, the Eurimages Co-production Development Award (worth €20,000) went to Millie and the Secret of the Crocodile, a Swedish-Danish co-production directed by Esben Toft Jacobsen and produced by Petter Lindblad (Sweden/Denmark). The jury commended the film’s “optimistic adventure about friendship, overcoming fears and believing in oneself”, noting its broad appeal for audiences.

The PUBLIKUM Audience Awareness Award was given to Hunnic Summer, directed by Nedeljko Kovacic and produced by Maja Cenic (Serbia). The €9,000 prize provides a unique research project to help filmmakers better connect with audiences. The jury lauded Hunnic Summer for blending nostalgia with the spirit of a local legend, enabling it to resonate deeply with young viewers.

The Filmmore Post-Production Award for the best live-action project in development was awarded to Kittens, directed by Nova van Dijk and produced by Maarten van der Ven (Netherlands). The accolade comes with a €5,000 post-production budget. The jury appreciated Kittens for its sustainable filmmaking approach and felt it would charm audiences as a feature film.

In the main festival’s feature-film categories, the Best Children’s Film Award went to Listen Up! by Kaveh Tehrani (Norway), a story praised for its insightful look at family dynamics. The Best Dutch Children's Film Award went to Sweetie, directed by Natalie Bruijns and Anneke de Lind van Wijngaarden (Netherlands), which deeply moved the jury with its emotional resonance. The CJP Youth Jury Award also recognised Listen Up! for its portrayal of diverse family life, highlighting the importance of showcasing different perspectives to young audiences.

In the short-film category, the Amarte Best Dutch Short Film Awards went to Moustache by Idriss Nsangou Nabil (9+) and Caterpillar by Susanne Hagen (under nines), both from the Netherlands. As for the international shorts, Best International Short Film was awarded to Palestine’s A Short Film About Kids by Ibrahim Handal (9+) and the Japanese production Magic Candies by Daisuke Nishio (under nines).

Additional gongs included the Craftsmanship in a Series Production Award for Het Klokhuis about AI (Netherlands) and the Most Original Series Production Award for Van Binnen Stroomt Het (Netherlands). Finally, the Game Award went to WHAT THE CAR?, created by Florence Bethuys (Denmark).

Here is the full list of this year’s winners:

Cinekid for Professionals

Council of Europe Series Co-production Development Award
Puck – Anna-Karin Garhamn (Sweden)
Producer: BCD FILM

Eurimages Co-Production Development Award
Millie and the Secret of the Crocodile – Esben Toft Jacobsen (Sweden/Denmark)
Producers: Snowcloud Films, Vi Glæder os Preben, Viking Film

PUBLIKUM Audience Awareness Award
Hunnic Summer – Nedeljko Kovacic (Serbia)
Producer: Magnus Production

Filmmore Post-Production Award
Kittens – Nova van Dijk (Netherlands)
Producers: Studio Ruba, Kleine Storm

Cinekid

Best Children's Film
Listen Up! – Kaveh Tehrani (Norway)

Best Dutch Children's Film
Sweetie – Natalie Bruijns, Anneke de Lind van Wijngaarden (Netherlands)

CJP Youth Jury Award
Listen Up! – Kaveh Tehrani

Amarte Best Dutch Short Film Award 9+
Moustache – Idriss Nsangou Nabil (Netherlands)

Amarte Best Dutch Short Film Award 9-
Caterpillar – Susanne Hagen (Netherlands)

Best International Short Film Award 9+
A Short Film About Kids – Ibrahim Handal (Palestine)

Best International Short Film Award 9-
Magic Candies – Daisuke Nishio (Japan)

Craftsmanship in a Series Production Award
Het Klokhuis about AI – NPO Zapp (Netherlands)

Most Original Series Production Award
Van Binnen Stroomt Het – Natalie Bruijns (Netherlands)

Game Award
WHAT THE CAR? – Florence Bethuys (Denmark)