16/02/2026 - BERLINALE 2026: The latest project by the Lithuanian director and Cura Sana by Lucía G Romero are among the four award-winning projects recognised at this year’s event

The jury and winners of the Eurimages Co-production Development Award (© Lydia Hesse)

At the 23rd Berlinale Co-Production Market (14-17 February), four cash prizes were awarded to selected feature-film projects, continuing the event’s commitment to fostering international collaboration and championing outstanding new stories. As in previous editions, the market facilitated numerous meetings between project teams and potential partners, paving the way for future co-productions.

Lithuanian production outfit afterschool production received the Eurimages Co-production Development Award, amounting to €20,000, for its project Liberations, directed by Laurynas Bareiša (Pilgrims [+see also:
film review
interview: Laurynas Bareisa
film profile], Drowning Dry [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Laurynas Bareiša
film profile]) and produced by Klementina Remeikaitė. The jury comprised funding representative Pablo Pérez de Lema (ICAA, Spain), world sales representative Ioanna Stais (Heretic, Greece) and producer Jonas Dornbach (Komplizen Film, Germany).

Presented for the second time, the Gen Z Audience Award, endowed with €5,000, went to Cura Sana, directed by Lucía G Romero, and produced by Laura Fernández Brites and Sendy Palomino Vivar (Filmax, Spain). Sponsored by the Franco-German Youth Office, the prize is decided on by a jury of five film students from German and French film universities – in this case, Daniel Beschareti, Isidora Lazić, Nicolas Chapt, Pauline Szczesny and Sophia Beatrice – and recognises a feature-film project that resonates particularly strongly with young cinema-goers aged from 20-28.

The ARTEKino International Award, worth €6,000 and presented by ARTE to honour an artistically outstanding project from the Berlinale Co-Production Market, was awarded to Lotus Feet, directed by Amanda Nell Eu and produced by Ghost Grrrl Pictures from Malaysia.

The VFF Talent Highlight Award, featuring a €10,000 prize and presented annually by the VFF – Copyright Agency of Film and TV Producers, honours one promising project from the Talent Project Market, the longstanding collaboration between Berlinale Talents and the Berlinale Co-Production Market. This year, the award went to The Most Romantic Man in the World, directed by Simon Jaquemet, which was pitched at the market by producer Olga Lamontanara (8horses, Switzerland).

Finally, Nominee Awards of €1,000 each were presented to producer Yulia Evina Bhara (KawanKawan Media, Indonesia) for the project Watch It Burn by Makbul Mubarak and producer Gary Cranner (Mantra Film, Norway) for Acts of Kindness by Ellen Ugelstad.

Here is the full list of winners at the 23rd Berlinale Co-Production Market:

Eurimages Co-production Development Award
Liberations - Laurynas Bareiša (Lithuania)
Producer: Klementina Remeikaitė (afterschool production)

Gen Z Audience Award - sponsored by the Franco-German Youth Office (OFAJ)
Cura Sana - Lucía G Romero (Spain)
Producers: Laura Fernández Brites, Sendy Palomino Vivar (Filmax)

ARTEKino International Award
Lotus Feet - Amanda Nell Eu (Malaysia)
Producer: Ghost Grrrl Pictures

VFF Talent Highlight Award
The Most Romantic Man in the World - Simon Jaquemet (Switzerland)
Producer: Olga Lamontanara (8horses)

Nominee Awards
Yulia Evina Bhara (KawanKawan Media, Indonesia)
Gary Cranner (Mantra Film, Norway)