On 29 August, the Venice Production Bridge (28 August-3 September) hosted a panel titled “Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Eurimages Awards and Sponsorships (But Were Afraid to Ask)”. The event, held at the Hotel Excelsior’s Spazio Incontri, was organised by Eurimages and introduced by deputy executive director Enrico Vannucci, with contributions from project managers Sergio García de Leaniz and Anne Christine Knoth.

First, Vannucci recalled that Eurimages, founded in 1989, was created to promote independent cinema through boosting visibility and financial support. The fund encourages co-production, and backs production, distribution, exhibition and promotion across its 39 member states, comprising 38 Council of Europe countries plus Canada. Current programmes include co-production support, promotion and exhibition initiatives, as well as strategies on gender equality, diversity, inclusion and sustainability. He noted that calls for proposals are launched every three years, with the present cycle covering 2024-2026 and the next beginning in 2027. The new call will open in early 2026.

García de Leaniz outlined the promotion programme, aimed at increasing the visibility of supported co-productions through awards, sponsorships and partnerships. He mentioned the Co-Production Development Awards (CPDAs), the New Lab Awards, sponsorship and patronage initiatives, and the International Co-Production Awards run with the European Film Academy.

The CPDAs, worth €20,000 each, target projects in early development and are handed out at major co-production markets, including Baltic Event, the Berlinale Co-Production Market, Cartoon Movie, Cinekid Junior, CineLink at Sarajevo, Eastern Promises at Karlovy Vary, the Les Arcs Industry Village, TorinoFilmLab and the Visions du Réel Pitching Forum. Hosting markets must involve at least ten Eurimages member states.

He went on to describe the New Lab Awards, supporting innovative R&D and unconventional works. The Innovation Award offers €20,000 for projects in development, while the Outreach Award grants €30,000 for works in progress. He stressed their open-ended spirit, explaining that the “rule is there are no rules”. Up until 2026, these awards will be hosted at CPH:DOX and IFFR.

Turning to sponsorship and patronage, he noted that events may receive up to €10,000 if they promote international co-production and Eurimages’ values, and up to €3,000 for receptions. Between 2024 and 2026, beneficiaries include CICAE’s European Arthouse Cinema Day, FIDLab in Marseille, the IDFA Producers Network, Locarno’s Alliance 4 Development and Armenia’s ReAnimania. Recent award-winning projects supported by Eurimages include Berlin Alexanderplatz [+lee también:
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entrevista: Juraj Lerotić
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entrevista: Carla Simón
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Knoth then introduced the Gender Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Programme, designed to reduce inequalities, promote women’s roles on and off screen, and advance diversity across the sector. Tools include monitoring mechanisms, incentives for female-led projects and a visibility strategy.

She highlighted the Audentia Award, a €30,000 prize for Best Female Director, presented annually at rotating festivals. In 2024, it went to Paola Cortellesi for There Is Still Tomorrow [+lee también:
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She also mentioned sponsorships and patronage supporting gender equality and inclusion, with contributions of up to €10,000 for festivals, residencies or workshops, or non-financial patronage. From 2024-2026, beneficiaries include Le Lab Femmes de Cinéma, Locarno Pro’s StepIn, MIFA and Sitges’ Women in Fan.

The panel concluded with several testimonials. Marcello Paolillo, of Locarno, stressed the importance of tackling diversity and equality within StepIn, warning of recent international setbacks and stressing the need for reliable data. He added that a new Eurimages-backed report on the topic would soon be published. Hugo Rosák, of Karlovy Vary’s Eastern Promises, praised the long-standing cooperation with the fund, stressing the impact that the awards have on recipients. Mercedes Alonso, of TorinoFilmLab, added that the CPDA is crucial not only for financial reasons, but also because it brings projects to the attention of decision-makers.