Launched in 2023, the CinEuro Prize aims to encourage the emergence of projects dealing with histories, characters or settings that testify to the links between partner territories in all dimensions (economic, political, geographical, societal, cultural etc.). It was created conjointly by the Région Grand Est, the Film Fund Luxembourg, the Medien- und Filmgesellschaft Baden-Württemberg, the Saarland Medien GmbH, the Ministerium für Familie, Frauen, Kultur und Integration Rheinland-Pfalz, Wallimage, screen.brussels, Wallonie-Bruxelles International and the Ministerium der Deutschsprachigen Gemeinschaft Belgiens.

Eight projects were selected, three of which are documentaries and eight are fiction projects. The finalists will take part in pitching sessions on 2 July during the Alentours Forum in Strasbourg. The jury will then select the winners. The Fiction Prize comes with € 30,000 and the Documentary Prize with € 15,000. The 2024 winners were Capitale(s) Europe, la bataille des sièges (Luxembourg/France) by Donato Rotunno in the documentary category, and Helter Skelter (Belgium/France) by Paul Vincent de Lestrade in the fiction category.

On the documentary side, organisers of the fund selected Royal Beauty by French filmmaker Claudia Marschal (whose first film, The Deposition [+lee también:
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ficha de la película], was selected in Locarno’s Critics’ Week last year), as well as Veines blanches by Belgian filmmaker Maxime Coton (auteur of, amongst others, Faire Savoir and Après l’usine). Also selected is Les Ultramodernes by the mother/son duo formed by filmmaker Robin Hunzinger and novelist Claudie Hunzinger (to whom we owe, amongst others, the very beautiful Il neige sur le pianiste, Les Grands Cerfs as well as Un chien à ma table).

There is also an air of literature on the fiction side with Le Fils de l’homme by Gabriel Vanderpas, adapted from the novel by Jean-Baptiste Del Amo, co-written with Blandine Jet. Another Belgian project is also in the running, namely BruxLeaks by Stéphane Malandrin (I'm Dead but I Have Friends [+lee también:
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entrevista: Guillaume y Stéphane Malan…
ficha de la película]), a series of 6 episodes of 52min which will take us into the mysteries of European politics. Sacha Wolff (noticed in 2016 for his debut feature, Mercenary [+lee también:
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entrevista: Sacha Wolff
ficha de la película], selected in Directors’ Fortnight), is selected for his genre film Miracle. German actress and director Oona Von Maydell is selected for her debut fiction feature Là où vivent les chiens, les anges ne viennent pas. The last fiction film in the running is #B.I.A.S., directed by German filmmaker of Turkish origins Servet Ahmet Golbol.

The projects :

Royal Beauty - Claudia Marschal (France/Switzerland)
Production: Idéale Audience Group, Mira Film Basel

Veines blanches - Maxime Coton (Belgium/France/Portugal/Serbia)
Production: Rubis Productions, Les Films d’ici, Fado Filmes, Set Sail Films

Les Ultramodernes - Robin Hunzinger, Claudie Hunzinger (France/Germany)
Production: Seppia, Third Pictures

Le Fils de l’homme - Gabriel Vanderpas (Belgium/Luxembourg)
Production: Toast Films, Samia Film

BruxLeaks - Stéphane Malandrin (Belgium/France/Germany) (series)
Production: Panache Productions, Will Production, CinéTévé, Maze

Miracle - Sacha Wolff (France/Belgium/Luxembourg)
Production: Timshel Production, Kozak Films, Les Films Fauves

Là où vivent les chiens, les anges ne viennent pas - Oona Von Maydell (Germany/Luxembourg)
Production: Schiwago Film, BB Film, Cinetel

#B.I.A.S. - Servet Ahmet Golbol (Germany/Belgium)
Production: Impala Filmproduktion, Backes Production