From 17-19 October took place the fifth edition of European Work in Progress in Cologne. This platform dedicated to European productions with a focus on Central Europe and funded by the German distributors association AG Verleih was held in parallel with the Film Festival Cologne. During three days, producers from several countries came together to present their works to a professional audience composed of distributors, world sales agents and festival representatives as well as to a jury who awarded a series of prizes. Over 250 professionals attended the event, including experts and programmers from festivals such as Cannes, Rotterdam, Locarno, Venice, Les Arcs as well as Tribeca, Tallinn and the Berlinale. 

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A total of 28 projects selected from over 150 submissions were invited. Each of the projects had the possibility to be presented during the different pitching sessions by showing early footage and reporting on its production status. Documentaries as well as fiction features from around 27 countries were presented. 

This year, the jury was composed of five members: France’s Olivier Barbier, who is the head of Acquisitions at mk2 films, Rotterdam festival director Vanja Kaludjercic, Julien Rejl who is the new artistic director of the Cannes Directors’ Fortnight, German producer Thanassis Karathanos (Clouds of Sils Maria [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Charles Gillibert
intervista: Olivier Assayas
scheda film] by Olivier Assayas, Slack Bay [+leggi anche:
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Q&A: Bruno Dumont
scheda film] by Bruno Dumont, Elle [+leggi anche:
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scheda film] by Paul Verhoeven) and German filmmaker and owner of the production company Poison Saralisa Volm, whose first feature film The Silent Forest [+leggi anche:
intervista: Saralisa Volm
scheda film] premiered at this year's Berlinale and was presented at EWIP 2021. 

The jury handed out nine awards worth a total of €60,000. The K13 Studios Award endowed with a voucher worth €10,000 for Dolby Atmos Mixing went to The Echo by Tatiana Huezo. The documentary is a co-production between Germany and Mexico, produced by Radiola Films. The film is set in a remote valley in Mexico and depicts the hard living conditions of the children there. The jury said about the film: “For the level of intimacy, pureness and the depiction of patriarchal society we decided to give the award to this immersive documentary.“ The K13 Studios Award with a voucher worth €5,000 for dubbing went to the fiction film Deserts [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Faouzi Bensaïdi
scheda film] by director Faouzi Bensaïdi. The road movie about two friends working as bill collectors in Morocco is a production of NiKo Film, represented by Nicole Gerhards, and a co-production between Germany, Belgium and Morocco.

The MMC Studios Award, endowed with a voucher worth €10,000 for stage and room rental services was given to Empty Nets [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Behrooz Karamizade
scheda film] (working title) by Behrooz Karamizade, a German-Iranian feature produced by Basis Berlin, Living Pictures Production and Rainy Pictures. About this drama which tells the story of a young Iranian man who gets involved with the caviar mafia while trying to earn the bride money for his wedding, the jury stated: “For balancing the codes of different genres in a very original and cinematic way, and bringing light to contemporary Iranian society.” A second MMC Studios Award with a voucher worth €5,000 was granted to Lost in the Night [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Amat Escalante
scheda film] by Amat Escalante. This Mexican-German-Dutch-Danish production by Tres Tunas Cine is set in Mexico and follows its protagonist through his struggle with the justice system.

As for the LAVAlabs Moving Images Award, endowed with a voucher worth €10,000 for visual effects, the awarded film was Pierce by Nelicia Low. The jury statement about this feature film and family drama from Singapore, Taiwan and Poland (produced by Pōtocol, Flash Forward Entertainment, and Harine Films) stated that “for the cinematographic language which instantly connected us with the characters of the film, we are giving our unconditional love to Pierce.“ 

For the first time the EWIP had this year a partnership with TorinoFilmLab. The TorinoFilmLab Audience Design Award, consisting of two sessions with a TFL expert to design a marketing and distribution strategy, has been awarded to the German-Spanish animation film Sultana's Dream [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Isabel Herguera
scheda film] by Isabel Herguera, produced by Sultana Films, Abano Producións, El Gatoverde Producciones and Fabian&Fred. The film is the journey of a woman to India and to a place of utopia called Ladyland.

Another important prize, the Mm filmpresse Award, endowed with a voucher worth €7,500 for international festival public relations, has been given to Brief History of a Family [+leggi anche:
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scheda film] by Jianjie Lin. The fiction from China, Denmark and France is a production of First Light Films, Tambo Film and Films du Milieu. The jury said about the film: “A film that combines suspense and sensitivity in just a few scenes, highlighting the social differences in contemporary Chinese society.“

To accompany the pitching sessions, the European Work in Progress Cologne organised a panel titled “Green Production - Green Distribution: Sustainable Practices for a Greener Industry,” supported by the Film- und Medienstiftung NRW, Creative Europe Desk NRW and Creative Europe Desks Germany. The pool of experts, including Birgit Heidsiek (Green Film Shooting, Germany), Eduardo Viéitez (Creast, Spain), Claudia Steffen (Pandora Filmproduktion, Germany) and Björn Hoffmann (Pandora Filmverleih, Germany) discussed methods and strategies to implement a greener way in distribution as well. 

Here is the complete list of award winners at the fifth edition of EWIP:

K13 Studios Award - Dolby Atmos Mixing
The Echo – Tatiana Huezo (Germany/Mexico)

K13 Studios Award – Dubbing
Deserts – Faouzi Bensaïdi (Germany/Belgium/Morocco)

MMC Studios Awards
Empty Nets [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Behrooz Karamizade
scheda film] – Behrooz Karamizade (Germany/Iran)
Lost in the Night – Amat Escalante (Mexico/Germany/Netherlands/Denmark)

LAVAlabs Moving Images Award
Pierce – Nelicia Low (Singapore/Taiwan/Poland) 

TorinoFilmLab Audience Design Award
Sultana's Dream [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Isabel Herguera
scheda film] – Isabel Herguera (Spain/Germany)

mm filmpresse Award
Brief History of a Family [+leggi anche:
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scheda film] – Jianjie Lin (China/Denmark/France)

Dolby Vision Award
Jepotá - Carlos Papá Guarani, Augusto Canani (Brazil/France)

Gruvi Award
Until the Sun Dies – Jonas Brander (Spain)

Way Film Translation Award
Russia vs. Lawyers – Masha Novikova (Germany)

Crew United Prize
The Alienated – Anna Kruglova aka Anja Kreis (Germany/Moldova)
The Projectionist – Orkhan Agazadeh (Germany/France/Azerbaijan)
Last Shadow at First Light [+leggi anche:
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scheda film] – Nicole Midori Woodford (Singapore/Japan/Slovenia)