European Work in Progress (EWIP) will take place from 28-30 September in Hamburg, as part of FilmFest Hamburg Industry Days. Now in its ninth edition, the industry event has selected 25 feature-length projects from a record number of more than 270 applications, with the films currently in the final stages of production or post-production. EWIP will once again bring together filmmakers, producers, distributors, sales agents, festival curators and other industry professionals, offering participants the opportunity to present their projects to potential partners while providing international players with an early opportunity to invest in and license upcoming European films.

Taking place for the second consecutive year in Hamburg, EWIP will continue its collaboration with FilmFest Hamburg and MOIN Filmförderung Hamburg Schleswig-Holstein. Supported by Creative Europe – MEDIA, the event will present a broad selection of contemporary cinema, encompassing fiction, animation and documentary, as well as genres ranging from drama and comedy to thriller, horror, neo-western, fantasy and biopic. The organisers also highlighted a substantial growth in the budget and scale of the participating productions.

All 25 projects will be presented exclusively to EWIP guests and the international jury during 15-minute pitches, followed by direct meetings between filmmakers/producers and potential distributors, world sales companies and other industry professionals. Projects must be close to completion or in post-production, and have at least one producer or co-producer on board from Europe.

EWIP has established itself as a platform for films that subsequently premiere at major international festivals, including Cannes, Venice, Berlin, Sundance, San Sebastián, Rotterdam and Toronto. Among the most recent successes are Elephants in the Fog by Abinash Bikram Shah and I’ll Be Gone in June by Katharina Rivilis, both selected for Cannes’ Un Certain Regard in 2026. Elephants in the Fog, which received The Post Republic Award at EWIP 2025, went on to win the Jury Prize in the section, while I’ll Be Gone in June received the Way Film Translation Award at last year’s event. Also among the recent EWIP alumni are I Spy With My Little Eye by Alisa Kolosova and Zejtune by Alex Camilleri, both of which celebrated their world premieres at the Tribeca Film Festival in June. At the Locarno Film Festival, The Riverbank by Enock Carvalho and Matheus Farias won the Special Jury Prize in the International Competition, while Paradeisa by Marleen Valien received the Locarno Kids Award la Mobiliare.

EWIP will continue its partnerships with The Post Republic and K13 Studios. The former will provide a voucher for post-production, colour grading and DCP production, while the latter will contribute two vouchers for Dolby Atmos mixing and professional dubbing. The event will also renew its collaboration with Northern Stars – Hamburg Film Partners, comprising Loft Tonstudios, Zeigermann_Audio, Optical Art and Zeitkostüm GmbH. New sponsor Cine Complete will fund an award at this year’s edition, while MOIN Filmförderung Hamburg Schleswig-Holstein, Gruvi and WayFilm will also support the event.

Here is the full list of projects selected for this year’s EWIP:

Suraiya – Robiul Alam Robi (Bangladesh/Germany)
Producers: Fazle Hasan Shishir (Ratherhood Initiatives Ltd), Nicole Gerhards (Niko Film), Shibabrata Barman, Robiul Alam Robi, Faridur Reza Sagar, Raihan Rafi, Moumita Hussain

La Unión – Cordelia Alegre (Spain/Colombia)
Producers: Àngels Masclans (Dos Soles Media SL), Roger Torras (Desarrollos Mediáticos Internacionales SL/WKND), Federico Duran (El Sol Ermitaño SAS), Jaime Guerrero (Rara Cine SAS)

Tahmina – Aboozar Amini (Netherlands/Canada/Germany/Poland)
Producers: Jia Zhao (Silk Road Film Salon), Waltraud Ehrhardt, Peter Obrist (Good Karma Fiction Films GmbH), Aonan Yang, Andreas Mendritzki (Greenground Productions), Iza Igel (Harine Films)

Social Animal – Sina Ataeian Dena (Germany)
Producers: Sara Fazilat (Third Culture Kids), Sina Ataeian Dena (Plan A)

The Dancer of Berlin – Zsolt Bács (Germany/Bulgaria)
Producers: Helge Sasse (Tempest Film Produktion und Verleih GmbH), Gabriel Georgiev (Samba Pictures GmbH)

Karmic Knot – Signe Baumane (Latvia/Germany)
Producers: Dominiks Jarmakovičs (Studio Locomotive), Fabian Driehorst (Fabian&Fred)

Uzbek for Beginners – Michael Borodin (Uzbekistan/Germany/France)
Producers: Julia Shaginurova (Einbahnstrasse Productions), Bekzod Abduvaliev (Abstract Visuals), Emmanuelle Faucilhon (Les Films du Sillon), Michael Borodin

The Next Testament – Velasco Broca (Spain/Estonia)
Producers: Cormac Regan (Lanzadera Films SL), Iban del Campo (Limbus Filmak), Aram Garriga (Visualsuspects), Sergio Adriá (Espurna Films), Katrin Kissa (Homeless Bob Production OÜ)

Mother of Sugar (Mare de Sucre) – Clàudia Cedó (Spain)
Producers: Ariadna Dot (Deliris Films), Rafa Molés (Suica Films), Tono Folguera (Lastor Media)

Crossings (working title) – May Dugast (Germany)
Producers: Linus Ladiges (Klinkerfilm Production GmbH), Fréhel Vince (FilmArche eV)

Spross – Friederike Güssefeld (Germany)
Producer: Anton Kaiser (Schramm Film Koerner Weber Kaiser)

Panna Sophia/Comenius – Václav Kadrnka (Czech Republic/Slovakia/Turkey/Netherlands)
Producers: Simona Kadrnková, Václav Kadrnka (Sirius Films sro), Katarína Krnáčová (Silverart sro), Burak Çevik (FOL Films), Minco Eggersman (Rina Film)

Folk Play – Mirjana Karanović (Serbia/France/Luxemburg/Croatia/Slovenia/Montenegro)
Producers: Snezana van Houwelingen (This and That Prod), Denis Carot (Elzévir Films), Ulysse Payet (Noctua Films), Jani Thiltges (Samsa Film), Ida Weiss (Bela Film doo), Ankica Jurić Tilić (Kinorama), Marija Perović (Kino doo)

Retreat – Hajni Kis (Hungary/Slovakia)
Producers: Júlia Berkes (Proton Cinema Kft), Mátyás Prikler (MPHILMS sro), György Kárpáti, Balázs Berta (Vertigo Media Ltd)

Lost Boys – Josh Leong, Abel Engedayehu (Ethiopia/USA)
Producers: Josh Leong, Semagngeta Aychiluhem, Eden Tigabu, Lauren Franco, Violette Trotter, Gideon Bear Hamot (Lost Boys Film LLC)

Legítima – Elisa Miller Encinas (Mexico/Italy)
Producers: Nicolás Celis López, Ana Katiria Suárez Castro (Pimienta Films SA de CV), Lorenzo Fiuzzi, Bardo Tarantelli (UMI Films SRL)

I Don’t Even Know Who I Was – João Paulo Miranda Maria (France/Brazil)
Producers: Justin Pechberty (Les Valseurs), Mayra Faour Auad (Mymama)

A House on the Waves – Lily Mousavi (Iran/France)
Producers: Gholamreza Mousavi (Filmsazan Javan), Florian Môle (Les Grands Espaces)

We Are Kiboko – Wakio Mzenge (Kenya)
Producers: Timothy Agevi, Kennedy Kyalo (Ivory Production)

Deserted – Mario Pfeifer-Mutumba (Germany/Algeria/USA)
Producers: Julia I Peters (Jippie Film GmbH), Mario Pfeifer-Mutumba (Blackboardfilms GmbH & Co KG), El Kheyer Zidani (ZK Productions Alger), Oliver Thau (Papermoonfilms GmbH)

Serebrennikov – Every Day Is an Empty Stage – Marcus Richardt (Germany/Switzerland)
Producers: Marcus Richardt (Favo Film GmbH), Michela Pini, Guy Fässler (8Horses GmbH)

Eka – Suman Sen (India/Australia/France)
Producers: Maud d’Amade (Zorba Production), Alan McAlex (Suitable Pictures), Emmanuel Pappas, Manjari Makijany (Asia Pacific Pictures)

Mum? – Katharina Sporrer (Germany)
Producer: Henry Tritschler (Leitwolf Filmproduktion GmbH)

Don’t Be a Stranger – Robert Thalheim (Germany)
Producers: Andreas Banz, Matthias Miegel, Robert Thalheim, Jasmin Saunders (Kundschafter Filmproduktion GmbH)

Witch – Adilkhan Yerzhanov (Kazakhstan/France)
Producers: Aigerim Abaykhanqyzy, Olga Khlasheva (Sirius Production), Guillaume de Seille (Arizona Films)