The ninth edition of European Work in Progress (EWIP, 28-30 September) has announced its winners in Hamburg, with ten awards having been presented to projects from across Europe and beyond. Taking place for the second consecutive year as part of the FilmFest Hamburg Industry Days, the event brought together filmmakers, producers, distributors, sales agents, festival curators and other industry professionals around projects in the final stages of production or post-production.

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Following this year's presentations and meetings, the awards recognised projects spanning drama, animation, historical cinema, horror and neo-western, with prizes providing support for post-production, sound, colour grading, marketing, subtitling and costumes. The awardees were selected by an international jury comprising Christian Bräuer, managing director of Yorck Kinogruppe; Paolo Bertolin, member of the selection committee of the Venice International Film Festival and artistic director of Whānau Mārama: New Zealand International Film Festival; Rebecca De Pas, film curator for International Film Festival Rotterdam; Valeska Neu, responsible for Management & Sales at Films Boutique; and Iñigo Trojaola, editorial manager for Spanish pay-TV and VoD platform Movistar+.

The Post Republic Award, providing a €30,000 voucher for post-production services, went to Folk Play by Serbian director Mirjana Karanović. The jury described it as “an intimate depiction of the awakening of a young woman through an unexpected and revelatory meeting”, adding that the project “plays with tropes in the representation of female characters, subverting them through affectionate sincerity”.

Two K13 Studios Awards were presented to Eka by Indian director Suman Sen and Karmic Knot by Latvian filmmaker Signe Baumane. The former received a €10,000 voucher for Dolby Atmos mixing. The jury said that the project, “set against the backdrop of a chaotic and careless metropolis”, is “closely observed” and “bound to develop into a potent and timely political statement”, while praising its “subdued direction and a heartfelt lead performance” as hallmarks of a promising debut feature. Karmic Knot, meanwhile, received a €5,000 voucher for professional dubbing. The jury called it “a touching saga of a family caught in a pivotal historical moment, narrated with humour and empathy”.

The Loft Tonstudios Award, worth €10,000 in sound post-production services, went to Spross by German director Friederike Güssefeld. The jury highlighted the project's relevance “in a time of polarisation of societies”, noting that we “see two kids becoming friends and overcoming the fear of others easily”. They described the project as “an urgent topic told in an atmospheric way”.

The Optical Arts Award, providing a €10,000 voucher for colour grading, was presented to La Unión by Spanish-Colombian director Cordelia Alegre. The jury said: “We valued its cinematic approach to the complex construction of family memories.” The Zeigermann_Audio Award, worth €10,000 for sound on set or audio post-production, went to Witch by Kazakh director Adilkhan Yerzhanov. The jury opined that the project is “a film that uses genre tropes in an extravagant and bold visual style to muse on folklore, human relations and patriarchal oppression”.

The Gruvi Award, comprising a €5,000 voucher for marketing and technology, including audience analysis, landing-page design and a GDS report, was awarded to Panna Sophia/Comenius by Czech director Václav Kadrnka. The jury described it as “an ambitious project that reflects on the eternal yet contemporary dynamic between faith and reason in an exquisite, cinematic way”.

The Way Film Translation Award, worth €5,000 in subtitling services, went to A House on the Waves by Iranian helmer Lily Mousavi. The jury deemed the film “a gripping family drama set in Iran after the Woman, Life, Freedom movement”, which, “through a story of fading memory and buried crimes, intimately reveals how patriarchal violence shapes women's lives across generations”.

The Zeitkostüm Award, providing a €2,500 voucher for costumes, was presented to Don't Be a Stranger by Germany’s Robert Thalheim. The jury praised it as “a neo-western that confidently reworks the codes of the genre”, turning “a clash between two worlds into a warm, contemporary story about belonging”.

Finally, the Cine Complete Postproduction Award, worth €15,000 in post-production services, went to Mother of Sugar by Spaniard Clàudia Cedó. The jury described it as “a sensitively observed look into a relevant topic”, highlighting its “complex writing and excellent acting”.

European Work in Progress is organised in cooperation with FilmFest Hamburg and MOIN Filmförderung Hamburg Schleswig-Holstein, and is supported by Creative Europe – MEDIA.

Here is the full list of award winners at the ninth European Work in Progress:

The Post Republic Award
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)

K13 Studios Award
Eka – Suman Sen (India/Australia/France)
Producers: Maud d’Amade (Zorba Production), Alan McAlex (Suitable Pictures), Emmanuel Pappas, Manjari Makijany (Asia Pacific Pictures)

K13 Studios Award
Karmic Knot – Signe Baumane (Latvia/Germany)
Producers: Dominiks Jarmakovičs (Studio Locomotive), Fabian Driehorst (Fabian&Fred)

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

Optical Arts Award
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)

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

Gruvi Award
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)

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

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

Cine Complete Postproduction Award
Mother of Sugar – Clàudia Cedó (Spain)
Producers: Ariadna Dot (Deliris Films), Rafa Molés (Suica Films), Tono Folguera (Lastor Media)