Lithuanian director Laurynas Bareiša won the Eurimages Co-production Development Award at the 23rd Berlinale Co-Production Market, held from 14–17 February, with his new project Liberations. The prize, worth €20,000, was awarded to Lithuanian company afterschool production and recognises the potential of the film directed by Bareiša, known for Pilgrims and Drowning Dry, and produced by Klementina Remeikaitė. The jury consisted of funding representative Pablo Pérez de Lema (ICAA, Spain), world sales representative Ioanna Stais (Heretic, Greece) and producer Jonas Dornbach (Komplizen Film, Germany).

The Berlinale’s co-production market once again awarded four projects with cash prizes, reaffirming its commitment to international collaboration and the development of new stories. As in previous editions, the event facilitated numerous meetings between creative teams and potential partners, paving the way for future co-productions.

Among the standout projects was Cura Sana, directed by Lucía G. Romero and produced by Laura Fernández Brites and Sendy Palomino Vivar (Filmax, Spain), which received the Gen Z Audience Award, endowed with €5,000. Sponsored by the Franco-German Youth Office, the prize was decided by a jury of five film students from Germany and France and recognises a work that resonates particularly strongly with young audiences aged 20 to 28.

The ARTEKino International Award, worth €6,000 and presented by ARTE to honour an artistically outstanding project, went to Lotus Feet, directed by Amanda Nell Eu and produced by Ghost Grrrl Pictures (Malaysia). Meanwhile, the VFF Talent Highlight Award, valued at €10,000 and aimed at spotlighting an emerging project from the Talent Project Market, was awarded to The Most Romantic Man in the World, directed by Simon Jaquemet and pitched by producer Olga Lamontanara (8horses, Switzerland).

In addition, nomination prizes of €1,000 were presented to producer Yulia Evina Bhara (KawanKawan Media, Indonesia) for the project Watch It Burn by Makbul Mubarak, and to producer Gary Cranner (Mantra Film, Norway) for Acts of Kindness, directed by Ellen Ugelstad. This year’s edition once again cemented the Berlinale Co-Production Market’s role as a key platform for advancing international film projects in development.

Eurimages Co-production Development Award