The fifth film from Bulgarian director Petkova, won the €20,000 Eurimages Co-Production Development Award in the Baltic Event Co-Production Market. Currently in development with a €2m budget of which €450,000 is already secured, follows a Roma man who leaves his Bulgarian family for work in Germany, where he constructs a façade of living a luxurious life while he struggles as an undocumented worker. It is produced by Nicolas Kronauer, for production companies ROW Pictures and Fourmat Film.
The jury credited “a journey during which the director invites us to rethink the meaning of community and masculinity.” The jury also gave a €20,000 Eurimages Special Co-Production Development Award to a Ukrainian project – Ivan Tymchenko’s , in which several children tell their stories of war during an online lesson. Produced by Svitlana Soloviova for SvitlorforFilm and written by Olga Voitenko, the film also received a €1,000 grant from Many More Films.
For the first time at PÖFF all categories also handed out Public Favourite Awards, voted for by industry attendees. Norway-Sweden-Denmark co-production by Anton Kallrot received the Public Favourite Award in the Co-Production Market. The Works in Progress strand presented 17 projects across International, Baltic Event and Just Film categories.
Stefanos Tsivopoulos’ Greek project won the Best International Project prize, with €6,000 of Studio Beep services and €1,000 travel allowance. The film also handles the to.
