On Tuesday night in Karlovy-Vary, the €20,000 Eurimages Co-production Development Award presented at the 2026 edition of KVIFF Promises went to the Swedish project SELAMLIK written by Khaled Alesmael and to be directed by Jerry Carlsson and produced by Frida Mårtensson. The jury made up of Gyda Velvin Myklebust from New Nordic Films, the producer Jasmina Sijerčić and Michel Plazanet from the CNC for Eurimages decided to grant this award to “a project about a love story that the war made impossible – set between past and present, between countries lost and found. It’s a story that resonates strongly in today’s geopolitical context, with, unfortunately, too many displaced individuals”. The jury added “We hope this award will contribute to placing SELAMLIK at the heart of the European co-production scene where we trust its team will find dedicated collaborators to bring its powerful story to life”.
As part of Eurimages’ special measures to support the film industry in Ukraine, the same jury decided to grant Eurimages Special Co-production Development Award of the same amount to the Ukrainian project REMINISCENCE written and directed by Anastasia Tykhan to be produced by Darya Bassel. The jury stated that “This award goes to a project led by a female creative team telling a story that explores the universal themes of loss, grief and survival, with the desire to find a way to keep living in today’s Ukraine.” The jury added “We are confident that this award, given at such an important stage of development, can help encourage other European partners to come on board with REMINISCENCE”.
The full list of awardees is available on the Festival’s website.
The next Eurimages Co-production Development Award will be presented at the closing ceremony of the 2026 edition of CineLink which will take place during the Sarajevo Film Festival (14-21 August 2026).
The jury composed of the French-Moroccan producer Karim Aïtouna (Haut les Mains Productions), the Georgian filmmaker Salomé Jashi (also chairperson of the Documentary Association DOCA in Georgia) and the Dutch Eurimages representative Ilse Ronteltap (Netherlands Film Fund) was impressed by the diversity and the ambition of the selection, which ensured their discussion were both inspiring and challenging.
The jury members chose to distinguish “a project that demonstrates a strong and distinctive artistic vision, combined with a thoughtful and coherent approach to form. The filmmaker shows a confident use of irony and subtle, at times absurd, humour, building a layered narrative within a complex and delicate structure.” They were “especially struck by the project’s ability to engage with historical material in a way that feels both inventive and critically aware. It approaches its subject with sensitivity and precision, while opening up meaningful reflections on how the past continues to resonate in the present.” The jury also wished to highlight the strength of the collaboration behind the project, which brings together a clear and proved creative partnership.
See all awards of the VdR Industry.
The jury, composed of the producer Eléanor Coleman (BlueSpirit, France), Jaime Comas (Flins y Piniculas, Spain) and Elena Kotova (Czechia) for Eurimages, highly appreciated the “originality of this film’s storytelling, inspired by the director’s experience working with children and their curiosity about the natural world.” The jury also loved the “joyful humour and fantasy of this project as well as its innovative animation production technique which brings its unique handmade characters to life.”
More information in the press release and on the event’s website.
The jury, composed of Pablo Pérez de Lema (Spain) for Eurimages, producer Jonas Dornbach (Komplizen Film, Germany) and sales agent Ioanna Stais (Heretic, Greece), stated:
“The jury has chosen this European co-production that surprised us by reshaping the conventions of a disaster film into a haunting meditation on fear, exile, and shared memory. The award goes to LIBERATIONS.”
A full list of prize winners can be found on the Festival’s website.
Address:
