Awards for best CineMart projects 2014 announced and Global Film Initiative introduces new grants

On Wednesday 29 January two projects were awarded as best CineMart 2014 projects at International Film Festival Rotterdam. Tabija by Igor Drljaca (Bosnia and Herzegovina) wins the Eurimages Co-Production Development Award; the ARTE International Prize goes to Happy Time Will Come Soon by Alessandro Comodin (Italy/France). In support of the long relationship with IFFR and the Hubert Bals Fund, Global Film Initiative has decided to make three equal grants of available to participants in this year's CineMart. The awards ceremony concluded the 31st edition of IFFR's co-production market.

The Jury for the CineMart Awards 2014 consisted of Annamaria Lodato (ARTE France), Pierre Menahem (MPM Film), and Dorien van de Pas (Netherlands Film Fund).

The winners and the Jury statements are:

Eurimages Co-Production Development Award
The Eurimages Co-Production Development Award (30,000 Euro) for the best CineMart 2014 project with a European partner is given to Tabija by Igor Drljaca (Bosnia and Herzegovina), a production of SCCA/pro.ba.

''This is a project with great urgency developed by a young team, in an interesting form and style. This will be a film that portrays a generation of young people after a war we all know. We are very much looking forward to see this intense and modern film from a country, that hasn't made such a film yet.''

Igor Drljaca (1983, Bosnia and Herzegovina) fled with his parents from his homeland to Canada in 1993, where he graduated with a masters' degree in film production at York University in 2011. During his studies, he made several successful short films. His feature debut Krivina screened at IFFR 2013. Tabija previously received support from the Hubert Bals Fund for script and projectdevelopment in 2012.

ARTE International Prize
The ARTE International Prize (7,000 Euro) for the best CineMart 2014 project is given to Happy Time Will Come Soon by Alessandro Comodin (Italy/France), a co-production of Okta Film (Italy) and Shellac Sud (France).

''This very original project seems to go deep into the rich and sensitive world of the filmmaker that we noticed with his excellent previous film L'estate di Giacomo. The elaborate narrative of the project nourished by family stories and rooted into the landscapes of North-East Italy promises a beautiful and imaginative film.''

Alessandro Comodin (1982, Italy) graduated in cinema direction from the Institut National Supérieur des Arts du Spectacle (INSAS) in Brussels, Belgium. His short documentary Jagdfieber (2008) was selected for the Director's Fortnight in Cannes. His award-winning first feature film L’estate di Giacomo screened at IFFR 2012

Global Film Initiative Grants
While in Rotterdam, Global Film Initiative decided to make three grants of 10,000 US Dollar each available to participants in this year's CineMart, in support of the long relationship with the Hubert Bals Fund and IFFR.

Susan Weeks Coulter, Chair of the Board of Global Film Initiative: ''We felt that perhaps this year, filmmakers would appreciate knowing they had an immediate decision about some financing and we have decided to make that a reality for three of them today.''

The three projects receiving the grants are Chingari - The Spark by Rajesh S. Jala (India, produced by The Elements and A.S.A.P. Films), Nervous Translation by Shireen Seno (The Philippines, produced by Peliculas Los Otros), and Mustang by Deniz Gamze Ergüven (Turkey/France/Germany, produced by Aurora Films).

CineMart was the first platform of its kind to offer filmmakers the opportunity to launch their ideas to the international film industry and to find the right connections to get their projects additionally financed. CineMart also heralds an important start of the 'film year'.
Every year, CineMart invites a select number of directors/producers to present their film projects to co-producers, funds, sales agents, distributors, TV stations and other potential financiers. For its 31st edition, CineMart selected twenty-five projects. The selection included three 'Art:Film' projects and two projects from this year's Boost! program.

CineMart is supported by MEDIA Programme of the European Union, City of Rotterdam and MEDIA Mundus.

Press information IFFR:
Press Office, Nancy van Oorschot / Isabelle de Klein, [email protected], +31 10 8909090