11. September 2024 | redaktion2 For the upcoming seventh edition of the established industry event European Work in Progress Cologne (EWIP), an international network of high-calibre cooperation partners is ready to support this year’s EWIP projects with numerous awards. In addition to long-standing partnerships such as TorinoFilmLab, K13 Studios, MMC Film & TV Studios Cologne, LAVAlabs Moving Images, Gruvi, Way Film and mm filmpresse, the innovative marketing company usheru is also supporting this year’s EWIP. The total amount of funding is 50,000 euros. “Since its launch in 2018, MMC Film & TV Studios Cologne is proud to be a partner of such an influencial event as the Euopean Work in Progress Cologne. The opportunities that EWIP offers its participants are unique in the European film industry. We are excited to see how the event continues to develop year after year and has now become a permanent fixture for filmmakers, producers, world sales agents and film distributors. We are looking forward to outstanding film projects and interesting discussions again this year.” Bastian Griese (Managing Director, MMC Film & TV Studios Cologne) EWIP has established solid partnerships with sponsors, whose services are of fundamental importance for post-production and the following distribution of the films, helping to pave the way for the award-winning films to reach the public. The established alliances enable attractive EWIP awards to be presented by the international jury, covering almost the entire range of services needed for the successful subsequent exploitation of the films. With the new partner usheru, an innovation-driven company in the film, music, sports and entertainment industry is on board, focussing on technological solutions for marketing and analytics as well as tools to support and improve direct customer relationships. The “EWIP usheru Award” includes a voucher worth 5,000 euros to build a premium discovery web platform to showcase the winning film to the industry and build an audience. K13 Studios sponsors the “EWIP K13 Studios Award” containing a voucher for a Dolby Atmos Sound Mixing. The “EWIP MMC Studios Award”, created in cooperation with MMC Film & TV Studios Cologne includes the use of high-quality studio technology worth a total of 15,000 euros. The “EWIP LAVAlabs Moving Images Award” supports the winning film with visual effects technology worth 10,000 euros. Together with the TorinoFilmLab, EWIP awards the “EWIP TFL Audience Design Award”. It provides for a consultation with TFL experts aimed at analysing the film from a marketing perspective and developing creative ideas for the international sale and distribution of the film. Gruvi, one of the leading international platforms for digital marketing, will substantially support two winning films in their online marketing through the “EWIP Gruvi Awards” as part of the cooperation. Gruvi is a media agency specialising in technology-based campaigns that helps entertainment companies reach and engage online audiences. The renowned Way Film GmbH, one of the leading providers of high-quality subtitling, audio description, script translation and other language services, will again be an official cooperation partner of the EWIP this year. The German company will sponsor the “EWIP Way Film Translation Award” worth 4,000 euros. EWIP will take place in Cologne from 14 to 16 October 2024 and is significantly supported by the Film- und Medienstiftung NRW, one of the leading film funding institutions in Europe, the Creative Europe MEDIA programme of the European Union and the City of Cologne. It is thanks to the support of the Film- und Medienstiftung NRW that EWIP could be launched and has been able to establish itself in the European film industry over the past seven years. The firmly established industry event also takes place in co-operation with the Film Festival Cologne, KölnBusiness as well as the Creative Europe Desks Germany and the International Film Distribution Summit – IFDS. Since its beginnings, EWIP has taken place in the run-up to the Film Festival Cologne. This year, up to 30 European co-productions will once again be competing on the EWIP stage for the numerous awards. A total of around 50,000 euros worth of funding is at stake, which will be awarded together with the award sponsors and partners for post-production services, and usheru as well as mm filmpresse for online marketing and international festival PR. The international jury 2024 consists once again of five renowned and highly experienced experts from the international film industry who will advise on which projects have the potential to play a significant role in the international film scene in the coming years. The members of this year’s EWIP jury include: Heino Deckert (Ma.ja.de. Filmproduktions GmbH / Deckert Distribution, Priscila Miranda (film producer / independent film distributor Fenix), Sophie Stejskal (Filmladen Filmverleih), Urte Fink (ZDF/ARTE), Paul Ridd (Festival Director Edinburgh International Film). EWIP offers buyers, industry delegates and journalists the opportunity to get an overview of the latest and most exciting film projects at an advanced stage of production. The 30 or so carefully selected European co-productions will present their current state of development, show first scenes and pitch their plans in order to attract the best partners for the further production process and exploitation phases within the EWIP platform. If you have any requests for material, are interested in an interview or have any questions, please contact the responsible press agency mm filmpresse, Sylvia Müller, tel. 030 – 41 71 57 22, mueller@mm-filmpresse.de and Claudia Hegner, tel. 03741 – 55 03 414, hegner@mm-filmpresse.de.