19. August 2026 | redaktion2 we’re happy to announce the six international jury members of this year’s 9th European Work in Progress (EWIP). EWIP was able to secure five renowned and versatile film industry experts for its jury: Christian Bräuer, Managing Director of Yorck Kinogruppe, Germany’s largest arthouse cinema group; Paolo Bertolin, member of Selection Committee Venice International Film Festival and Artistic Director of Whānau Mārama: New Zealand International Film Festival; Rebecca De Pas, renowned and experienced film curator for the International Film Festival Rotterdam; Valeska Neu, responsible for Management & Sales for world sales „Films Boutique“; Iñigo Trojaola, Editorial Manager for Spanish PayTV and VOD platform Movistar+. EWIP will present outstanding European film projects and connect filmmakers with important industry representatives in cooperation with FilmFest Hamburg. EWIP will also be supported by many longstanding partners, who will sponsorprizes and service vouchers totaling around 100.000 Euro. This year’s sponsors are the post production firm The Post Republic, the Berlin-based K13 Studios as well as Gruvi, the film marketing specialist and the translation service firmWayfilm. Furthermore EWIP will continue the successful partnership with „Northern Stars – Hamburg Film Partners“, consisting of Loft Tonstudios, Zeigermann_Audio, Optical Arts and Zeitkostüm. The members of the 2026 jury in detail: Christian Bräuer (Managing Director, Yorck Kinogruppe; President of the International Confederation of Arthouse Cinemas (CICAE); Chairman of the German Arthouse Cinema Association (AG Kino)) Christian Bräuer is leading Yorck Kinogruppe, Germany’s largest arthouse cinema group, as Managing Director. As President of the International Confederation of Arthouse Cinemas (CICAE), Chairman of the German Arthouse Cinema Association (AG Kino) as well as a member of the Board of Directors of Europa Cinemas and IHK, he fervently works in support of the global arthouse cinema community. In recognition of his contributions, he was awarded the Federal Cross of Merit. Paolo Bertolin (Member of Selection Committee Venice International Film Festival, Artistic Director of Whānau Mārama: New Zealand International Film Festival) Paolo Bertolin is a film programmer, writer and producer. He is the Artistic Director of Whānau Mārama: New Zealand International Film Festival. He is a member of the selection committee of Venice International Film Festival and has worked for several international film festivals and institutions, including Cannes’ Directors’ Fortnight, Locarno Open Doors, IFFRotterdam, Doha Film Institute, Mumbai Film Festival, Beijing Film Festival, Cannes’ Semaine de la critique, Udine Far East Film Festival and Nyon Visions du réel. As a film critic and journalist, he has written articles for Italian and international publications, including Rivista del cinematografo, Cineforum, Segnocinema, Il manifesto, The Korea Times, Cahiers du cinéma, Positif and Senses of Cinema. Paolo has production credits on Berlinale Competition entries Big Father, Small Father and Other Stories by Phan Dang Di and A Lullaby to the Sorrowful Mystery by Lav Diaz. Rebecca De Pas (Film Curator, International Film Festival Rotterdam) Born and raised in Milan, Rebecca De Pas began working for film festivals in 2004 at the Cineteca di Bologna. In 2009 she joined the FID Marseille, where she worked for eleven years as a programmer and co-director of the FID Lab, the international co-production platform. In 2018 she became an artistic consultant for the Viennale. In the past, she was part of the Berlinale Talents selection committee and of Visions du Réel (where she still serves on the project selection committee), and she has been a mentor for the Feature Expanded Training Program and several other industry events. She has collaborated on the programming of the La Roche-sur-Yon International Film Festival, worked as a matchmaker for the Orizzonti section of the Venice Film Festival, and is a regular reader for the Doha Film Fund. In 2022, she became a member of the selection committee of the International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR). Rebecca De Pas developed, together with Paolo Moretti, the Fondazione Prada Film Fund, for which she currently serves as project manager. Valeska Neu (Management & Sales, Films Boutique) Apart from her studies in history, journalism, film & cinema, Valeska is involved in the national and international film industry since 2002 in a variety of ways. At film festivals, in the promotion of young talents and in the production sector. Since 2010 she initially worked for the German-French world sales company Films Boutique. First as festival manager and since 2016 she is responsible for international sales and general management. In addition, Valeska is a speaker for different producer workshops and works as an expert for the European Commission and the Austrian Film Institute. Since 2023 she is a member of the board of Europa International (association of European Sales Agents) and acts as the association’s President since 2025. Iñigo Trojaola (Editorial Director, Movistar+) Passionate about television, film, series, and all forms of audiovisual storytelling from the very beginning, Iñigo Trojaola has spent over 30 years selecting, acquiring, and producing content for Spain’s leading platforms. he currently servesas Editorial Director at Movistar Plus+, where he leads the strategy for curating and programming films, series, and non-fiction content across both linear channels and VOD. His editorial team is responsible for selecting all external productions—films, series, and documentaries—while the programming team brings the catalog to life on linear and on-demand platforms, creating editorial events and experiences that resonate with the audience. His mission is to ensure that every viewer finds something that moves them, inspires them, or simply entertains them—and makes them want to stay a little longer. Movistar Plus+ champions personalization, a diversity of voices, and place strong emphasis on local storytelling. Supported by Creative Europe MEDIA and the MOIN Film Fund Hamburg Schleswig-Holstein, EWIP will present up to 25 European feature-length projects. Participating films need to be close to completion or in post production and have at least one producer or co-producer from Europe. Projects are selected for exclusive presentations to international sales agents, distributors, festival curators, and other film professionals. Projects presented at EWIP have gone on to premiere at Cannes, Venice, Berlin, Sundance, San Sebastián, Rotterdam, Toronto, and more – often securing key international sales and distribution deals. Two of last year’s winners of EWIP are now part of the official selection in Cannes this year: ELEPHANTS IN THE FOGby Abinash Bikram Shah, which won „The Post Republic Award“ – a post production support worth 30.000 Euros and I’LL BE GONE IN JUNE by Katharina Rivilis, winner of „Way Film Translation Award“ at EWIP 2025. Both havepremiered at „Un Certain Regard“, where ELEPHANTS IN THE FOG won the Jury Prize. Further successful EWIPparticipants include I SPY WITH MY LITTLE EYE, directed by Alisa Kolosova, as well as ZEJTUNE by Alex Camilleri(EWIP 2024) both of which celebrated their World Premiere at the Tribeca Festival this June. Most recently, two films from the EWIP 2025 selection have also received awards at the Locarno Film Festival: DOWN BY THE RIVER by Enock Carvalho and Matheus Farias, which won the Special Jury Prize in the International Competition, and PARADEISA by Marleen Valien, winner of the Locarno Kids Award la Mobiliare.
