The winners of the CPH:INDUSTRY Awards 2026 were announced March 19. These were in addition to the three awards for immersive non-fiction that were handed out during the CPH:LAB Prototype Pop-up Event on March 16.
The Eurimages New Lab Outreach Award (€30,000)
Winner: Don’t Let the Sun Go Up on Me (MO, FR, DK, NO, CL) by Asmae El Moudir, produced by Emma Lepers, Monica Hellström, Asmae El Moudir. Citation: “For the audacity to shine a light on the bright colours of darkness and reveal a hidden story through a daring, innovative and singular artistic vision.”
The Eurimages New Lab Innovation Award (€20,000)
Winner: Cosmofonia (FR) by Verena Paravel, produced by Florence Cohen. Citation: “We are pleased to recognize a project that feels innovative in the truest sense, and that expands the possibilities of presentation beyond the black box. For a project that opens new worlds of previously unheard sounds and unseen images, and that pushes the art of cinema beyond the realm of human perception.”
The Sandbox Films Science Pitch Prize (€25,000)
Winner: Matrescence (UK) by Kathryn Ferguson, produced by Eleanor Emptage, Rosie Crerar. Citation (part): “It’s a film about brave and punk scientists that have to use their own bodies to find answers for the rest of the population. The film we selected sheds light on an urgent, underexplored world of science that affects everyone and we found it had an astonishing blend of artistic merit with scientific inquiry. We want to give the Sandbox Science Award to a film that explores science in a bold and innovative way.”
The Al Jazeera Documentary Channel Co-production Award (€15,000)
Winner: Everything is Red and Grey (PS, CA) by Shourideh C. Molavi, Shrouq Alaila, produced by Shourideh C. Molavi, Henry Plavidal, Laura Poitras. Citation: There were many strong projects among the cohort. Ultimately, the jury was unanimous in our selection. We were especially impressed by the strength of the filmmaking team, the focused POV in creative elements which form a critical account for the historical record, and the undeniable urgency of this project.”
The ARTE Award (2 x €2,500)
Winner 1: Everything is Red and Grey (PS, CA) by Shourideh C. Molavi, Shrouq Alaila, produced by Shourideh C. Molavi, Henry Plavidal, Laura Poitras. Citation (part): “When the cameras turn away, and the spotlight fades from places where authoritarian power works to silence democratic voices, this film insists on continuing to look. It reminds us that absence of coverage is not absence of reality.”
Winner 2: We Are Volcanoes (HK, NO) by Sharon Yeung, Natalie Chao; produced by Sharon Yeung, Jillian Schlesinger. Citation (part): “This film insists on the necessity of documentaries at a time when the very act of documenting reality is being obstructed, silenced, and erased. It reminds us that images and voices are not just records – they are acts of resistance.”
The Jacob Burns Film Center Award (residency)
Winner: The Calling (DK). Directed by Beniamino Barrese, produced by Harry Vaughn, Benimiano Barrese. Citation: “The Calling promises to be a singularly exploratory endeavor in which a father and son meet halfway between collaboration and confrontation, celebration and familial reckoning. We are excited and grateful that Beniamino and Harry will spend time developing their vision at the Burns this coming year.”
The Rise and Shine Award (€3,000)
Winner: My Father the Iceman (PL, DK) by Łukasz Kowalski, produced by Anna Mazerant, Łukasz Kowalski, Signe Byrge Sørensen. Citation: “This was a large category, with many remarkable pitches and worthy winners. In the end we felt there was one project which really made the hair stand up on the back of our necks. Taking a very personal angle on a political movement that threatens us all, it offers a unique story. We felt that everywhere in the world, audiences will be touched by this character’s crucial dilemma and the cost of making a courageous choice.”
The Unifrance & Titrafilm Doc Award (€5,500 in kind)
Winner: Children of the Moon Land (SK, CZ, FR) by Roman Ďuriš; produced by Richard Šimeček, Michal Sikora, Albin Bourgeois. Citation: “In a world that feels broken and uncertain, the need for friendship has never been so strong. This was a project that touched our hearts, which presented dreams as an act of resistance. While powerful tech giants talk of building a new world on the moon, other beautiful young minds are building their own world, in a moon land.”
The Onassis ONX Award 2026 (Consultancy)
Winner: Still Point, Turning World by lead artist Ben Joseph Andrews and producer Emma Roberts.
The NewImages Festival Award (invitation to the festival’s XR Development Market 2026)
Winner: Mourning Glory by Mathius Scibor (Au Matt) and producer Pepe le Puke.
The DOK Leipzig Award
Winner: Mourning Glory by Mathius Scibor (Au Matt) and producer Pepe le Puke. The award includes a guaranteed spot in the Prototyping Zone within the DOK Exchange XR programme (29–30 October). It is dedicated to XR projects with a working prototype, offering the opportunity to present, test, and refine the experience with professional and expert feedback.
The Millennium Docs Against Gravity Award (MDAG Industry 2026 selection)
Winner: My School is Seized (UA) by Halyna Lavrinets, produced by Oleksandr Ivanov. Citation: “The project deals with the most vulnerable in the time of war – the children. It requires extra caution and the right attitude. This timely project tries to reveal how the Russian propaganda machine works and who these people are who fight it and have the courage to escape this heartbreaking situation.”
