The 23rd VdR–Industry programme concluded April 9 with an award ceremony during which CHF 80,000 of prizes were distributed to 13 projects at the 2025. These included the second presentation of the prestigious Eurimages Co-production Development Award, a €20,000 cash prize, as well as the CHF 10,000 prize from visions sud est, Switzerland’s national fund designed to encourage independent film production in countries with low production capacity.
Ashes Settling in Layers on the Surface by Zoya Laktionova won the Eurimages Co-production Development Award, created to promote the Fund’s role in encouraging international co-production from the initial stages of a project. The jury comprised Eleni Chandrinou (Eurimages), Gianluca Matarrese (Film Director), and Tamara Tatishvili (Head of Hubert Bals Fund). “The Jury awards a story which celebrates an ambitious artistic proposition emerging from a deeply personal invitation to travel into a modern industrial fairytale shaped by lived experiences, physical memories of a city that is political, intimate and imagined at the same time. The award goes to a project with a very strong collaborative potential,” they wrote
The visions sud est award went to Andrea Suwito, for their project A Distant Call. The jury, which included Pamela Biénzobas (Feature films selection committee at Locarno Film Festival), Gaëlle Genet (Head of programming at Fribourg International Film Festival), and Stefanie Rusterholz, (Co-director of trigon-film), said of the project: “A film that, with a kind and respectful gaze, reminds us of how complex people and societies are, through the fascinating Eka, who embodies rarely known traditions of marginalised indigenous Indonesian cultures. We were impressed by the filmmaker’s intimate and immersive approach to her subject. A Distant Call sheds light on the people of Bissu and their endangered way of life, as well as gender fluidity and LGBTQ+ rights.”
The CHF 3,000 cash Visions du Réel Award was given to I Eat With Two Hearts by Natyvel Pontalier. The VdR–Industry Jury, comprising of Sarah Choi (Film Development & Artist Support Manager at Field of Vision), Michael Stütz (Co-Director of Film Programming and Panorama Section Head at the Berlinale), and Bénédicte Thomas (CEO of Arizona Distribution), deliberated over numerous cash and in-kind awards across the VdR–Pitching and VdR–Work in Progress showcases. “The Jury decided to give the Visions du Réel Award to a project that won us over with its personal, humorous and complex perspective into the immigration experience and critical reflection on class mobility. A fresh and nuanced look at food insecurity, which will resonate with a global audience.”
The jury also awarded the Lightdox Award, a cash prize of €3,000 for one project in the VdR–Work in Progress programme, which was bestowed on Jaripeo by Efraín Mojica and Rebecca Zweig.
Numerous other prizes were awarded including the RTS Award, a Swiss pre-sale for one of the VdR–Pitching projects awarded to I Eat With Two Hearts by Natyvel Pontalier and the TËNK Opening Scenes Award, an acquisition of one finished film from the Opening Scenes programme, awarded to the film Homunculus by Bonheur Suprême. The Party Film Sales Award of €3,000 in cash for the project with highest international potential at the VdR–Pitching showcase went to Time Hunter by Daniel Chein and Mushiva .
Alice Burgin, Head of Industry, commented: “Visions du Réel would like to congratulate all the winners of this year’s awards. We know that receiving this type of recognition at early stages of a project can really shape its future, and so we are grateful to the variety of partners for coming together to support such bold and audacious storytelling… and the cinema of the future! “
Overall, 13 projects won prizes in a successful conclusion to the 2025 Visions du Réel Industry programme. The Visions du Réel film festival continues until Sunday with the festival awards to be announced on Friday night.
The 2025 VdR–Industry Awards recipients are:
- Eurimages Co-production Development Award. €20,000 in cash, this award has been created to promote the Fund’s role in encouraging international co-production from the initial stages of a project. Winner: Ashes Settling in Layers on the Surface by Zoya Laktionova (Ukraine). Production: 2Brave Productions (Ukraine), Cinéphage (France)
- visions sud est Award. CHF 10,000 in cash awarded to the best project from the South (Africa, Latin America and Asia) or from Eastern Europe (according to SDC’s eligibility country list) presented at either the VdR–Pitching, VdR–Work in Progress or VdR–Rough Cut Lab. Winner: A Distant Call by Andrea Suwito (Indonesia). Production: Umbra Motion Picture Company (United Kingdom), Talamedia (Indonesia), La Fabrica Nocturna (France)
- Visions du Réel Award. CHF 3,000 in cash awarded to the project that exemplifies boldness and ambition. I Eat With Two Hearts by Natyvel Pontalier (Gabon). Production: Les Films du Bilboquet (France), Centre Vidéo de Bruxelles (Belgium). Visions du Réel Special Mention. Anamiga by Raphaële Benisty (France). Production: Zadig Productions (France)
- RTS Award. A RTS pre-buy of one project pitched at the VdR–Pitching showcase. I Eat With Two Hearts by Natyvel Pontalier (Gabon). Production: Les Films du Bilboquet (France), Centre Vidéo de Bruxelles (Belgium)
- Tënk Post-production Award. Sound post-production facilities at Tënk studios (France) including two weeks in the mixing studio and one week in the Auditorium. Time Hunter by Daniel Chein (United States), Mushiva (Namibia). Production: Waypoint Pictures (United States), Seera Films (Germany), Joe Vision Production (Namibia)
- Tënk Opening Scenes Award. Purchase of distribution rights for one film of the Opening Scenes section. Homunculus by Bonheur Suprême (France). Production: Il Varco Cinema (Italy), Waterclock (Italy)
- The Party Film Sales Award . €3,000 in cash awarded to the project with an important potential international reach and of the VdR–Pitching showcase. Time Hunter by Daniel Chein (United States), Mushiva (Namibia). Production: Waypoint Pictures (United States), Seera Films (Germany), Joe Vision Production (Namibia)
- Lightdox Award. €3,000 in cash awarded to the project with highest international potential at the VdR–Work In Progress showcase. Jaripeo by Efraín Mojica (Mexico), Rebecca Zweig (United States). Production: Jaripeo Documentary LLC (United States), Misfits Entertainment (United States), Survivance (France), Tierra Roja (Mexico)
- Unifrance Doc Award in partnership with TitraFilm. Subtitles creation (to the value of €2,300) sponsored by TitraFilm and one Unifrance membership (value of €1,590) for the French producer attached to the project. Alea Jacarandas by Hassen Ferhani (Algeria). Production: Les Films du Bilboquet (France), Tact Production (France), Guelta Production (Algeria)
- Masé Studios Award. Creation of a DCP package for one project pitched at the VdR–Work In Progress showcase with capacity to screen a projection in the Masé Studios Atmos Cinema-certified auditorium A (Geneva). Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk by Sepideh Farsi (Iran). Production: Rêves d’eau productions (France), 24images (France)
- Raggioverde Subtitling Award. Subtitles creation included translation in one language. Memory by Vladlena Sandu (Russie). Production: Mimesis (Russia), Limitless (France), Revolver (Netherlands)
- Cannes Docs Award. Invitation to feature as a Cannes Docs ‘Spotlighted Project’, including two complimentary Marché du Film – Festival de Cannes badges valid for the 2025 or 2026 edition. Time Hunter by Daniel Chein (United States), Mushiva (Namibia). Production: Waypoint Pictures (United States), Seera Films (Germany), Joe Vision Production (Namibia)
- DOK Leipzig Award. Two accreditation and four nights accommodation at DOK Leipzig & observer access to the DOK Co-Pro Market for the filmmaker and producer for the 2025 or 2026 edition. The Big Boom by Gabriel Tejedor (Switzerland). Production: Mira Film Basel (Switzerland)
- No Nation Films Fellowship Award. Six Month Fellowship aimed at giving support, guidance, counsel and mentorship to exceptional documentary film-teams from around the globe who find themselves grappling with challenges and in vulnerable circumstances for one project in the VdR–Rough Cut Lab. Field Notes by Daniel Asadi Faezi (Germany), Mila Zhluktenko (Ukraine). Production: pong film (Germany)
- AIDC Award. Two accreditations to attend the Australian International Documentary Conference (AIDC) and a fee waiver to apply to The FACTory for the 2026 edition. The Simulation by Justine Harbonnier (France). Production: TAK films (Canada)
- DAE Encouragement Award. Two free consultations with network members tailored to the needs of the project. Field Notes by Daniel Asadi Faezi (Germany), Mila Zhluktenko (Ukraine). Production: Waypoint Pictures (United States), Seera Films (Germany), Joe Vision Production (Namibia)
