“For the Works in Progress, we decided to include a couple of alumni projects; not all of them, but a few that had gone into production in the past years. Many of these filmmakers started their projects just after COVID-19, and it’s been difficult to get them out there. We were very happy to finally see the images and to be able to continue supporting them. At the same time, we also selected new material and new producers, people we’ve met over the years. So this year’s lineup feels like a balance between continuity and discovery. There’s a strong diversity of styles and genres, from political thrillers to black-and-white dramas, and overall, a sense that we can genuinely give something back to projects we know we can help move forward”, Marjorie Bendeck, director of connecting cottbus east-west co-production market told FNE.
Is the Sky Blue? is a Serbian political thriller examining truth, morality, and manipulation in a fractured post-war society. Written by Nikola Ljuca, Vuk Bošković, and Staša Bajac, and directed by Ljuca, the film marks his long-awaited second feature following Humidity (Berlinale Forum, 2016). A graduate of the Faculty of Dramatic Arts in Belgrade and an alumnus of Sarajevo, Berlinale Talents, and the Locarno Filmmakers Academy, Ljuca brings his sharp psychological insight (as both filmmaker and practicing psychotherapist) to this layered story of political and personal compromise.
Produced by Nikolina Vučetić of Biberche Productions (Serbia) together with partners from Slovenia, Croatia, North Macedonia, Greece, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Montenegro, including Perfo Production, Maxima Film, Skopje Film Studio, Horsefly Films, Palchica Productions, and Bitter Frames Production, the film exemplifies a broad East–West coproduction model. With a total budget of 900,000 EUR and a remaining gap of 150,000 EUR, the team is seeking additional financing, image postproduction partners, sales, broadcasters, distributors, and festival support.
Producer:
Biberche Productions (Serbia)
Nikolina Vučetić: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Credits:
Director: Nikola Ljuca
Scriptwriters: Nikola Ljuca, Vuk Bošković, Staša Bajac
Monarch is an elevated sci-fi drama from Romania, Czech Republic, and France, exploring power, identity, and truth in a near-future world on the brink of collapse. Written by Dan Radu Mihai and Dan Sociu, and directed by Mihai, the film follows Bogdan, a 35-year-old man who discovers he can cut off electricity with his mere presence. As flickering lights and broken circuits follow him everywhere, he embarks on a journey back home, meeting those who either push him closer to understanding or protect him from the truth that could destroy him.
After a decade working in advertising and publishing, director Dan Radu Mihai earned his Film and TV degree from the Media University in Bucharest in 2009. His acclaimed short films have screened at Clermont-Ferrand, Vila do Conde, Busan, Vilnius, and Cairo. Monarch marks his debut feature, combining his experience in digital art, motion capture, and AR technology to craft a visually distinctive, emotionally resonant sci-fi.
Produced by Livia Rădulescu of Redwood Productions (Romania) with coproducers Paul-Razvan Macovei, Tudor Hermeneanu, Pătru Păunescu, Julietta Sichel, Jan Froněk, and Simon P. R. Bewick, alongside Armadillo Entertainment, Dash Film, 8Heads Productions, and Tajine Studio, Monarch continues Redwood’s focus on bold, character-driven projects.
With a total budget of 920,000 EUR and a 210,000 EUR funding gap, the production seeks financing and postproduction partners (sound, colour grading, VFX, deliverables), as well as sales, distributors, and festival support.
Producer:
Redwood Productions (Romania)
Livia Rădulescu: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. | +40 755 991 199
Credits:
Director: Dan Radu Mihai
Scriptwriters: Dan Radu Mihai, Dan Sociu
Swaps is a Macedonian drama that follows a grieving mathematician on an emotional odyssey of self-discovery through a city alive with chance encounters and quiet miracles. Written and directed by Gjorche Stavreski, the film marks his second feature after the acclaimed Secret Ingredient (Tallinn 2017), which screened at over 60 international festivals and won 19 awards, including five Best Film prizes.
The story centres on Bobby, a 30-year-old mathematician who, after a personal loss, turns to an unconventional therapy proposed by a homeless ex-psychiatrist: to find something he values, trade it with a stranger, and repeat the process seven times to be “reborn.” As Bobby follows this strange prescription, each exchange pulls him deeper into the lives of others, guiding him toward unexpected love and healing.
Produced by Gjorche Stavreski and Ivana Shekutkoska of Fragment Film (North Macedonia), with coproducers Alžběta Janáčková, Nikolina Vučetić, and Angel Apostolski from Silk Films, Palchica Productions, and Push Pull Production, Swaps continues Stavreski’s commitment to warm, humanistic storytelling that blends humour and empathy.
With a total budget of 755,350 EUR and a 45,000 EUR funding gap, the producers are seeking a composer, along with financing and postproduction partners, as well as sales, distributors, and festival support.
Producer:
Fragment Film (North Macedonia)
Gjorche Stavreski: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. | +389 70 37 98 59
Credits:
Director: Gjorche Stavreski
Scriptwriter: Gjorche Stavreski
