Martika Ramirez Escobar, Mamadou Dia, Coco Chen Among IFFR Pro Winners
IFFR Pro, the industry platform of International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR), held its awards ceremony for this year’s expanded edition on February 4, with prizes going to projects from the Philippines’ Martika Ramirez Escobar, Senegal’s Mamadou Dia and Taiwanese digital artist Coco Chen.
Daughters Of The Sea, Escobar’s second feature following Leonor Will Never Die, picked up an Innovation Award, one of two Eurimages New Lab awards, “for daring to rethink the conventions of filmmaking for the sake of artistic integrity and authentic cross-cultural storytelling”. Produced by Monster Jimenez, the film explores three Filipino sea legends.
The other award from Eurimages, the Outreach Award, went to UK-Hungarian project LFD Hope, directed by Joshua Loftin and produced by Gallivant Film, Sea Fox Films, Lorenz Films and Good Kids Productions.
Coco Chen, a graduate of National Taiwan University of Arts who specialises in AR, digital art and immersive theatre, was awarded the 4DR Studios Award for Best Immersive work-in-progress for Cleo. The 4DR Studios Award for Best Immersive Project in development went to Belgium-Netherlands project Chemin des Bâtards, from Leon Rogissart.
Hubert Bals Fund (HBF) gave out two awards: the HBF x PUBLIKUM Audience Outreach Award went to Coumba from Senegal’s Mamadou Dia (Nafi’s Father), while the HBF Empowerment Award was presented to Marina from Laís Santos Araújo and Pethrus Tibúrcio, produced by Brazil’s ColorBird Inc. Coumba follows a detective returning to her hometown to investigate a murder tied to a spirit, on the year’s first full moon (see full list of IFFR Pro winners below).
The IFFR Pro Awards recognise projects across the CineMart, Darkroom, Lightroom and Safe Harbour selections. This year, Cinemart selected 21 projects, while ten projects participated in work-in-progress platform Darkroom and nine immersive media projects took part in new industry platform Lightroom.
In addition, four projects were selected for Safe Harbour – a new programme to support projects in development from emerging filmmakers who have experienced displacement or forced migration. The Safe Harbour initiative has been developed in collaboration with the International Emerging Film Talent Fund (IEFTF).
IFFR Pro programmes also include Rotterdam Producers Lab with a new Creators Lab for writers and directors, piloting of the Dutch Talent Market, and the first HBF Reunion at the festival.
IFFR Pro head, Marten Rabarts, said: “As our latest edition of IFFR Pro draws to a close, the breadth and evolution of this year’s programme was a true reflection of our commitment to meeting filmmakers’ shifting needs. This was echoed throughout the programme with the launch of Safe Harbour, Lightroom, CineMart x HBF and the Creators Lab, as well as our CineMart and Darkroom lineups which were stronger and more essential than ever."
IFFR PRO 2026 FULL LIST OF WINNERS:
4DR Studios Award for Best Immersive Project in development: Chemin des Bâtards
By Leon Rogissart, produced by BNA-BBOT, UpscaleXR & Muziektheater Transparant (Belgium, Netherlands)
4DR Studios Award for Best Immersive work-in-progress: Cléo
By Coco Chen, produced by Digital Art Foundation, National Performing Arts Center- National Taichung Theater (Taiwan)
ArteKino International Award: The Poet’s Son
By Nicolas Graux, produced by Tarantula, Yellow Blackbird, Petit à Petit Production, Clin d’Œil Films (Belgium, France, Germany)
Eurimages New Lab Awards (Innovation Award): Daughters Of The Sea
By Martika Ramirez Escobar, produced by This Side Up/Arkeofilms, Alba Sotorra Cinema Productions (Philippines, Spain)
Eurimages New Lab Awards (Outreach Award): LFD Hope
By Joshua Loftin, produced by Gallivant Film, Sea Fox Films, Lorenz Films, Good Kids productions (UK, Hungary)
Filmmore Work-in-progress Award: The Hummingbird Paints Fragrant Songs
By Èlia Gasull Balada & Matteo Norzi, produced by Shipibo Conibo Center (Peru, US, Spain, Chile)
Filmmore Post-Production Award: Pale Faces
By Chantel Clark, produced by BALDR Film, Cadence (Netherlands, South Africa)
HBF Empowerment Award: Marina
By Laís Santos Araújo & Pethrus Tibúrcio, produced by ColorBird Inc (Brazil)
HBF x PUBLIKUM Audience Outreach Award: Coumba
By Mamadou Dia, produced by Maayo Productions, Les Films du Bilboquet (Senegal, France)
New Impulse Award: Hidden Journey
By Noura Adil, produced by: Weika Production (Sudan)
VIPO Award: Neon Phantom
By Leonardo Martinelli, produced by Duas Mariola Filmes (Brazil)
