Lise Pedersen Two new cash prizes introduced this year in Swiss film festival Visions du Reel’s industry section, VdR-Industry, were among a flurry of awards handed out as the program wrapped in Nyon, Switzerland, on Wednesday.
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, and which comes with a cash prize of €20,000 ($22,000), went to “The Last Days of the Hospital” by Mehran Tamadon (“My Worst Enemy,” “Bassidji”).
Set in a psychiatric hospital on the outskirts of Paris, it tells the story of a group of patients invited to take over the wards as the health personnel gradually leave amid a crisis in the health sector.
A visibly moved Tamadon picked up the award, thanking the entire VdR-Industry team for organizing “such amazing pitching sessions.” The Franco-Iranian director was thrilled with the prize which he told Variety was a great stepping stone as he seeks further funding from France’s CNC ahead of shooting, which is due to start after the summer.
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