Rotterdam's CineMart prizes go to Tsangari's Duncharon and Ljuca's Humidity

The International Film Festival Rotterdam’s co-production market CineMart finished last night with awards going to Duncharon, the new project by Greek director Athina Rachel Tsangari [pictured], which carried off the the ARTE France Cinéma Award worth €10,000; and Humidity by Nikola Ljuca (Serbia), which took the Eurimages Co-Production Development Award worth €30,000.

The Lunchbox by Ritesh Batra (India) received a special mention from the CineMart Jury members Claire Launay (ARTE France Cinéma), Petri Kemppinen (Finnish Film Foundation) and Winnie Lau (Fortissimo Films).

The mood at IFFR (which continues until Feb 5) has been generally upbeat. In the Tiger competition, Brazilian films Neighbouring Sounds directed by Kleber Mendonça Filho and Sudoeste by Eduardo Nunes have especially impressed the critics.

Sales agents and distributors have boarded various films in the festival programme. For example, Italian outfit Intramovies has taken on world sales duties on Davide Manuli’s The Legend Of Kaspar Hauser, starring Vincent Gallo. The film was a world premiere earlier this week in IFFR’s Spectrum.

Meanwhile, Autlook has taken on world sales on Simon Pummell’s Shock Head Soul (a world premiere at Venice and screening in IFFR’s Spectrum).

During the festival, it was confirmed that Belgian outfit Imagine Film Distribution has set up a Dutch arm, Imagine Film Distribution Netherlands. Between them, the two companies plan to acquire Benelux rights for around a dozen films a year. The Festival newspaper The Daily Tiger reported that the first film to be released through the restructured company will be Canadian Oscar contender Monsieur Lazhar (directed by Philippe Falardeau.)

Belgian distributor Lumiere confirmed that it had pre-bought Berlinale opening film, Farewell My Queen, sold by Elle Driver.

Dutch production outfit Submarine (headed by Femke Wolting and Bruno Felix) revealed it had set up a new Los Angeles office in partnership with US producer Tommy Pallotta (Waking Life). Submarine also announced details of its new children’s movie The Little Captain, which will be directed by Arne Toonen and produced together with Fu Works.

Submarine’s bawdy doc about two elderly Amsterdam prostitutes, Meet The Fokkens, which premiered at IDFA and is sold by Autlook, has added more deals. The film has now sold has to YLE (Finland), UR (Sweden), DR (Denmark), VTM (Belgium) and Yes (Israel).

One IFFR Tiger contender that has sold widely is Óskar Thór Axelsson’s Icelandic thriller Black’s Game, sold by TrustNordisk and executive produced by Nicolas Winding Refn. Billed as an Icelandic answer to Refn’s Pusher series, the film had already been picked up prior to its Rotterdam screenings by eOne for the UK and Frenetic for Switzerland.