The Oxbelly Retreat 2026 is an international creative development program taking place from July 1 to July 9, 2026 in Greece (Costa Navarino, Messinia). Applications open on December 2, 2025 and close on January 14, 2026. It welcomes applicants from around the world and does not restrict participation by nationality.
Oxbelly is not a traditional competition but an immersive retreat/workshop focused on writing. It accepts projects in development rather than finished works, specifically targeting feature film screenplays and fiction writing (novels, short stories, or other narrative forms). It is not structured around pitches, markets, or completed projects, but rather around creative and professional growth. This program is ideal for screenwriters and fiction writers seeking dedicated time, feedback, and a supportive international community to advance their narrative projects.
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Oxbelly Retreat
The Encuentros Cartagena 2026 call provides a development platform for Colombian animation projects, focusing on feature-length and short films in development. It is aimed at national producers seeking to strengthen their projects through pitches, mentorship, and specialized guidance, facilitating industry connections.
Applications are open from December 1, 2025, to January 18, 2026, allowing participants to prepare and submit their projects within this period. The program will take place virtually from April 6 to 10, 2026, and in person from April 13 to 17, 2026, during the Cartagena International Film Festival.
This initiative focuses exclusively on Colombian animation projects, aiming to strengthen the national industry through professional guidance, presentation opportunities, and networking with key industry players. International projects and animation series are not accepted; the primary goal is to support the development of works that can progress toward production and distribution.
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Meetings (Animation) – FICCI
The Impact call from the Curaçao International Film Festival (CIFF) in collaboration with the Morelia International Film Festival (FICM) aims to support filmmakers with fiction or documentary feature films in post-production. Its main goal is to provide professional and constructive feedback from international experts, helping to strengthen and complete projects for festival screenings and industry markets.
Filmmakers from the Caribbean, Mexico, Central and South America, including the diaspora, are eligible, with projects between 60 and 120 minutes in length. The call focuses on a Work in Progress format, offering direct guidance from industry professionals, private screenings, and opportunities for international exposure. Selected projects receive financial support and post-production services, as well as travel and accommodation for the filmmaker to attend the festival in Curaçao.
The submission deadline is February 10, 2026, and the selected projects will be presented during the festival on April 16 and 17, 2026.
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Impact - FICM / CIFF
The Ford Foundation has launched the JustFilms call to support documentary projects from around the world. The program funds feature-length documentaries of at least 50 minutes that focus on social justice and are under the creative control of the filmmakers. Applications are accepted for development, production, and post-production of direct content.
The call is international, allowing filmmakers from all countries to apply. Projects should convey narratives that inspire, challenge stereotypes, and contribute to transforming conditions of inequality and injustice. Short films, series, episodes, or emerging formats such as AR/VR or podcasts are not accepted.
The application deadline is December 30, 2025. Results will be announced approximately four months after the deadline, around April 2026, and funds will be disbursed between June and August 2026. No fixed production dates are set, as projects progress according to each recipient's production schedule.
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JustFilms – Ford Foundation
The 10th Scriptwriting Contest of the Skyline Benidorm Film Festival is open to both national and international screenwriters who wish to participate in a short film-focused competition. Participants can submit scripts in fiction, animation, or documentary, with a maximum length of 20 pages, written in Spanish or Valencian.
The submission period runs from November 17, 2025, to January 19, 2026, while the festival will take place from April 18 to 25, 2026, in Benidorm, Spain. Each author may submit up to three scripts, with a registration fee that varies depending on the number of submissions.
This contest is not a pitch, lab, or market; it is a pure scriptwriting competition judged by audiovisual industry professionals, whose decision is final. The main prize amounts to 1,500 euros, along with a trophy and official recognition in the credits of the future short film. The contest offers an opportunity to showcase original projects and connect with the professional short film industry.
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Screenwriting Contest - SkylineFest
