Mecal Lab is a professional short film development program held annually in Barcelona, Spain, as part of the renowned Mecal Pro Festival. The lab selects five short fiction projects (under 30 minutes) and provides filmmakers with intensive training and mentoring through seven specialized workshops. These cover topics such as crowdfunding, script doctoring, marketing and distribution, sustainable filmmaking, public funding, AI in cinema, and pitching strategies. Each selected project receives personalized coaching and a €3,000 grant to support the film’s production.
The 2025 edition will take place from June 26 to July 6. Applicants must submit a biography of the director and producer, a motivation letter, a full project dossier, and the short film’s script. The application fee is €15, and the deadline is May 15, 2025.
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MECAL LAB
IDFAcademy is an intensive four-day program held within the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA), aimed at directors and producers working on their first or second feature-length documentary. It targets filmmakers who have demonstrated national talent and seek to expand internationally. The program includes talks with renowned filmmakers, panel discussions, case studies, and networking events focused on global documentary market trends and challenges.
Applicants must submit a form including their biography, filmography, motivation, and learning goals. Optional materials include ongoing projects and audiovisual samples. IDFAcademy is not a traditional project development lab but a professional training and networking platform.
The application deadline is August 1, 2025, and the program runs from November 13 to 16, 2025, in Amsterdam. About 100 participants from around the world will be selected.
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IDFAcademy
The Industry Screenings at the Curtas Vila do Conde IFF are private sessions showcasing new short films that seek a world or international premiere. These sessions are exclusively dedicated to film industry professionals, offering a unique opportunity to view unseen films and generate interest and establish connections with programmers, distributors, and other professionals in the industry.
The event is aimed at a select audience, including programmers and artistic directors of festivals, who are responsible for selecting films for other international festivals, sales agents, who seek new titles to market globally, distributors, who are looking for cinematic content for different markets and platforms, and television channels, which are often looking for new works to broadcast. Other professionals, such as producers and filmmakers, can also participate to explore networking opportunities.
The program for the Industry Screenings is created in collaboration with the Agency for Short Film, an organization specializing in the curation and promotion of short films, ensuring the selection of high-quality and internationally relevant films.
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INDUSTRY SCREENINGS - Curtas Vila do Conde IFF
Short films in the early stages of development, including fiction, animation, documentary, or experimental genres, are presented to programmers, television channels, and international producers, with the best project awarded by a jury. This event aims to foster partnerships between Portuguese production companies and international decision-makers, focusing on short film projects. In addition to the pitching sessions, it is also a unique opportunity for producers and participants to hold informal meetings.
Additionally, the Blit – "In Development" Award will be presented to the best project, valued at 2,000 euros in post-production services, sponsored by Blit.
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IN DEVELOPMENT - Curtas Vila do Conde IFF
This is an opportunity for filmmakers, producers, distributors, film schools, among others, to meet with programmers from the most important international film festivals. The goal of this meeting is to deepen the understanding of the specifics of each event and promote films within the international circuit. Meet the Festivals is part of the Curtas Pro section of the 33rd Curtas Vila do Conde IFF and is limited to 24 participants. Therefore, after submitting the registration form, please wait for our team to confirm your participation.
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MEET THE FESTIVALS - Curtas Vila do Conde IFF
