The Rotterdam Lab 2026 is a program for emerging international film producers seeking to expand their professional network and develop feature-length projects with international co-production potential. It is open to independent producers, freelancers, or junior producers in production companies, with no age limit, who have completed at least two short films and are working on their first or second feature.
The program prioritizes diversity and inclusion, especially welcoming applicants from minority, indigenous, LGBTQIA+, neurodiverse, disabled communities, or underrepresented regions in the international film industry.
Selected participants receive full access to IFFR Pro and CineMart 2026, including accreditation for meetings, screenings, networking events, and five nights of accommodation. Travel expenses are not covered.
The lab takes place during the International Film Festival Rotterdam, from late January to early February 2026. Applicants must submit an application form, CV, and motivation letter, with an optional portfolio or dossier. The main focus is on the international potential of the project and the producer’s ability to contribute to and benefit from the lab.
Review official bases.
Lab - IFFR
The American Film Market (AFM) 2026 will take place in Los Angeles, United States, from November 10 to 15, 2026. Registration for buyers and attendees opens on June 23, 2026; a general registration closing date for 2026 is not specified.
AFM is an international film industry market that brings together professionals from more than 80 countries and focuses on the development, financing, exhibition, acquisition, distribution, and licensing of films and projects. It accepts national and international participation. Its screenings accept films in all languages, including fiction and documentary, both completed and Work in Progress. The market includes films and projects at different stages of development, as well as presentations and promotional materials. It also includes professional activities related to networking, production, distribution, financing, and pitching.
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American Film Market
MAFF (Málaga Festival Fund & Co Production Event), organized by MAFIZ as part of the Málaga Film Festival (Spain), is a co-production market aimed at feature-length fiction, documentary, and animation projects in an advanced stage of development. The call is open to production companies from Spain, Portugal, and Latin American countries, fostering international co-production, financing opportunities, mentoring, and networking with industry professionals. Short films, TV series, web series, TV movies, and journalistic reports are not eligible. The 2026 call for projects is open from July 15 to October 22, 2026, and the event will take place March 2–5, 2027, in Málaga, Spain.
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Málaga - MAFF
The CANTERA - Alcalá Short Film Lab call is aimed at emerging filmmakers who want to develop their first professional short film. Up to six projects will be selected to participate in an intensive training lab, including 16 hours of workshops led by industry professionals in scriptwriting, directing, pitching, and production.
The winning project will receive an in-kind prize valued at over €20,000, providing resources to complete the short film. Additionally, the final work will have the opportunity to premiere at a future edition of the Alcalá de Henares Film Festival, offering national exposure.
Participants must be over 18 years old and have limited professional short film experience (no more than one). Project duration should be between five and thirty minutes. Applications are open until October 24, 2025. This initiative is an excellent opportunity to gain training, support, and visibility in the film industry, fostering emerging talent and enabling the creation of high-quality short films.
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ECAM Films to Come
For the first time, the Fantboi - Sant Boi de Llobregat's International Fantastic Film Festival- is organizing its own feature film and short film project pitch competition.
As such, Fantboi-Future is the pitch-competition event focused on horror, science-fiction or fantastic feature films and short films in development.
The initiative maintains its objective of discovering the best genre projects out there, and connecting them with leading companies in the industry and professionals in the sector. The event will take place on Saturday, June 10.
In total, five projects will be selected. Those responsible for the selected projects will have the opportunity to make a sales pitch and then be able to talk with the professionals and producers in attendance, in a relaxed atmosphere, perfect for growing your ideas.
All the selected projects will have the option to acquire a free guest accreditation for the present edition of the Festival- which would allow them to attend all Fantboi sessions.
BASES FANTBOI-FUTURE 2023
REQUIREMENTS
The candidate projects to present:
- Screenplay
- Dossier with synopsis of the project, filmic references, production advantages,…
- Video pitch of a maximum duration of 3 minutes from the director of the project, or a teaser (which must be uploaded on the film's page in Festhome, as if it were a short film).
- Proposal for the film/short's poster.
awards
The projects that end up selected in Fantboi-Future will compete for the following prizes:
FEATURE FILM/SHORT CATEGORY
Presenting your project in front of industry professionals
Guest accreditation for the Fantboi
Festival Merchandise Pack
Advice on the pre-production process by professionals in the sector
PARTICIPATION COMMITMENT
The winning projects, and in the event that the corresponding long or short film is carried out, commit to adding the Fantboi-Future logo to it.
DATES
Monday, October 31: start of the call.
Monday, April 10: end of call.
Sunday April 30: announcement of the selected project/s.
Call through Festhome.
Contact: fantboi.future@fantboi.com
