The Projects Submission call for the FEST – New Directors | New Films Festival in Portugal (Espinho) invites film projects to its Pitching Forum 2026. Submissions are open from December 18, 2025 to April 6, 2026, with Early Bird, regular, and late fee periods. The main event takes place during the festival, running June 20–28, 2026, with training sessions from June 23–25 and final pitch presentations on June 26–27, 2026. This call accepts international submissions with no country restrictions and is open to projects of all genres and filmmaking techniques (fiction, documentary, animation, experimental). The focus area is a Pitching Forum for development, funding, and co-production, where selected projects are presented to industry professionals. Accepted formats include feature films, short films, and series at various stages from development to post-production, organized in categories such as Feature Gems, Work In Progress, Make It Short, and Series, according to the participation guidelines.
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FEST — Pitching Forum
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
The IBERMEDIA Program launches its Feature Film Co-Development call to support projects in the development stage that can become co-productions among member countries. Applications are open from January 30 to March 30, 2026, until 11:59 a.m. local time of the lead producer’s country.
The call accepts fiction, documentary, and animation feature films. It is aimed at producers from at least two IBERMEDIA member countries, encouraging international collaboration within the Ibero-American region. This initiative does not fund physical production but provides support for the development and co-development phase, including script work, production planning, and co-production preparation.
The main goal is to strengthen feature film projects with international distribution potential, fostering cultural exchange among participating countries and facilitating industry cooperation. Selected projects will receive financial and technical support to consolidate their proposals and move forward toward production.
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IBERMEDIA PROGRAM - CO-DEVELOPMENT OF FEATURE FILMS
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
