The Dream Makers Contest – Challenge #3 2026 is an international call organized by ESCAC (Escola Superior de Cinema i Audiovisuals de Catalunya) together with its partner institutions, aimed at supporting emerging filmmakers and promoting the creation and production of new cinematic projects. The contest focuses on fiction short film projects and will select one winning proposal for production.
Applications will be open from August 24 to August 31, 2026. The finalist projects will be announced during the 2026 Sitges Film Festival, while the winning project will be revealed at the Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale) in February 2027. The production of the winning short film is scheduled to take place between May and July 2027.
The call is open to international applicants and exclusively accepts fiction short films. It does not include documentaries, animation, feature films, or series. The program is a short film production contest rather than a pitch, laboratory, market, or work in progress initiative.
Review official bases.
The Dream Makers
La Meseta Distribution 2026 is an industry laboratory organized by SEMINCI in Spain to strengthen the distribution and communication strategies of independent feature films before their commercial release. The program is intended for teams composed of an independent distributor based in Spain and a film publicity agency or press representative, or a distributor with an in-house communications department.
The call for applications is open from July 24 to September 14, 2026. Selected projects will take part in online mentoring sessions throughout October 2026 and will present their distribution campaigns in person during the 71st SEMINCI, taking place in Valladolid from October 23 to 31, 2026.
The laboratory accepts feature films in fiction, documentary, and animation, with a minimum running time of 60 minutes. Its main objective is to help participants design effective theatrical release strategies. The call is open exclusively to independent distributors established in Spain.La Meseta Distribution 2026 is an industry laboratory organized by SEMINCI in Spain to strengthen the distribution and communication strategies of independent feature films before their commercial release. The program is intended for teams composed of an independent distributor based in Spain and a film publicity agency or press representative, or a distributor with an in-house communications department.
The call for applications is open from July 24 to September 14, 2026. Selected projects will take part in online mentoring sessions throughout October 2026 and will present their distribution campaigns in person during the 71st SEMINCI, taking place in Valladolid from October 23 to 31, 2026.
The laboratory accepts feature films in fiction, documentary, and animation, with a minimum running time of 60 minutes. Its main objective is to help participants design effective theatrical release strategies. The call is open exclusively to independent distributors established in Spain.
Review official bases.
La Meseta - Seminci
The 2026 Ibero-American Screenwriting Residency, organized by Fundación Algo en Común in Colombia, is a creative development program aimed at Ibero-American screenwriters with fiction feature film projects in development. The call is open to participants from Ibero-American countries, including Latin America, Spain, Portugal, and Puerto Rico.
Applications will be open until July 12, 2026. The in-person residency will take place from September 28 to October 23, 2026, in Cali, Colombia, followed by a virtual project acceleration program from October 19 to November 6, 2026, and a Production Meeting during November 2026.
The program is a screenwriting residency and film development laboratory that provides script mentoring, creative support, and industry networking opportunities. It accepts fiction feature film projects with at least a first written draft of the screenplay.
Review official rules.
Ibero-American Script Residency - Something in Common
The workshop is dedicated to directors and scriptwriters with a project in an early stage of development – initial idea, synopsis, short treatment – for a short film of any kind (animation, documentary, experimental and fiction) from the following countries: Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Greece, Israel, Italy, Kosovo, Lebanon, Malta, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, Turkey.
Review official rules.
ShorTS Development Pitching Training
MIP CANCÚN 2025 is the leading content and co-production market for Latin America and the U.S. Hispanic market, taking place November 18–21, 2025, at the Moon Palace Resort in Cancún. It targets audiovisual professionals including producers, buyers, distributors, platforms, and brands.
There are four participation options: Networking Pass, Content Market, Co-Production Market, and Meeting Pods. All formats include accommodation, meals, access to conferences, screenings, and a digital platform for 1-on-1 meetings.
Spots are limited, especially for those formats involving pre-scheduled meetings. While no official registration deadline has been announced, early registration is strongly recommended to ensure access to the matchmaking system, which launches in early November.
The 2025 edition will feature special programs such as the Creator Economy Track (with a keynote by YouTube), the Branded Content Program, and the Beyond the Stream Summit. The all-inclusive format fosters networking, global exposure, and effective deal-making in a single location.
Review official bases.
MIP CANCUN