A Shelter of One’s Own is an international artistic residency by Etxe Betea aimed at women filmmakers worldwide who face structural, political, or social barriers in developing their film projects. It is particularly focused on creators from contexts of armed conflict, political repression, lack of freedom of expression, or limited audiovisual production infrastructure.
The residency provides a safe and supportive space for creative work and reflection, with professional guidance and a feminist approach. It includes nine months of accommodation in Bilbao, a €5,000 grant for project development, and monthly mentorship sessions. The participant may propose a mentor, who will be reviewed and confirmed by the residency team.
Projects can be feature films of any genre: fiction, documentary, experimental, animation, or hybrid. Films can be developed in any language, although all documentation and residency processes must be submitted in Spanish or English. This initiative seeks to promote diverse voices in cinema, creative freedom, and cultural rights, supporting those who face obstacles in bringing their work to life.
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A Shelter of One’s Own – Etxe Betea
The Two Week International Residency is a program by Etxe Betea in Bilbao, aimed at international women filmmakers looking to develop a feature film project. The residency provides a creative, professional, and feminist environment, including accommodation, workspace, and personalized mentorship for two weeks.
The program has a history of international exchanges with Greece and Pakistan, fostering collaboration among filmmakers from diverse cultural backgrounds. In its pilot edition, Greek and Basque filmmakers participated in cross-residencies, maintaining this international focus.
The call is open to women filmmakers of any age and experience level who do not reside in Spain. Projects can be fiction, documentary, experimental, animation, or hybrid, with no restrictions on the stage of development. Only one participant will be selected per edition.
The residency is offered in February or May, with exceptional flexibility in justified cases. Participation requires full commitment to the two-week program and signing an attendance agreement.
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A Shelter of One’s Own – Etxe Betea
WIP Realizadoras FECILS 2026 is the industry section of the Festival Internacional de Cine de La Serena dedicated to supporting Chilean audiovisual projects directed by women in the post-production stage. The call is open exclusively to fiction and documentary short films with a maximum running time of 30 minutes, created by female directors from any region of Chile, including the Metropolitan Region. Its objective is to strengthen women's participation in the audiovisual sector and support projects in their final stage of completion. Submissions are open until August 21, 2026. Selected projects will participate in screenings and one-on-one feedback sessions with a jury of industry professionals during the festival week. As a Work in Progress platform, the program offers post-production awards focused on sound and original music, helping selected projects complete and enhance their final versions.
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FECILS Female directors - WIP
Cartoon Springboard is a European program aimed at animation students and recent graduates who want to develop and present their projects to industry professionals. The call accepts projects for TV series, TV specials, and feature films, but not short films.
Selected participants have the opportunity to pitch their projects, receive direct feedback from international experts, and attend masterclasses and lectures led by industry professionals. The event also provides valuable networking opportunities with producers, distributors, and other animation professionals.
The program’s goal is to support emerging talent and facilitate the launch of new projects in the European animation industry. While the project submission has specific deadlines, it is possible to attend the event as a participant without a project to benefit from the training and professional connections it offers.
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Cartoon Springboard
The European Work in Progress 2025 call seeks European feature films or co-productions in shooting, post-production, or advanced finishing stages. Projects must include real footage clips with English subtitles to present to film industry professionals.
Up to 30 projects will be selected, with the opportunity to pitch for 15 minutes and participate in Q&A sessions, one-to-one meetings, workshops, and networking events. The aim is to secure additional funding, distribution, and international visibility.
The submission deadline is August 14, 2025. Projects must have at least 10 minutes of available footage and meet European production criteria. This year, awards total €120,000, provided by new and returning sponsors. The program continues its collaboration with TorinoFilmLab, including projects from its development programs. Participation is open to producers from any country, as long as their project meets the European eligibility requirements.
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European Work in Progress Hamburg
