Ideatoon 2026, organized by Pixelatl, is a call for animated project development aimed at Latin American creators with international market potential. The program focuses on early-stage development, requiring participants to submit a Pitch Bible for animated series or feature films. It is designed to strengthen projects through training, pitching sessions, and industry connections with international executives.
The application deadline is June 15, 2026, at 11:59 PM (Mexico City time). Selected projects are announced on June 25, 2026, followed by an intensive Bootcamp held from July 28 to 30, 2026. The process concludes during the Ideatoon Summit at the Pixelatl Festival in November 2026, where final pitches are presented to producers and distributors, and the winning project is announced on November 14, 2026.
Although the program is based in Mexico, it is open to creators from all Latin American countries. It accepts only animated projects in development, primarily series and feature films, rather than completed works. The initiative includes training sessions, mentorship, and access to a professional audiovisual market aimed at facilitating industry connections and project financing.
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Pixelatl - Ideatoon
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
Sheffield DocFest es el principal festival de documentales del Reino Unido y uno de los mercados más influyentes del mundo para proyectos documentales. Defendemos y presentamos la amplitud de la forma documental (cine, televisión, inmersión y arte) en la vibrante ciudad de Sheffield cada junio. Ofrecemos a los creadores y al público un lugar para la inspiración, el debate, el desarrollo, el aprendizaje y el desafío. Nuestra programación representa nuestros valores fundamentales: creatividad, empatía, libertad, inclusión e internacionalismo.
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Mercado de Sheffield DocFest
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 2026 es un programa intensivo de formación organizado por el International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA), dirigido a directores y productores emergentes de documental que estén realizando su primer o segundo largometraje. El programa busca fortalecer el desarrollo artístico y profesional de sus participantes mediante talleres, charlas, estudios de caso y actividades de networking con destacados profesionales de la industria documental internacional.
La convocatoria está abierta a postulantes de todo el mundo y se llevará a cabo de manera presencial en Ámsterdam, Países Bajos, del 12 al 15 de noviembre de 2026. Las postulaciones estarán abiertas del 1 de junio al 1 de agosto de 2026, siendo esta última la fecha límite para aplicar. La selección contempla aproximadamente 100 participantes internacionales. Aunque el programa no está centrado en un proyecto específico, se recomienda que los postulantes cuenten con un proyecto documental en desarrollo o una película recientemente finalizada para aprovechar mejor la experiencia formativa.
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IDFAcademy
