The Residència de Guions (5th edition) is a script development program organized by the Catalan Film Academy, based in Catalonia, Spain. It is designed for film projects at the writing stage and offers long-term creative support for screenwriters.
The application period runs from January 19 to February 23, 2026, until 3:00 pm. The residency itself will take place from September 2026 to May 2027, lasting approximately nine months.
The call is open to feature-length projects in fiction, documentary, and animation. It operates as a scriptwriting residency and development lab, rather than a market or pitching forum, focusing on in-depth work on the screenplay.
The program accepts international applications. While it promotes projects connected to the Catalan language and cultural context, participation is not limited to national applicants, reflecting an open and internationally oriented approach.
Review official bases.
ACC Screenwriting Residency
Locarno Residency 2026 is an international development and mentorship program organized by the Locarno Film Festival in Switzerland for emerging filmmakers working on their first fiction or documentary feature film. The initiative supports directors during the transition from short-form filmmaking to feature-length cinema through tailored mentoring, creative guidance, and industry-focused development activities.
Applications are open until June 5, 2026, and the program is aimed at international filmmakers under the age of 40 who have previously directed a short film or documentary that has screened at a film festival. Eligible projects must be first feature films longer than 60 minutes and currently in development.
The program begins during the 79th Locarno Film Festival, taking place from August 5–15, 2026, and continues through an extended mentorship and development process. The residency focuses on script development, project refinement, and preparing emerging filmmakers and their projects for future production and industry opportunities.
Review official bases.
Locarno Residency
The FantasoLab 2026 Fantastic Genre Short Film Laboratory opens applications from January 22 to February 20, 2026. This is a training‑focused lab designed for creators of fantastic genre short films — including science fiction, fantasy, and horror — who want to develop their projects through workshops, mentorship, and work sessions. The emphasis is on short films in development, between 7 and 15 minutes, with a first draft script ready at the time of submission.
The main laboratory activities will take place from April 6 to April 11, 2026, with preliminary sessions and individual work from late March to early April. Although based in Colombia, the call accepts international applications, especially from Ibero‑American creators, with priority given to Colombian talent. This initiative is not primarily a competition or market but a creative development environment to support and strengthen fantastic short film projects.
Review official bases.
Lab Cortos - Fantasolab
The Sundance Institute currently has several open or upcoming application deadlines for 2025‑2026 supporting independent artists and projects. Key deadlines include the 2026 Episodic Lab closing on November 9, 2025, the Merata Mita Fellowship on November 3, 2025, the Graton Fellowship on December 8, 2025, and the Native Lab on December 22, 2025. The Sundance Ignite x Adobe Fellowship deadline is February 12, 2026, and the Feature Film Producers Track closes around February 11‑12, 2026. The Ignite Challenge accepts applications through July 1, 2026. These opportunities span labs, fellowships, mentorships, and development tracks for filmmakers and storytellers. Most programs are open to international applicants, though some (like Native Lab and Graton Fellowship) have specific community or regional eligibility requirements. Additionally, submission windows for film and episodic content for the 2026 Sundance Film Festival occurred during mid‑2025, with the festival itself scheduled from January 22 to February 1, 2026. These dates represent the latest publicly available deadlines across multiple Sundance initiatives.
DIFFERENT DATES FOR ACTIVITIES
Review official bases.
Sundance Institute
CineMart, the 43rd edition of IFFR Pro’s co-production market, will take place during the 55th International Film Festival Rotterdam from January 29 to February 8, 2026. For the first time, it introduces CineMart x HBF, highlighting projects supported by the Hubert Bals Fund. The call is open for feature-length and immersive projects in development seeking co-production and financing partners. There is a tiered fee structure: early (€25 excl. VAT) until July 7, 2025; standard (€35) until August 21; late (€55) until the final deadline on August 27, 2025. Projects must be debuting at Rotterdam, viable, and led by a director-producer team. Feature films need a minimum 60‑minute runtime, full script available during CineMart, at least secured national or third‑party funding, budgets under €6M, and international coproduction potential. Immersive works (VR/AR/MR/360°) should be in development, with ≥25 % of the budget secured, created by experienced immersive artists, new to the market, with full documentation in English. Deadline: August 27, 2025.
Review official rules.
Rotterdam - Cinemart
