The Nuevas Realizadoras 2026 Lab, organized by Montevideo Cine LAB (Uruguay), is a project development laboratory for women filmmakers with feature film projects in development. The program focuses on first and second feature films in fiction, documentary, or hybrid formats, providing mentorship, production guidance, and a final pitch session with industry professionals. Projects must be directed exclusively by women and be in the development stage. The call is intended for Uruguayan filmmakers and also accepts foreign applicants who have legally resided in Uruguay for at least five years. The laboratory will take place in a hybrid format, combining online and in-person activities, from October 11 to 17, 2026. Applications will be accepted from July 25 to August 15, 2026 (11:59 p.m.).
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Montevideo Cine LAB - New Female Filmmakers
ESTELAB-Crea is a residency designed to enhance the narrative coherence and creative aspects of feature film projects in development. Participants will work on reviewing and rewriting key components of their projects, such as the intention note, storyline, synopsis, treatment, and script, with the support of high-level advisors. The residency is conducted in a hybrid format, starting with a virtual diagnostic phase, followed by a creative exploration phase in person, and concluding with a virtual follow-up session.
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ESTELAB CREA
The 5th Short Film Screenwriting Competition 2026, organized by Detour.uy in Uruguay, supports the writing and production of short-form audiovisual works. The call is open to applicants over 18 who are Uruguayan citizens or residents. Foreign applicants may participate only if they can demonstrate more than five years of residence in Uruguay and hold a valid Uruguayan identity card.
The competition accepts short-film scripts in any genre, with a maximum length of 12 pages, excluding the cover page. It falls within the project development and production support area and is best classified as a screenwriting competition or laboratory. It is not intended for completed films or projects at the Work in Progress stage.
Applications will be accepted from May 7 until August 16, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. Finalists will be announced on October 10, 2026, and the winning project will be revealed on October 17, 2026.
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Montevideo Cine LAB - Screenplay Contest
MAFF (Málaga Festival Fund & Co Production Event), organized by MAFIZ as part of the Málaga Film Festival (Spain), is a co-production market aimed at feature-length fiction, documentary, and animation projects in an advanced stage of development. The call is open to production companies from Spain, Portugal, and Latin American countries, fostering international co-production, financing opportunities, mentoring, and networking with industry professionals. Short films, TV series, web series, TV movies, and journalistic reports are not eligible. The 2026 call for projects is open from July 15 to October 22, 2026, and the event will take place March 2–5, 2027, in Málaga, Spain.
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Málaga - MAFF
Vanguardia: Film Project Incubator – Ícaro Industria 2026 is an international film development program based in Guatemala, focused on strengthening early-stage audiovisual projects through training, mentorship, and tools for financing and co-production opportunities. The call is open to Spanish-speaking directors, screenwriters, and producers from around the world with feature film projects in fiction, documentary, or animation.
The application period will be open from April 19 to May 19, 2026. Selected projects will participate in an online training program from June 6 to July 5, 2026, including sessions on project development, production structures, budgeting, financing, project presentation materials, pitching, artificial intelligence tools, and immersive storytelling. The program will conclude with a pitch presentation on July 5, 2026, where one project will be selected to participate in the International Co-production Meeting as part of Ícaro Industria 2026, taking place in November in Guatemala City.
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CUTTING-EDGE INCUBATOR
