In its commitment to emerging talent and attracting filming to Alcalá de Henares, the Alcalá Film Office, part of the Alcalá de Henares Tourism Department, is launching CANTERA - Alcalá Short Film Lab, the first professional short film laboratory, at the next edition of ALCINE, the Alcalá de Henares / Community of Madrid Film Festival. This laboratory, in addition to offering training and support to up to six selected projects, will award one of them with more than €20,000 in cash. Applications are now open, using the form on the Alcalá Film Office and ALCINE websites, until Friday, October 24.
Screenwriters and directors with or without associated production companies are welcome to apply, as long as they have no more than one professional short film (rated by the ICAA or with public subsidies) under their belt. The projects selected from among all those registered will receive training and mentoring from renowned professionals in subjects such as screenwriting, directing, pitching, and production, between November 11 and 14, coinciding with ALCINE 54. The intensive work will consist of 16 hours, spread over four days, to strengthen the projects.
A jury composed of professionals and members of the Madrid short film industry will select a winner from among the six finalists. The winning project will receive a prize consisting of a trophy and in-kind support valued at more than €20,000 for the production of the short film over the following months, with the goal of its premiere in future editions of the festival. The prize may be exchanged for services such as professional script tutoring, pre-production or editing, lighting rentals, promotional materials, or distribution support. The list of collaborating companies and institutions will be announced shortly.
Furthermore, once completed, the resulting short film will premiere at ALCINE, the longest-running film festival in the Community of Madrid, which once awarded and was a cornerstone in the careers of directors such as Álex de la Iglesia, Isabel Coixet and J.A. Bayona.
The call is open to audiovisual producers or individuals over 18 years of age from any background, with a script or short fiction or documentary project in the initial development phase. The short film to be developed must be between 5 and 30 minutes long (preferably between 10 and 15 minutes), and must be located at least 50% in Alcalá de Henares.
Want to participate in CANTERA? Check out the call and register now.
