Festivals are also a source of funding for short film projects; they don’t just help with their exhibition and promotion. Since their inception, they have been fundamental to the viability of many short films.
It makes perfect sense, and I believe it is increasingly important for festivals to collaborate in the funding and development of new projects.
In Spain, short film funding is based on subsidies from both the ICAA and the Autonomous Communities, project awards at festivals, crowdfunding, and screenplay competitions.
The fundamental difference between screenplay competitions and project awards is that the former rewards the author for the literary work represented by the screenplay, while the latter rewards the entire project, from the screenplay to its viability for execution. Therefore, most of these awards are aimed at production companies, not directors or screenwriters.
In these cases, a production dossier must also be submitted, containing all documentation related to the production. This dossier is usually the same for all calls, so it is best to have it ready in advance, as its preparation involves a lot of work.
This would be an example of standard content for this type of dossier:
- Short film screenplay
- Brief synopsis
- Director’s statement
- Shooting schedule
- Budget
- Funding plan
- Director and technical crew CVs
- Artistic team
- Production company history
In Spain, there are festivals that have been committed to this type of award for many years, thanks to which some of the most important Spanish short films have been produced.
Many of them require the premiere at these same festivals, but out of competition, which on the one hand can help with their dissemination, but also limits the planning of the festival strategy; the calendar must be carefully reviewed in each case.
This is a review of these project awards and their submission deadlines. You usually have to be very attentive, as they often come out with little notice, so I hope this post helps you plan the development and search for funding for your short film:
Movistar Plus Cinema Jove Short Project
The Cinema Jove project award is one of the most important, with 16 editions behind it. The maximum duration of projects must be 20 min., and this year’s submission deadline was June 15.
The short film must be shot before March 15 and must be submitted completed by the first week of June of the following year, in 2018. Its national premiere at the Cinema Jove Festival, out of competition, is mandatory. International festival premieres are permitted.
The award consists of the assignment of rights to Movistar Plus for two years, with a prize of €9,000 and the sponsorship of Pecera Estudio for audio post-production.
Movistar Plus Short Project Award at the Gijón Festival
In the same vein as Cinema Jove, the Gijón Festival award also has the support of Movistar Plus with a prize of €9,000, Pecera Estudio, and Promofest with distribution to up to 100 festivals. This award also requires the short film’s premiere at the festival, which takes place at the end of November.
Registration is open only to production companies, and the submission deadline was October 14.
Medina del Campo National Project Competition
The Medina del Campo award completes the three projects in which Movistar Plus collaborates, in this case with €4,500 and Pecera Estudio. The award is supplemented with another €4,500 from the Valladolid Provincial Council and the collaboration of Marvin and Wayne in distribution and sales.
In this case, it must also be a premiere at the festival (with the exception of the Madrid Community Short Film Week due to coinciding dates). Both producers and screenwriters and directors can participate.
There is a minimum duration of 10 minutes and a maximum of 20, and it must be shot, with a maximum of 35%, both indoors and outdoors in Medina del Campo. This year the submission deadline was February 16, and the festival usually takes place in mid-March.
Audiovisual Creation Grants from the Málaga Festival
The Málaga Festival also supports short film production, but only at a provincial level, allowing only projects from individuals born, residing, studying, or working in the province of Málaga, as well as companies and professionals. In this case, it is not mandatory to be a production company to apply for these grants.
It has a prize of €6,000, with several projects being selected, according to last year’s rules, up to a maximum of €50,000 in total. This year’s submission deadline was February 6, and it was announced in November.
These awards include mentoring sessions with professionals, which take place at the end of April. The final short film must be delivered at the end of the year, in December, and will be screened in a special session of the festival.
Award for Best Audiovisual Production Project at the Almería International Film Festival
It also has a filming requirement, this time in the province of Almería, by any Spanish production company. The total amount of the award is €7,000, of which €6,000 is paid before the premiere, and the remaining €1,000 when it has already been presented at the festival. The final copies must be submitted by October 26.
Last year’s registration deadline was September 6, and it must also be a premiere at the Almería festival.
European Film Award University of Seville
Still in Andalusia, the Seville European Festival annually announces the project award, European in scope, and only for students enrolled in European universities, which also includes students from the Seville Higher School of Dramatic Art, by agreement with the festival. The prize for this award is €3,000, and projects must have a duration of less than 20 min.
In the previous edition, the submission deadline was September 30. Like the rest of the projects, it must premiere at the festival.
Abycine Lanza Short Film Project Competition
Last year was the first edition, within Mercado Abycine Lanza, dedicated to independent cinema. This award also has a regional scope, and professionals and non-professionals from Castilla-La Mancha, in addition to production companies, can submit projects.
In this case, as they are organized by a market, a selection of 10 projects is made and presented to professionals on October 20 and 22. The award has a prize of €3,000.
Last year, the registration deadline was August 20, so the launch of the new call should be soon.
Notodo Weekend Pitching Zone
The concept of this award is different from the rest and closer to the Málaga Festival and Abycine Lanza awards. It consists of training and preparation sessions in project pitching, which are then presented to a committee of professionals, of which I was a part this year. In total, 12 projects were presented, and it took place on June 18.
The award prize is €1,200, and both professionals, directors, and screenwriters can submit projects. The registration fee for these activities is €20.
Co-production Forum of the Madrid Community Short Film Week
Although more focused on co-production, there is an award for the best project. This award consists of a post-production grant, with the collaboration of Sound Cuts and Elamedia, in addition to a €1,500 award granted by Film Madrid (filming office), for projects with locations in the Community of Madrid.
The submission deadline this year ended on April 11. The pitching sessions took place during the Professional Forum of the Short Film Week on Saturday, April 29.
The Short Film Project Submission Calendar
Due to the requirements of each, it is difficult to opt for more than one of these awards, on the one hand some are exclusive, such as Medina del Campo, Cinema Jove, and Gijón, as they include the purchase of broadcasting rights by Movistar Plus, and on the other, the requirement of premiering at the festivals themselves makes it impossible to participate in more than one.
This is the estimated registration order, based on the dates of the previous edition:
- Málaga – February 6
- Medina del Campo – February 16
- Madrid – April 11
- Cinema Jove – June 15
- Abycine – August 20
- Almería – September 6
- Seville – September 30
- Gijón – October 14
Start preparing your project now, plan the calendar and development strategy; don’t miss out on opportunities to find funding for your short film.
If you know of another project award at festivals, feel free to write a comment below.