[BIDEAN] Work In Progress (WIP) | euskal laburmetraiaren merkatua - mercado del cortometraje vasco (3)

Festival start: 11 December 2026      Festival end: 12 December 2026

ESTEKA, the Professional Association for the Support of Basque Short Films, announces BIDEAN, the call for short film projects in the Work in Progress (WIP) phase for the 3rd Basque Short Film Market, to be held on December 11 and 12, 2026, at the Villa Suso Palace in Vitoria-Gasteiz.

The purpose of this call is to support the completion and professional distribution of short films that have finished filming and are in an advanced stage of editing and post-production, facilitating their connection with professionals and industry representatives in the audiovisual sector who can contribute to their completion, distribution, and future distribution.

From among all the projects received, a selection committee composed of industry professionals will choose A MAXIMUM OF SEVEN PROJECTS, which will participate on December 12, 2026, in a private screening session for accredited industry professionals.

Among the invited professionals may be production companies interested in joining the projects at this stage, distributors, festival programmers, and other professionals involved in film production, post-production, distribution, and exhibition.

Attendance at BIDEAN will be mandatory for the director and producer of each selected project.

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Sponsored by the City Council of Vitoria-Gasteiz, the Provincial Council of Álava (Arabako Foru Aldundia), the Basque Government (Eusko Jaurlaritza), the SGAE Foundation, and EITB. With support from La Córnea Digital, iCOFF, Caostica, Epic Films Rental, Sonora, We Punk! Distributions, and organized by esteka.

AWARDS OR RECOGNITIONS

INDUSTRIA SONORA AWARD - €3,000 for Post-Production Services

INDUSTRIA WE PUNK! AWARD - €1,000 for Distribution Services:
•6 months of professional distribution.
•Customized festival strategy.
•Management and tracking of submissions.
•Up to 80 festivals.
•Up to €50 in entry fees included.
•National and international distribution.

OTHER AWARDS TO BE CONFIRMED
The organization may add new awards and recognitions, which will be announced in due course through the official channels of the Basque Short Film Market.

The various awards will be evaluated and granted by representatives of the organizations and/or companies collaborating with or sponsoring each award.

The evaluation criteria will include the project’s artistic and cinematic quality, its stage of development, its post-production needs, the feasibility of its completion, and its distribution potential.

Selection to participate in BIDEAN does not imply the awarding of any prize, grant, or service.

_____________

Sponsored by the City Council of Vitoria-Gasteiz, the Provincial Council of Álava (Arabako Foru Aldundia), the Basque Government (Eusko Jaurlaritza), the SGAE Foundation, and EITB. With support from La Córnea Digital, iCOFF, Caostica, Epic Films Rental, Sonora, We Punk! Distributions, and organized by esteka.

# III BASQUE SHORT FILM MARKET
## BIDEAN 2026 CALL FOR WORK-IN-PROGRESS (WIP) PROJECTS

### 1. PURPOSE OF BIDEAN

ESTEKA, Euskal Film Laburrak Sustatzeko Elkarte Profesionala, is launching BIDEAN, the call for short film projects at the Work in Progress (WIP) stage, as part of the 3rd Basque Short Film Market, which will take place on 11 and 12 December 2026 at the Villa Suso Palace in Vitoria-Gasteiz.

The purpose of this call is to support the completion and professional distribution of short films that have completed principal photography and are at an advanced stage of editing and post-production. The initiative aims to connect these projects with professionals and key players in the audiovisual industry who can contribute to their completion, distribution and future circulation.

From all submissions received, a selection committee made up of industry professionals will select **A MAXIMUM OF SEVEN PROJECTS** to participate in a private screening session on 12 December 2026, attended by accredited industry professionals.

Invited professionals may include production companies interested in joining projects at this stage, distributors, festival programmers and other professionals involved in film production, post-production, distribution and exhibition.

Attendance at BIDEAN is compulsory for the director and producer of each selected project.

### 2. ELIGIBILITY

Directors and producers of projects may apply, provided they are over 18 years of age and ordinarily reside in Spain.

The person submitting the application will be considered the main contact for the purposes of this call. In all cases, the application must be approved by both the director and the producer.

If the project is selected, the director and producer undertake to attend the 3rd Basque Short Film Market in person and participate in the activities organised as part of BIDEAN.

### 3. ELIGIBLE PROJECTS

Projects must meet the following requirements:

- Fiction, documentary and animation projects are eligible.
- Projects filmed in any language are eligible. Projects filmed in languages other than the official languages of the Basque Autonomous Community (BAC)—Basque and Spanish—must include subtitles.
- The project must have reached a sufficiently advanced stage of editing to allow the complete work to be screened and its narrative, artistic and cinematic qualities to be properly assessed.
- The short film must still be in post-production and must not yet be completed. Outstanding work may include, among other processes, final editing, colour grading, sound design and mixing, music composition or recording, visual effects, graphics or other post-production work.
- Projects must be able to demonstrate or declare that they hold the necessary rights to the screenplay, images, music and, where applicable, any pre-existing works or materials incorporated into the short film.
- By the application deadline, the short film must not have had a commercial premiere or begun its regular public festival circuit.
- Projects that have previously participated in other labs, mentoring programmes, markets or calls are eligible, provided they continue to meet the requirements set out in these guidelines.

### 4. REQUIRED DOCUMENTATION

**1. Work-in-Progress version of the short film**

Applicants must provide a private viewing link to the current version of the short film, together with a password where applicable. The link must remain active and accessible throughout the entire selection process.

Where necessary for comprehension, the screener must include Spanish or Basque subtitles.

**2. Project dossier**

A single PDF document must be submitted containing at least the following information:

**Project details:**
- Title.
- Genre.
- Running time of the submitted version.
- Estimated final running time, if different.
- Original language.
- Name and contact details of the director and producer, including email address and telephone number.

**Director’s statement:** Explaining the motivation behind the project, its artistic and cinematic approach, and any other elements relevant to understanding the work. Maximum length: 2 pages.

**Production statement**, which must include at least:
- Producer’s statement.
- Current production and post-production status.
- Post-production work completed.
- Outstanding work required to finish the short film.
- Expected completion schedule.
- Summary of the overall project budget, including expenditure to date and outstanding costs.
- Financing plan.
- Technical and artistic credits.
- Filmography of the production company and/or producer.

**Current project needs:** Specify the support, services, collaborations or partnerships the project is seeking at this stage and the objectives it hopes to achieve through participation in BIDEAN.

**Proposed distribution strategy:** Including, where applicable, information on festivals, distribution, sales or the planned premiere.

**Director’s and producer’s biographies and filmographies.**

### 5. APPLICATION PROCEDURE AND DEADLINE

Applications must be submitted exclusively through FESTHOME by **23:59 on 16 November 2026**.

Late submissions and applications missing any of the required documentation will not be accepted. No corrections or supplementary submissions will be permitted.

The application fee is €5.

### 6. SELECTION PROCESS

A selection committee appointed by the organisers will choose a maximum of seven projects to participate in BIDEAN.

Projects will be selected on the basis of the WIP screening and the documentation submitted correctly and within the deadline.

The committee may include professionals working in directing, production, festival programming, distribution, post-production, audiovisual institutions and other areas of the industry.

The committee’s deliberations will remain confidential, and its decisions will be final and not subject to appeal.

### 7. EVALUATION CRITERIA

- Cinematic and narrative quality of the WIP: up to 40 points.
- Originality and distinctive nature of the artistic and directorial approach: up to 30 points.
- Potential of the work once completed: up to 20 points.
- Potential to benefit from BIDEAN and the extent to which the project’s needs match the professionals attending the Market: up to 10 points.

**Maximum score: 100 points.**

The organisers will ensure balanced representation of women and men among the selected projects. Of the seven projects selected, at least three must be directed by women and at least three by men.

The organisers will also ensure a minimum representation of Basque and Álava-based projects. At least three of the seven selected projects must be led by directors from the Basque Country.

This criterion will be applied to the final selection after the projects have been assessed according to the evaluation criteria above. It may determine the final composition of the selection where projects have similar scores.

### 8. ANNOUNCEMENT OF SELECTED PROJECTS

The list of selected projects will be published before 1 December 2026. The organisers will contact the people responsible for each selected project directly.

The director and producer must confirm their participation. If they withdraw, fail to confirm or are unable to attend, the organisers may select a reserve project.

When the results are announced, the organisers will request the materials needed to include the project in the event catalogue.

### 9. BIDEAN WIP SCREENING

The seven selected projects will take part in a private screening session on 12 December 2026 as part of the 3rd Basque Short Film Market.

The session will be exclusively for accredited professionals and guests invited by the organisers. Attendees may include production companies, distributors, festival programmers, post-production professionals and other audiovisual industry representatives.

The aim of the session is to present projects before completion and encourage potential partnerships, collaborations, production involvement, distribution agreements, festival strategies and other professional opportunities that may contribute to the completion and subsequent circulation of the films.

Following the screenings, the organisers will provide opportunities for discussions, networking and meetings between the project teams and attending professionals.

The director and producer of each selected project must attend in person, except in cases of duly justified force majeure expressly accepted by the organisers.

The screening version of the short film must comply with the technical specifications and delivery deadlines communicated in advance to the selected projects.

### 10. AWARDS AND RECOGNITION

**SONORA INDUSTRIA AWARD – €3,000**

Awarded in the form of post-production services.

**WE PUNK! INDUSTRIA AWARD – €1,000**

Awarded in the form of distribution services:
- Six months of professional distribution.
- A tailored festival strategy.
- Management and monitoring of festival submissions.
- Up to 80 festivals.
- Up to €50 in festival submission fees included.
- National and international distribution.

**OTHER AWARDS TO BE CONFIRMED**

The organisers may introduce additional awards and forms of recognition, which will be announced in due course through the official channels of the Basque Short Film Market.

The various awards will be assessed and granted by representatives of the organisations and/or companies collaborating with or sponsoring each award.

Evaluation criteria will include the project’s artistic and cinematic quality, its stage of development, its post-production needs, the feasibility of completing it and its distribution potential.

Selection to participate in BIDEAN does not guarantee the award of any prize, funding or service.

### 11. AWARDS CEREMONY

The winning projects will be announced for the first time during the awards ceremony of the 3rd Basque Short Film Market, which will take place on the evening of **12 December 2026**.

Attendance is compulsory for the director and producer of every project selected for BIDEAN. They must remain in Vitoria-Gasteiz until the ceremony has concluded.

### 12. TRAVEL AND ACCOMMODATION

The organisers will cover accommodation in Vitoria-Gasteiz for representatives of selected projects for a maximum of one night, coinciding with the 3rd Basque Short Film Market.

Travel expenses to and from Vitoria-Gasteiz will be borne by the participants.

Accommodation will be provided for a maximum of two people per selected project: the director and the producer.

### 13. COPYRIGHT AND INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

Participants declare that they are the authors, producers or legitimate rights holders of the rights necessary to submit the project and allow it to be screened as part of this call.

Participation in BIDEAN does not entail the transfer to the organisers of any intellectual property or exploitation rights relating to the submitted projects or works.

Participants will be responsible for any third-party claims arising from authorship, ownership or use of images, music, performances, pre-existing works or any other materials included in their projects.

The organisers may use the title, synopsis, team names and graphic materials supplied by selected projects exclusively for communications and promotional purposes relating to BIDEAN, the 3rd Basque Short Film Market and its activities.

The organisers may not reproduce, publicly distribute or make the submitted WIP available to third parties, except through the professional screenings provided for in these guidelines and under the conditions established for those screenings.

### 14. CONFIDENTIALITY AND PRIVATE SCREENINGS

Documentation and screening links submitted during the application process will be accessible only to those involved in the administration and selection of the projects.

For selected projects, screenings will be private and intended for industry professionals; they will not be open to the general public.

The organisers will inform attending professionals that the materials being screened are confidential and unfinished. They will request that these materials not be recorded, reproduced, shared, distributed or used outside the framework of BIDEAN without the express authorisation of the rights holders.

Participants should nevertheless bear in mind that BIDEAN is intended to share projects with professionals from outside the organising team in order to generate opportunities for collaboration, production, distribution and circulation.

The organisers will take reasonable measures to restrict access to the materials to those involved in the process and the professionals participating in the sessions.

### 15. DATA PROTECTION

Personal data supplied by applicants will be processed by ESTEKA for the purpose of administering the call, processing and assessing applications, communicating information related to the call, and organising activities associated with BIDEAN and the 3rd Basque Short Film Market.

Data processing will be carried out in accordance with the applicable data protection legislation.

Individuals may exercise their rights of access, rectification, erasure, objection, restriction of processing and, where applicable, data portability by contacting info@esteka.info.

### 16. AMENDMENTS AND EXCEPTIONAL CIRCUMSTANCES

The organisers reserve the right to amend dates, schedules or organisational aspects of the call where justified reasons arise, undertaking to inform participants of any significant changes.

The organisers may also decide how to resolve any circumstances not expressly covered by these guidelines, in accordance with the principles of equality, transparency and good faith.

### 17. ACCEPTANCE OF THE GUIDELINES

Submitting an application implies full acceptance of these guidelines. Failure to comply with any of their provisions may
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Sponsored by the City Council of Vitoria-Gasteiz, the Provincial Council of Álava (Arabako Foru Aldundia), the Basque Government (Eusko Jaurlaritza), the SGAE Foundation, and EITB. With support from La Córnea Digital, iCOFF, Caostica, Epic Films Rental, Sonora, We Punk! Distributions, and organized by esteka.