The Fill the Gap Initiative targets animation producers who participated in the Cartoon Forum 2024 and have not yet completed the financing of their projects. Its goal is to provide visibility and networking opportunities to close the financial gap and move projects toward production.
Selected producers must have at least 70% of the budget secured, a committed television channel, and submit a 30 to 45-second trailer to present their project. Participants are also required to attend matchmaking sessions organized during the event.
The initiative includes trailer screenings at the Coffee Show, participation in matchmaking sessions with buyers, sales agents, and potential co-producers, and presence in the Cartoon Forum mobile app. Geographic diversity is encouraged, and preference is given to projects not submitting a new project to the next Cartoon Forum edition.
The trailer submission deadline is August 18, 2025, with presentations on September 18, 2025, in Toulouse, France, during the Cartoon Forum. The initiative aims to help producers finalize financing and connect with strategic partners.
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Fill the Gap Initiative
Izaña Lab is designed by a team that faces the challenge of filmmaking daily, who understands that a film is the result of continuous trial and error processes. The entire process is, in reality, a laboratory, where the experiment is tested, analyzed and repeated. Each film is a prototype, and although we dream of replicating success stories, reality shows us that the way to position a product as unique as a cinematographic creation in the market requires inventing new formulas that fit each case.
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Izaña - LAB
The seventh edition of ESTELAB invites feature film projects, both fiction and documentary, from Latin America and Europe with potential for international co-production. The lab combines in-person sessions in Colombia with synchronous online activities, providing mentorship and workshops to strengthen projects in development.
Applications are open until October 12, 2025, with a registration fee of 20 USD. Selected projects must cover a participation fee of 480 USD, though partial or full scholarships may be granted.
Applicants must submit a PDF in Spanish including: project cover, synopsis, treatment, director and producer biographies, budget and financing plan, production schedule, motivation to participate, and other relevant information. The registration form must be completed in a single session.
ESTELAB aims to support projects with an international vision and provide tools for their development and potential co-production, fostering exchange between creators and experts from the region and Europe.
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ESTELAB Co-Production Laboratory
Sunny Side of the Doc 2025 is a leading international market dedicated to documentary and factual content, taking place from June 23 to 26, 2025 in La Rochelle, France. It brings together over 2,000 professionals from 60 countries, including producers, broadcasters, distributors, and digital platforms.
The event features 70+ sessions, thematic pitchings (Science, History, Culture, New Voices, and more), screenings, keynotes, and immersive experiences. It serves as a key venue for networking, co-productions, and global documentary sales.
Delegates, exhibitors, decision-makers, and journalists all take part. National initiatives, like the Canada Pavilion supported by Telefilm Canada, enhance visibility and access to international partnerships.
Held at Espace Encan, just minutes from La Rochelle’s city center, the event also offers free electric boat transport for accredited participants.
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Sunny Side of the Doc - Market
The call “Older Women Filmmakers… for Gender Justice” is aimed at women over 50 residing in Cuba who wish to create a short film with a gender and intersectional perspective. The initiative is led by the UNFPA in Cuba, the Havana International New Latin American Film Festival, and Proyecto Palomas.
A grant of 10,000 USD is offered for film production, along with technical guidance and creative support. The selected short film will be screened at the Havana International New Latin American Film Festival.
Projects can be fiction or documentary, up to 15 minutes in length, and should address themes such as gender justice, bodily autonomy, human rights, aging, and diversity. Applicants must submit a form, synopsis, full script, motivation letter, budget, production timeline, and CV.
The application deadline is November 18, 2025, with the final film due by October 30, 2026. The program aims to amplify the voices of older women in Cuban cinema, fostering diversity and fair representation in audiovisual media.
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Older Women Filmmakers in Cinema… for Gender Justice
