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
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
WIP:LAB is a training and analysis space for emerging filmmakers of Ibero-American non-fiction cinema. The objective of this program is to support the completion of feature-length documentaries through narrative resources. Those responsible for the selected projects will receive advice from prominent national and international professionals. They will also have the possibility of accessing a series of incentives and prizes designed to support the completion and distribution of their work.
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Link - WIP:LAB
DOC:LAB is the documentary project development lab of #LINK, the Industry section of FIDBA. Aimed at Ibero-American documentary feature films in production with filmed material, it offers specialized guidance in scriptwriting, financing, production, and distribution. The program includes individual and group meetings, one-on-one sessions, conferences, and roundtables, taking place in person in Buenos Aires from October 6 to 11, 2025. Applications are open until August 15, 2025, with a fee of $50 until June 13 and $60 until June 30. Selected projects must pay $290 to participate in the lab activities, which include access to FIDBA:CAMPUS, pitchings, and festival screenings. Attendance by the director at all activities is mandatory. Winning projects will be announced on October 11 during the festival's closing ceremony.
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Link - DOC:LAB
The Rotterdam Lab 2026 is a program for emerging international film producers seeking to expand their professional network and develop feature-length projects with international co-production potential. It is open to independent producers, freelancers, or junior producers in production companies, with no age limit, who have completed at least two short films and are working on their first or second feature.
The program prioritizes diversity and inclusion, especially welcoming applicants from minority, indigenous, LGBTQIA+, neurodiverse, disabled communities, or underrepresented regions in the international film industry.
Selected participants receive full access to IFFR Pro and CineMart 2026, including accreditation for meetings, screenings, networking events, and five nights of accommodation. Travel expenses are not covered.
The lab takes place during the International Film Festival Rotterdam, from late January to early February 2026. Applicants must submit an application form, CV, and motivation letter, with an optional portfolio or dossier. The main focus is on the international potential of the project and the producer’s ability to contribute to and benefit from the lab.
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Lab - IFFR
