The Locarno Residency is a program by the Locarno Film Festival supporting emerging filmmakers developing their first feature film. The 2025 call is open until June 3, 2025. The program has two phases: first, an in-person meeting during the festival in August where 10 participants present their projects to a jury, which selects three outstanding projects. The second phase offers one year of personalized mentoring, including online sessions and in-person meetings, with travel and accommodation expenses covered. One selected project will receive the Dopodomani Prize, worth 3,000 CHF. Requirements include being under 40 years old, having short film experience, and presenting a project in English for a first feature to be shot after September 2026. The application fee is 30 CHF. It’s an excellent opportunity for filmmakers seeking professional support and international exposure.
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Locarno Residency
The FantasoLab 2026 Fantastic Genre Short Film Laboratory opens applications from January 22 to February 20, 2026. This is a training‑focused lab designed for creators of fantastic genre short films — including science fiction, fantasy, and horror — who want to develop their projects through workshops, mentorship, and work sessions. The emphasis is on short films in development, between 7 and 15 minutes, with a first draft script ready at the time of submission.
The main laboratory activities will take place from April 6 to April 11, 2026, with preliminary sessions and individual work from late March to early April. Although based in Colombia, the call accepts international applications, especially from Ibero‑American creators, with priority given to Colombian talent. This initiative is not primarily a competition or market but a creative development environment to support and strengthen fantastic short film projects.
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Lab Cortos - Fantasolab
Mexico - Industry Academy is an intensive training program designed for young professionals in the film industry working in areas such as distribution, sales, marketing, exhibition, and festival programming. This program takes place within the framework of the UNAM International Film Festival (FICUNAM), which is held annually in Mexico City.
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Industry Academy México
Industry Academy Costa Rica is an intensive training program created by the Locarno Film Festival in 2014, designed for young professionals in the film industry working in areas such as distribution, sales, marketing, exhibition, and festival programming.
The second edition of Industry Academy Costa Rica will take place in the last week of June 2025 at the Museum of Art and Contemporary Design (MAUCC), in collaboration with the Costa Rica Film Commission, Pacifica Grey, and Procomer.
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Industry Academy Costa Rica
The Sundance Institute currently has several open or upcoming application deadlines for 2025‑2026 supporting independent artists and projects. Key deadlines include the 2026 Episodic Lab closing on November 9, 2025, the Merata Mita Fellowship on November 3, 2025, the Graton Fellowship on December 8, 2025, and the Native Lab on December 22, 2025. The Sundance Ignite x Adobe Fellowship deadline is February 12, 2026, and the Feature Film Producers Track closes around February 11‑12, 2026. The Ignite Challenge accepts applications through July 1, 2026. These opportunities span labs, fellowships, mentorships, and development tracks for filmmakers and storytellers. Most programs are open to international applicants, though some (like Native Lab and Graton Fellowship) have specific community or regional eligibility requirements. Additionally, submission windows for film and episodic content for the 2026 Sundance Film Festival occurred during mid‑2025, with the festival itself scheduled from January 22 to February 1, 2026. These dates represent the latest publicly available deadlines across multiple Sundance initiatives.
DIFFERENT DATES FOR ACTIVITIES
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Sundance Institute
