Mentoring Projects Call for Projects

Onsite

Online

Cinema Pendent encompasses a series of activities run by l’Alternativa Professionals to boost the development of independently produced films and audiovisual projects. Held as part of the Barcelona Independent Film Festival, l'Alternativa, it makes the most of the festival as a powerful platform for giving a voice to bold, original projects and works endeavours to increase the opportunities for creation, production and distribution in the independent filmmaking industry.

In addition to the 9th Mentoring Projects (personalised advice sessions), it also includes a Project Development Workshop, screenings of projects at the postproduction stage, a range of additional activities and the VIII GAC Pitching Forum.

Cinema Pendent 2021 will be held both online and onsite at the Barcelona Centre for Contemporary Culture (CCCB) between 15 and 28 November 2021.

Supported by Catalan Films & TV

Regulations and Further Details

Aims

Increase the opportunities for creating, producing and distributing up-and-coming films and promote gender equality throughout the industry.
Give a boost to innovative audiovisual projects by offering training and education activities and meetings with professionals.
Expand international business opportunities for the Catalan and Spanish filmmaking industry.
Bolster l’Alternativa’s role as an international benchmark event for forging ties between independent filmmaking professionals.

Terms and Conditions

By submitting a project, you agree to the terms and conditions of this call for projects.
You may submit a project if and only if you hold the necessary rights to do so. By submitting a project, you certify that the content of the project complies with current legislation and does not infringe upon any protected works or third parties’ right to freedom from injury to their honour, privacy and own image.
We accept projects at the writing, preproduction, production or postproduction stage.
You may fill in the entry form and submit documentation in Catalan, Spanish or English. If your project is shortlisted, you’ll be asked to provide more detailed or updated information in English.
There is a nonrefundable €12 entry fee for each project.
The list of shortlisted projects will be announced in September 2020.
There is no limit to the number of projects you may enter, but each project needs to be submitted separately, together with payment of the corresponding entry fee.
Once the shortlisted projects reach the final stage of production and become finished audiovisual works, the Mentoring Projects 2021 logo should be included in the credits of all copies of the finished work, together with any prizes won.
Please include any additional documentation in a single PDF file no bigger than 10 MB. We are aware that works in progress may well go through a number of changes over the course of the selection process. Please keep us updated or send us further information to [email protected] (files should be no bigger than 10 MB and should clearly indicate where any changes have been made).
The director, screenwriter and producer expressly accept that requirement that at least one of them should attend the event in person.
By submitting a project, you agree that the festival may use the image of participants at the event for promotional purposes.
L'Alternativa Professionals reserves the right to publish summarised content from shortlisted projects on our website and in a Mentoring Projects dossier. By submitting a project, you agree to provide the necessary information for the dossier within the stipulated timeframe.
No feedback will be given on any projects that are not selected.

Assessment Criteria

Projects that strongly reflect artistic risk-taking and originality, irrespective of the size of their budget.
Projects that explore original subject matter in a striking way.
Budget adequacy and possible or confirmed sources of funding.
The director’s/screenwriter's/producer’s professional career.
Languages spoken by the director/screenwriter/producer.
Any links to Catalonia, including shooting locations, Catalan coproduction or cast or crew from Catalonia.

Selected Projects

All shortlisted projects for the 9th Mentoring Projects will receive professional accreditation, giving them access to all l'Alternativa Professionals activities (pitchings, symposiums, networking events, rough cut viewings, etc.), as well as access to the Viewing Room, a self-service video facility for watching films from the Official Sections (Spanish and International) and l’Alternativa Hall during the festival.

All shortlisted projects will take part in the Cinema Pendent range of training and development activities.

All shortlisted projects will receive personalised expert advice and follow-up at prearranged meetings with screenwriting experts, producers, sales agents and film curators. The projects will also be monitored through to their premiere and will receive assistance with promoting events where they are programmed.

All shortlisted projects have the chance of being selected to take part in the following Cinema Pendent activities:

Project Development Workshop
L'Alternativa Professionals will invite the directors and producers of four of the projects selected for the 9th Mentoring Projects to take part in a two-day project development workshop, where they will work on the projects’ concept, structure, narrative development and cinematic style. All participants will be charged a €25 workshop fee, which also includes lunch on both days and access to the other events organised by l'Alternativa Professionals.

Rough Cuts Viewing
Shortlisted projects that have reached the postproduction stage when the 9th Mentoring Projects is held may be selected to present a 20-minute short film to decision makers in the filmmaking industry.

V Acció Curts Symposium by Dones Visuals
One shortlisted short-film project directed by a woman will go through to take part in the Pitching Acció Curts session run by Dones Visuals. The project will be included in the training, pitching and one-to-one sessions organised by Dones Visuals to forge ties between women directors and production companies to get their projects off the ground.

VIII Pitching Forum del GAC
One shortlisted feature-film project will go through to take part in the VIII Pitching Forum del GAC, offered by Guionistes Associats de Catalunya, held as part of l'Alternativa Professionals. After receiving advice on how to make a successful pitch, it will be included in the presentation and one-to-one sessions designed to forge direct ties between the different players in the audiovisual world by boosting the positioning, development and production of projects with a powerful screenplay.

Professional Symposium at Molins Horror Film Festival
One shortlisted feature-film project will go through to take part in the Professional Symposium at the Molins de Rei Horror Film Festival. This symposium aims to offer a meeting point between up-and-coming horror and gore filmmakers and industry professionals and includes networking opportunities, talks, workshops and project pitchings to help bring projects to fruition.

All shortlisted projects have the chance to win the following prizes:

Non Finito Prize
The Non Finito Prize aims to provide funding for a feature film project at the audio postproduction stage, a key moment for solving many of the problems that might have arisen over the course of the production process. The winning project will receive advice and assistance on sound design and final mix from award-winning sound and dubbing mixer Alejandro Castillo at Figtree Studios, a Dolby Premier mixing studio in Barcelona. The Non Finito Prize is worth €4,000.

Kinolux Prize
The professional film-lighting hire company Kinolux will award the Kinolux Prize to the project shortlisted for Mentoring Projects whose teaser features the best photography. The prize consists of €3,000 in digital film-lighting material for shooting the film within a year of winning the prize.

Antaviana Prize
In order to boost the development of innovative projects and expand the range of possibilities in the audiovisual industry, the postproduction and digital effects company Antaviana Films will award the Antaviana Prize to the most original and viable project from the films shortlisted. The prize consists of a Digital Cinema Package of the winning film (worth €2,500).

Music Library & SFX Prize
Music Library & SFX, which offers a catalogue of music and sound effects for film projects in progress, awards the Music Library & SFX Prize to the shortlisted project with the best sound and music. The winning project will have access to its entire catalogue of music and sound effects and will be granted discounted access to the 360° music supervision service offered by its Acorde division, as well as the use of musical content for its teaser and final trailer covered by a worldwide, multiplatform licence for ever. The Music Library & SFX Prize is worth €1,500.

Primer Test del REC
L'Alternativa Professionals, in collaboration with REC, Tarragona International Film Festival, will choose one of the shortlisted projects at the postproduction stage to take part in Primer Test. Primer Test is a space where films in postproduction can receive advice from international audiovisual experts on how to break into the international market.