Mentoring Projects
Cinema Pendent 2024
L’Alternativa PRO opens its calls for projects for programmes at the 12th edition of Cinema Pendent.
Cinema Pendent encompasses a series of activities run by l’Alternativa PRO since 2013 to boost the development of independently produced films and audiovisual projects. It kicks off every year at the Barcelona Independent Film Festival, l'Alternativa, making the most of the festival as a powerful platform for giving a voice to bold, original projects, and endeavours to increase the opportunities for creation, production and distribution in the independent filmmaking industry.
With this in mind, selected projects take part in a range of carefully targeted activities aimed at honing their creative potential and making the most of the pathways available to bring them to completion and put them into circulation.
Cinema Pendent General Terms and Conditions
- Cinema Pendent programmes are aimed at directors, producers and screenwriters.
- Applicants may send updated versions of their dossiers and audiovisual material for any projects they have submitted until 20 July, provided that any changes to the original material are clearly indicated. Files should not exceed 10 MB, may include links and should be sent to [email protected].
- All projects selected for Cinema Pendent will entitled to a Festival Pass granting access to l’Alternativa PRO activities and festival screenings.
- Once they have submitted a project, applicants will receive an automatic email containing details of their submission.
- The Selection Committee may require applicants to provide further details about submitted project. Applicants will receive an email from [email protected] at the email address they provided in their contact details.
- The Selection Committee will be made of up Spanish and international experts coordinated by the head of l’Alternativa PRO.
- Applicants should submit their project to one specific Cinema Pendent programme. If the Selection Committee decides that a project submitted for one programme might benefit from taking part in another one, they will contact the applicant in question before taking a final decision.
Terms and Conditions
- By submitting a project, you agree to the terms and conditions of the 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.
- 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 or Spanish.
- You should be able to communicate effectively in English, as well as in Spanish or Catalan.
- 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.
- Projects may be submitted even if they have already been accepted for other labs, residencies or coproduction forums elsewhere.
- Projects may be submitted even if they were been submitted to previous editions of Cinema Pendent, provided that they can be shown to have evolved in the meantime.
- Projects will only be accepted if they have been properly submitted using the submissions form when a call for projects for a specific Cinema Pendent programme is open.
- No projects will be accepted that have already been premiered or that are scheduled to premiere.
- The credits of all finished copies of selected projects should include the relevant Cinema Pendent 2024 logo, together with a mention of any Cinema Pendent prizes won. L’Alternativa PRO will provide the necessary digital logos in question.
- The director, screenwriter and producer expressly accept that requirement that at least one of them should attend activity sessions in person.
- L'Alternativa PRO reserves the right to publish summarised content from shortlisted projects on our website and in a Cinema Pendent 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.
- There is a nonrefundable entry fee for each project submitted.
- The list of selected projects will be announced in October 2024. You may be called for an online interview in September 2024 if your project has been shortlisted.
- By submitting a project, you agree to help promote it through any promotional actions l’Alternativa wishes to carry out for this purpose (media interviews, social media presence, etc.).
Opening and Closing Dates for Calls for Projects
- Development Lab
Fiction or hybrid feature-film projects in development
18 April to 27 June - Short & Sweet
Short-film projects
18 April to 27 June - Mentoring Projects
Experimental nonfiction projects
18 April to 27 June - EXTREMLAB
Feature-film projects linked to schools and universities
30 April to 4 July - Mentoring Acció Cinema Pendent
Short- and feature-film projects exploring social issues, potentially partnered with an NGO
30 April to 4 July - WIP Screenings
Feature-film projects in postproduction
30 April to 4 July
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.
- Young creators just embarking on their career.
- The director’s/screenwriter's/producer’s professional career.
- Creative teams and crew staffed on the basis of gender parity.
- Sustainable production models.
- Languages spoken by the director/screenwriter/producer.
- Any links to Catalonia and/or Extremadura, including shooting locations, coproductions and cast or crew.
- The use of any of Spain’s coofficial languages.
Aims of Cinema Pendent
- Professionalise the stages of audiovisual project development through innovation, networking, encouragement and support and assistance to reach potential audiences.
- Facilitate the exchange of knowledge, experience and expertise between participants and experts.
- Promote innovation, competitiveness, cooperation, use of digital technologies, sustainability and accessibility in projects.
- Enhance marketing, promotion, audience interaction and new distribution and exploitation models and make the most of digital opportunities from creation through to development.
- Promote cultural diversity and give a boost to new generations and emerging talent.
- Help forge territorial ties between audiovisual cultural professionals in Catalonia and the rest of Spain in general and with Extremadura in particular.
- Increase the opportunities for creating, producing and distributing emerging films and promote gender and age equality throughout the industry.
- Boost the development of innovative audiovisual projects by equipping filmmakers with key tools through training and education activities and meetings with professionals (new business models, managing intellectual property, funding opportunities, tax tools, etc.).
- Support, accompany and tutor original, experimental projects by creators and producers at an early stage of development.
- Expand international business opportunities for the Catalan and Spanish audiovisual, filmmaking and screen industries.
- Bolster l’Alternativa’s role as an international benchmark event for forging ties between independent filmmaking professionals.
