The Magic Screenplay call is a special section of the San Benedetto International Film Festival (SBFF), held in San Benedetto del Tronto, Italy. This contest aims to discover and promote new talents in screenwriting, both nationally and internationally. The main objective is to select the best pitch with a predefined theme, which will then be developed into a complete script and produced as a short film of no more than 15 minutes. This project will be produced by the Associated Professionals Association of Art & Management "IL SERPENTE AUREO," in collaboration with the FILM COMMISSION MARCHE and the MARCHE REGION, under the patronage of the City of San Benedetto del Tronto.
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San Benedetto Film Fest - Magic Screenplay
The 2026 Linterna Lab First Series Development Residency is an in-person residency in Mexico for Spanish-speaking screenwriters and writers of any nationality who wish to develop series projects. The call is open from its publication date, whose exact date is not specified, until September 20, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. (Mexico City time). The residency will take place from November 23 to December 2, 2026, in a Pueblo Mágico in Mexico.
Only fiction series projects are accepted, including animated series, while documentaries are not accepted. The program offers two tracks: Initial Development, for projects that do not yet have a developed pilot, and Advanced Development, for projects with a written pilot or at an advanced stage of development. The residency’s central work will focus on the development, restructuring, or rewriting of the series pilot.
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Linterna Lab – Residency
The scripts in development category aims to encourage and support fiction feature film projects in development and give new projects the opportunity to emerge. Promote the development and production of feature films that are made within the independent framework.
Fiction projects from Latin America and other regions, such as Europe, in development that have a treatment or the first version of the script may participate. The projects must be accompanied by a dossier that contains all the project information.
Requirements: Send the script of your feature film or the treatment of your project. Along with the dossier that must include: Logline, Technical sheet, Synopsis, Director photo, Director biofilmography, Director motivation, Producer photo, Producer biofilmography, Producer motivation, Stills of the project, Personal data.
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Festival de Cine MDM - Guion en desarrollo
Catapult Film Fund is an international grant based in San Francisco that supports early-stage documentary projects, focusing on research and development phases. For 2025, the application period is open from August 6 to September 8, 2025. Applicants must submit a letter of intent with a clear project description and sample audiovisual materials.
Winners receive funding to advance their projects and personalized virtual mentorship over several months. Although open to filmmakers worldwide, those outside the U.S. require a U.S.-based fiscal sponsor. Results are announced in late October or early 2026.
There is no in-person event for selected filmmakers, but remote support is provided. Catapult Film Fund is a valuable opportunity for nonfiction filmmakers seeking creative and financial backing in the early stages of their documentaries.
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Catapult Film Fund
The main objective is to promote direct contact between Latin American series projects and those from the rest of the world in the development stage with professionals from the audiovisual industry, producers and platforms and other people responsible for the creation of episodic content from all over the world.
A maximum of 10 projects will be selected. Projects must have the bible of their project developed and the pilot chapter of their series. Projects that have the teaser of their project can also participate. The maximum duration of the pilot chapters must be 50 minutes.
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MDM Film Festival - Pilot Chapter
