The Valladolid International Film Week, Aguilar Film Festival, the Film and Audiovisual School of the Community of Madrid (ECAM) and the Filmoteca de Castilla y León join forces to announce the Castilla y León New Talent / Open ECAM Award, which aims to promote, encourage and develop projects, filmmakers and film companies in the Autonomous Community, through an initiative that will support the production of a short film project.
Directors and producers born in Castilla y León (individuals or freelancers), or with a proven residence in the region for more than five consecutive years, are sought. Film production companies that have been established in Castilla y León for at least two years are also eligible to apply.
Among all the projects submitted, a maximum of four will be selected as finalists, and among them two representatives will be chosen to attend the Festival, where they will enjoy individualized training to contribute to the evolution of both the script and the project. They will also be assisted by an ECAM professional to prepare the pitching of the project.
In addition, the filmmakers will be invited to attend the Aguilar Film Festival (December 1-9, 2023), where an evaluation committee made up of industry professionals will listen to their pitches after having read the scripts and dossiers. This committee will be in charge of awarding one of the projects the Open ECAM Award, which will consist of the possibility of using ECAM’s facilities and equipment to carry out the post-production work of the film. The film will have to be finished by August 2024 and sent to the organizers of this initiative, since the short film will be premiered within the framework of Seminci 2024 and will also be screened at the Aguilar Film Festival 2024. The short film will also be included in the Quercus promotion and distribution catalog promoted by the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Sports of the Regional Government of Castilla y León.
