Call for Submissions: EN BREVE

EN BREVE is a new section of Ventana Sur dedicated to Latin American fiction shortfilms in advanced stage of post-production or with a final cut. This call offers a unique opportunity for filmmakers to participate in specialized activities, connect with industry professionals, and win resources and visibility to enter the global short film market.

Submission Requirements

• Films from Latin America or co-productions with a majority Latin American participation.
• Project must be in advanced stage of post-production or have a final cut. Projects in development, with partial shooting, or in early editing will not be accepted.
• Exhibitions: Short films that have had public exhibitions, whether in markets, festivals, theaters, or online platforms, will not be accepted.
• Duration: Maximum of 29 minutes.
• Language: Short films must be in Spanish, Portuguese, or indigenous languages of the Americas, with English subtitles for screening.
• Restriction:
  • Sales agent: Short films must not have signed contracts with international sales agents.
  • Film schools: student shortfilms with institutions as production companies won’t be accepted.
• Submission deadline: October 15, 2024. The submission will only be valid if the short film screener is sent.

Selection

A curatorial committee made up of renowned figures from the film industry will select up to 8 short films to participate in EN BREVE’s activities. At least one fiction short, one non-fiction short, and one animated short will be selected. The list of selected films will be announced in the first half of November 2024. Each selected short film will receive up to two accreditations and 3 hotel nights (1 room per project) in Montevideo during the 2024 edition of Ventana Sur.

The selection criteria will prioritize short films with outstanding artistic value and strong potential to have a career into the international festival and market circuit.

Filmmakers whose short films are not selected will be notified by email and invited to participate in activities such as business rounds and masterclasses.

Activities

The filmmakers of the selected projects will participate in a series of activities designed to boost their distribution and promotion:

• Personalized mentorships: Each short film will receive advice on designing distribution strategies and defining routes to festivals and international markets.
• Masterclasses: Talks and masterclasses with professionals from the film industry.
• Screenings: The shortfilms will be screened in exclusive sessions for industry professionals.
• Business rounds: One-to-one meetings between the short films’ representatives and international professionals.

Activities will be held in Spanish. There may be specific instances conducted in English.

Screening Requirements

• Format:
  • DCP with English subtitles burned into the image, following DCI standards.
  • A .mov file must also be submitted with the following characteristics:
    • Resolution: 1920 x 1080 pixels
    • Codec: h264
    • Bitrate: Maximum of 12 Mbps
    • Framerate: 24 or 25 fps
    • Audio: AAC stereo or 5.1
    • Maximum file size: 10 GB

Required Documentation for Submission

Applicants must submit:

• A completed application form.
• A screener of the short film with English subtitles.
• A PDF file with the following information in English:
  • Title (original title and English title).
  • Information about the production company (email, phone, website).
  • Technical information (duration, genre, country).
  • Logline (summary of the project in one sentence).
  • Short synopsis (summary of the plot) of no more than 300 characters including spaces.
  • Names and biographies of directors, screenwriters, and producers (maximum of 300 characters each).
  • A sheet describing the current status of the project, the estimated completion date, and the pending resources for funding the work.
  • A sheet describing the current distribution strategy of the short film, including a timeline for markets and festivals.
  • Draft promotional materials (poster, postcards, etc.), if available.
  • A letter explaining why you wish to participate in EN BREVEat Ventana Sur 2024.
  • A brief explanation of the copyright of the project: whether it is an original or adapted script, and a copy of the registration of the script’s copyright. If applicable, include the contract assigning the rights to the producer.

Submission Deadline

The deadline for submitting all documentation and the screener is October 15, 2024.

For inquiries: enbreve@ventana-sur.com.