Today the San Sebastian Festival opens its fourth call for submissions for the Zinemaldia Startup Challenge, a competition for entrepreneurs and recently created Spanish and European startups whose projects include new technologies applied to the audiovisual world. The initiative is part of Zinemaldia & Technology, the Festival’s strategic commitment to positioning itself as a benchmark space for reflecting on technology and the audiovisual industry, improving ties between both sectors and presenting the opportunities these ties generate for creation and business. This year, for the first time, a specific competition has been designed for Spanish entrepreneurs and startups running parallel to the call for European projects. The registration deadline is June 3.

The competition for Spanish entrepreneurs and startups is one of the activities of ‘Spanish Screenings: Financing & Tech’, the second rendezvous of ‘Spanish Screenings XXL. An international market for Spanish audiovisual production’. The project is part of the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan (RTRP) to boost Spain’s role as a European audiovisual hub and is promoted by the Ministry of Culture and Sport through the ICAA and the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Digital Transformation through ICEX. In addition to the aforementioned competition for Spanish startups, ‘Spanish Screenings: Financing & Tech’ will include a day with powerful international investors and talent reps. 

The projects submitted for both competitions must meet a series of requirements. They must be presented by an entrepreneur or startup of recent creation (constituted after 31 December 2016) at any stage of development; be based on the application of new technologies to the audiovisual field; have their tax residence in either Spain or a European country and envisage the possibility of launching their business project in the Basque Country. 

The selected projects will be presented in the frame of Zinemaldia & Technology on Thursday September 22 during the San Sebastian Festival. The event will also include a master class.

A committee of experts of professionals from the Basque BIC-Business Innovation Centres, Tecnalia and Vicomtech will select 10 finalists, five Spanish and five European, which will have the possibility of a year’s free access to an incubation space at one of the Business Innovation Centers belonging to the Basque Technology Parks Network. An independent jury will select the winning projects, one Spanish and one European, each of which will receive 10,000 euros. In addition, this call will put special emphasis on entrepreneurship and will allocate an additional 3,000 euros to reward the best selected project presented by an entrepreneurial person or team. The winners and finalists will also have the possibility of access to funding of up to 500,000 euros for developing their project in the Basque Country.

The Basque Government, through the Department of Economic Development, Sustainability and Environment and SPRI, promotes the Zinemaldia Startup Challenge, core initiative of Zinemaldia & Technology, organised by San Sebastian Festival in collaboration with Tabakalera, through its 2deo audiovisual lab, TECNALIA, ALÍA (Audiovisual Industry Alliance) and Vicomtech.

To access the Terms & Conditions and submit a project, click here.

SUBMISSION DEADLINE: JUNE 3rd

startupchallenge@sansebastianfestival.com
Tel.: +34 943 481 217
www.sansebastianfestival.com

ZINEMALDIA STARTUP CHALLENGE PROMOTER

ZINEMALDIA & TECHNOLOGY

The Industry Department has the support of