Zinemaldia Startup Challenge is now open for submissions

The initiative, within the framework of Zinemaldia & Technology, a strategic commitment by the San Sebastian Film Festival, is promoted by the Basque Government through the Department of Industry, Energy Transition and Sustainability and SPRI

The activity is part of ‘Spanish Screenings: Financing & Tech’, promoted by the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry for Digital Transformation and of Civil Service and ICEX Spain Trade and Investment

The San Sebastian Film Festival opens the seventh call for the Zinemaldia Startup Challenge, a competition focused on Spanish and European entrepreneurs and startups whose projects include new technologies applied to the audiovisual field. The registration deadline is June 2.

The initiative falls within the framework of Zinemaldia & Technology, a strategic commitment by the Festival in its aim to position itself as a space for reflecting on technology and the audiovisual industry and for narrowing ties between both sectors. Besides, it is one of the activities of ’Spanish Screenings: Financing & Tech’.

The projects registered for Zinemaldia Startup Challenge competitions must meet several requirements: they must be submitted by an entrepreneur or a recently created startup – constituted after 31 December 2019 – no matter the stage of development; they must be based on the application of new technologies to the audiovisual field. Those making the submission must have their tax residence in either Spain or a European country and must envisage the possibility of launching their business project in the Basque Country.

The selected projects will be presented at the Zinemaldia & Technology event to take place on Thursday 25 September during the Festival, and which will also include a conversation between relevant sector experts on a topic of current interest. Moreover, representatives of the projects will have the opportunity to meet with potential partners.

A committee of experts made up of professionals from the Basque Business & Innovation Centres (BICs), TECNALIA and Vicomtech will choose the ten finalist projects: five Spanish and five European, which will have the possibility of a year’s free access to an incubation space at one of the BICs situated in the Basque Technology Parks Network. 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.

Two independent juries will decide the two winning projects, one for the Spanish competition and another for the European competition, each of which will receive 10,000 euros. In addition, a third jury will award a special mention of 3,000 euros, recognising the entrepreneurial values of one of the ten selected projects.

The Basque Government, through the Department of Industry, Energy Transition and Sustainability, and SPRI promote Zinemaldia Startup Challenge, leading initiative of the Zinemaldia & Technology event organised by the San Sebastian Film Festival in collaboration with TECNALIA, ALÍA (Audiovisual Industry Alliance) and Vicomtech.

Spanish Screenings: Financing & Tech also has the support of the Ministry of Culture through the Institute of Cinematography and Audiovisual Arts (ICAA), the Ministry for Digital Transformation and of Civil Service, ICEX Spain Trade and Investment, the Malaga Festival and the San Sebastian Film Festival. 

For more information on the success stories of participants in this initiative, please follow this link.