The III INSULAB – Insular Cinema Laboratory takes place alongside the VIII INSULARIA Festival – Islas en Red, an event dedicated to the island cinematographies of the world. After two successful editions in San Juan, Puerto Rico, between 2013-2014, the laboratory for insular cinema returns to the Canary Islands, specifically to the island of El Hierro.

INSULAB aims to be a meeting space for the development of film projects by international filmmakers, with the potential to be produced wholly or partially on the island of El Hierro. Through a workshop and exchange space with prestigious international advisors, five projects in the development stage will have the opportunity to explore their creative and productive possibilities in an increasingly complex and competitive international context.

The Laboratory is organized in two stages. The first stage is an in-person workshop that will take place in Frontera, El Hierro, from October 15 to 20, 2024. The second stage is an online follow-up of the project by the organization of the INSULARIA Festival – Islas en Red.

During the in-person meeting in El Hierro, the selected projects will receive personalized tutoring in one-on-one meetings focused on script work and narrative proposals, and on how to enhance the productive values of each project. They will also participate in group work sessions to facilitate exchange with other filmmakers and strengthen exchange and industry networks. The workshop will include Master Classes with Festival guests, a visit to El Hierro’s filming locations, and a meeting with Canary Islands authorities to learn about the opportunities the Canary Islands offer as a film destination. Workshop participants will be invited to all activities taking place at the INSULARIA Festival – Islas en Red during the days of the in-person meeting.

The III INSULAB – Insular Cinema Laboratory is supported by the Ministry of Universities, Science, Innovation, and Culture of the Canary Islands Government; in collaboration with the Film Commission – Cabildo Insular of El Hierro, as well as with the Association of Canary Islands Screenwriters (PREMISA) integrated into FAGA (Federation of Screenwriters Associations of Spain).

Registration is free and open until July 30, 2024, at 23:59 hours (GMT, Canary Islands official time). Interested projects should send the required documentation to insulab@insularia.es before this date. A maximum of 5 projects will be selected and announced on our website https://insularia.org/ in the first half of August.

Who can participate?

• Filmmakers of any nationality with feature film projects in the development stage that have a producer and director (they can be the same person) with no age limit.

TERMS

• The working language of the laboratory will be Spanish, and projects must be presented in this language.
• Only feature film projects (fiction, documentary, or hybrid) in the development stage that demonstrate potential to be produced wholly or partially in El Hierro will be accepted.
• Each applicant can submit up to three (3) projects.
• Selected projects must confirm their attendance at the laboratory within a maximum of five (5) business days after being notified of their selection by the organization. Otherwise, their participation will be considered canceled, and the next highest-rated project will be selected.
• Once the selection process is completed and the projects are notified, the Festival organization may use information about them (logline, project synopsis, filmmakers’ bios, and project images) for promotion in the media and social networks of the Laboratory.
• The Festival organization will cover transportation, accommodation, and meals expenses for one (1) person from the project during the Laboratory week. If a second participant attends, they must notify the Festival organization and cover their own expenses.
• Registration signifies acceptance of all the clauses of this call.

REGISTRATION

A dossier in a single .PDF document should be sent, containing the following information:

• Cover page, project title
• Synopsis (maximum 1 page)
• First version of script or treatment
• Director’s statement reflecting elements of the creative proposal and project motivations (maximum 3 pages)
• Director’s bio-filmography
• Producer’s and/or production company’s bio-filmography
• Motivation letter explaining why the project is being submitted to INSULAB and how it can be produced in El Hierro (maximum 2 pages)
• Production statement reflecting the current state of the project, funding, and production strategies (maximum 1 page)
• Budget summary according to the ICAA model
• Other relevant project documents: producer’s notes, technical-artistic sheet and team resume, links to previous works, teaser, images, references or moodboard, calendar, and work plan

The Selection Committee will consider the following aspects for evaluation:

• Originality and quality of the narrative proposal
• Artistic coherence and project feasibility
• Motivation for choosing El Hierro as a natural set and production space

Interested projects should send the required information to insulab@insularia.es before July 30, 2024, at 23:59 hours (GMT, Canary Islands official time).