Call for Projects 2024

Applications for the 5th Cutting Edge Talent Camp 2024 are open now!


The Cutting Edge Talent Camp will be held right before and during the 73rd International Film Festival Mannheim-Heidelberg in November 2024 (see details below). We are opening our call for film directors and producers, who are currently studying or are alumni of any German film or art school, and who are working on their first or second feature project.

The Talent Camp is looking for young film directors and producers, who are ready to make the first steps towards the international market and to present their project to key players from the industry.

The hybrid workshop (online and onsite) will help you to navigate between the various festivals, labs, co-producers and sales agents as well as to find the best strategy to continue preparing, making, financing, presenting and distributing your feature film.

Please find information on the selected projects of the past editions and their success stories here.

The criteria of the application:

• you need to be a student or alumni of a German film or art school
• you need to be a director or a producer
• you need to be in any stage of development, pre-production, production of your first or second full length feature film: at earliest you can participate starting out with a good script or treatment in hand and ideally with some financing already in place, and at the latest, if you are in the final stages of post-production in November and if you are looking for the right festival strategy and/or sales and distribution (“Works in Progress”)
• you need to be enthusiastic and open-minded to learn and meet people from the international film industry

The necessary documents in English*:

• long synopsis of the project (3-4 pages)
• project brochure and visual concept
• director’s statement (1 page)
• director’s bio and filmography (including most important festival participations)
• if available, producer’s statement (1 page)
• if available, producer’s bio and filmography (including most important festival participations)
• link(s) to director’s previous works
• rough-cut of the movie, if you apply for the “Works in Progress” section or note about, when it is available
• budget, brief financing plan, financing strategy
• presumed status of the project in November
• applicant’s intention note to participate at the Talent Camp and description about what you are looking for

*please create a pdf-dossier including all the documents (explain, if any of these documents are missing, otherwise the application cannot be considered for selection)

What we can offer:

• about 10 days of intensive workshop with international experts in small groups, including:
• pitching training
• festival, marketing and sales strategies
• round table meetings and networking events with festival and feature labs programmers, German and international film funds, producers, distributors and sales agents
• masterclasses
• sustainability, healthy working environment
• hotel for 4 nights, contribution to travel expenses to Mannheim

The dates:

• the online part will be held from Oct. 28 until Nov. 6
• the onsite part will be from Nov. 7 until Nov. 10 in Mannheim

Please send an e-mail along with the pdf to cuttingedge@iffmh.de.

The submission deadline is June 16, 2024 (midnight).

The chosen talents will be notified by end of August / beginning of September about the selection.

Important Note:
In case of selection, we request full participation online and onsite for all the selected members. Moreover, participation also includes some homework and preparation. Failing this will exclude you from the further participation. 

We are looking forward to your applications and to seeing you in Mannheim!
If you have any questions regarding your application, please contact us.

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