Call for Projects 2025
Applications for the 6th CETC are open now!
The Talent Camp will be held during the 74th International Film Festival Mannheim-Heidelberg in November 2025.
We are opening our call for film directors and producers, who are currently studying or are alumni of any German film or art school, who are working on their first or second feature project and 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 will help you 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/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*:
- synopsis of the project (1-2 pages)
- treatment, max. 15 pages (if available)
- director’s statement (1 page)
- visual concept
- moodboard (if available)
- director’s bio and filmography (including most important festival participations)
- producer’s statement (1 page) (if available)
- producer’s bio and filmography (including most important festival participations)
- link(s) to director’s previous work(s)
- rough-cut of the movie, if you apply with a “Work in Progress” or note about, when it is available
- budget top sheet, 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
What we can offer:
- 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 lab programmers, German and international film funds, producers, distributors and sales agents
- masterclass
- sustainability, healthy working environment
- hotel for 3 nights, contribution to travel expenses to Mannheim
The dates:
- online part: from November 6 to 12, 2025 (1-2 classes each day)
- onsite part: from November 13 to 16, 2025 in Mannheim (full days)
Submission:
Please create one pdf-dossier including all the documents in order (explain, if any of these documents are missing, otherwise the application cannot be considered for selection) and send it to cuttingedge@iffmh.de.
The submission deadline is June 30, 2025 (midnight).
The chosen projects 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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