The San Sebastian Festival opens the third call for entries for the Zinemaldia Startup Challenge

The San Sebastian Festival today opens the third edition of the Zinemal-dia Startup Challenge, a competition for technological projects in the audiovisual field. The initiative will be held as part of the fourth edition of Zinemaldia & Technology, a strategic commitment by the Festival to position itself as a benchmark space for reflection on technology and the audiovisual industry.

The deadline for receipt of applications is 1 June. The competition is aimed at entrepreneurs and newly-created start-ups - established after 31 December 2015 - that propose new European business projects based on the incorporation of new technologies and aimed at the audiovisual field. They must also be legally resident in a European country and consider the possibility of launching the business project in the Basque Country.
The selected projects will be presented at a conference to be held during the Festival, which will include a master class.

The Basque Government, through the Department of Economic Development and Infrastructures, is promoting the Zinemaldia Startup Challenge, the central initiative of the Zinemaldia & Technology conference, which this year celebrates its fourth edition and is organised by the San Sebastian Festival, Tecnalia and Tabakalera, with the support of the Vicomtech applied research centre. Tabakalera, through its audiovisual laboratory 2deo, is working to extend the activity to other days throughout the year.

In previous editions, Zinemaldia & Technology was a meeting place for technologists, filmmakers and film industry professionals. In 2018, filmmaker J.A. Bayona opened the day with a master class, in 2019 Lucía Peralta shared her experience as a "Digital Matte Painter" and in 2020 Marc Orts spoke about the evolution of sound technology and the process of creating a soundtrack.

A prize of 10,000 euros and possible funding of up to 500,000 euros.
Registration can be formalised through an online form available on the Festival's website (www.sansebastianfestival.com). A committee of experts will choose five finalists, who will have the possibility of free access to an incubation space for one year in one of the BICs (Business Innovation Centres) located in the Basque Technology Park Network, access to all the activities and events of the Festival and coverage of travel and accommodation expenses to attend the Festival. The selected projects will be announced in a press release at the beginning of August. Finally, in September, during the Festival, an independent jury will select the winning project, which will receive 10,000 euros. Both the winner and the four finalists will also have access to funding of up to 500,000 euros for the development of their project in the Basque Country.

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