Artificial intelligence plays the lead part in the selection of Zinemaldia Startup Challenge projects

Ten technology projects, five from Spain and five from European countries, will compete in the Zinemaldia Startup Challenge, the competition for entrepreneurs and recently created startups applying new technologies to the audiovisual field.

Zinemaldia Startup Challenge is the central initiative of Zinemaldia & Technology, to take place on September 26 and including pitchings of the projects and a round table on Generative AI, moderated by AC Coppens (The Catalysts). The project representatives will subsequently have the opportunity to meet potential partners.

Four of the five finalists in the Spanish competition apply artificial intelligence: Current Anima, which convert texts into 3D videos; Dubme, which provide translation and dubbing solutions with their own platform; Emotional Films, which, also based on real-time 3D rendering and Big Data, offer adaptive and personalised audiovisual experiences matched to the spectator’s emotions; Vocality.ai, which clone the human voice for text-to-speech purposes based on the granting of rights by professionals in the sector through an SaaS. Completing the selection are Hulahoop, a Fintech platform enabling all types of investors to finance quality contents with distribution agreements and production companies to streamline the funding of their projects while maintaining copyrights and profits.  

With respect to the European projects, here too four are based on artificial intelligence: Kaspar K1 (Denmark), which analyse filmed material and enable the fast and easy location of sound and shots to ensure editing with a coherent timeline; Phont (Germany), which create subtitles reflecting the emotions of the dialogues for improved accessibility; Sonic Alchemist (Lithuania), a collection of sound design tools which sync and adapt on-screen motion and generate editable multitrack sketches; and Thol (UK), which offer sound design professionals tools for efficiently and affordably creating sound experiences. For their part, Filmanize (UK) is a SaaS (Software as a Service) product making it possible to break down scripts and to save and share the information required to produce a calling sheet.

All participants will have the possibility of one year’s free access to an incubation space at one of the BICs (Business Innovation Centres) in the Network of Basque Technology Parks. 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 winning and finalist projects will also have the possibility to access funding of up to 500,000 euros for developing their project in the Basque Country.   

Some of the winning projects from the first five years are now successfully working on their business strategy. Kinetix (2021) is now in Beta, has closed a significant round of funding and has signed deals with the BBC and TF1. Motmo.pro (2022) is now on the market and has also recently closed a round of investment; and Hyperate.io (2023) has significantly increased the number of users of its application.

The Basque Government, through the Department of Economic Development, Sustainability and Environment and SPRI, promote the Zinemaldia Startup Challenge, central initiative of the Zinemaldia & Technology event, organised by the San Sebastian Festival in collaboration with TECNALIA, ALÍA (Audiovisual Industrial Alliance) and Vicomtech. Zinemaldia & Technology is a strategic commitment by the San Sebastian Festival in its endeavour to position itself as a reference space for reflection on technological innovation in the audiovisual sector.

The competition for national startups is part of ‘Spanish Screenings XXL. An international market for Spanish audiovisual production’, a project enjoying the involvement of the Ministry of Culture through the Institute of Cinematography and Audiovisual Arts (ICAA) and by the Ministry for Digital Transformation and of Civil Service, through ICEX España Exportación e Inversiones, the Malaga Festival and the San Sebastian Festival. 

The San Sebastian Festival also hosts, as part of ‘Spanish Screenings: Financing & Tech’, the Creative Investors Meeting, the contents of which will be announced in the coming weeks.