Concept

NEXTDOOR NETWORKING
FILM STUDENTS TRAINING AND INTERNATIONAL CO-PRODUCTION PROJECT DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM

CONTEXT

As part of FILMER FORGE – the Short Film Industry Program of the IN THE PALACE International Short Film Festival – an intensive training course for young directors, writers/scriptwriters, producers, and film critics from the Balkans and the Black Sea region is once again taking place during the 23rd festival edition in Pernik, Bulgaria, in 2026.

The program aims to support the youngest generation of filmmakers in these regions, helping them grow as competitive professionals in the short film industry immediately after graduating from film academies.

The program fosters professional communication and creates an environment that facilitates better cooperation and exchange in film production between the local short film industries of the Balkans and the Black Sea region.

WHO CAN PARTICIPATE

Participants must be final-year university students in Film Directing, Scriptwriting, Film Production, or Film Criticism from the following countries: Albania, Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Georgia, Greece, Hungary, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Turkey, and Ukraine.

National teams or individual participants are provided the opportunity to engage with a film project, which must have the potential to be developed as an international co-production with any of the other participating countries.

Accommodation and subsistence for participants are covered by the project.

SHORT PRESENTATION

The program aims to add practical value and thus enhance the participants' academic training and skills, while taking place within the environment of Oscar® Qualifying IN THE PALACE International Short Film Festival.

The festival invites established professionals actively working in the short film industry to lead working and training processes and teams in Film Directing, Scriptwriting, Film Production, and Film Criticism labs.

Alongside the training sessions, participants, guided by international tutors, will be able to further develop their film projects as international co-production. The program concludes with a pitching session where projects are presented to a professional audience and decision-makers at the 23rd IN THE PALACE in 2026.

THE AWARDED FILM PROJECT WILL BENEFIT FROM:

€ 1,000 for production expenses;
A premiere screening of the completed work at the next edition of Oscar® Qualifying IN THE PALACE ISFF;
Promotion at the Short Film Market (Clermont-Ferrand ISFF) and The Marché du Film (Cannes) as part of IN THE PALACE annual participation and presence.

ALL PARTICIPATING FILM PROJECTS WILL BENEFIT FROM:

exposure in IN THE PALACE’s video library for access and viewing by accredited professionals;
full accreditation for the 23rd IN THE PALACE ISFF in 2026, including free access and invitations to all professional events for all project team members.

BENEFITS FOR FILM CRITICS PARTICIPANTS:

Film critics participating in the workshops will actively engage with the dynamics of a renowned international event. Facilitated by tutors, young film critics will have the opportunity to:

present and report on films from the Festival’s Official Selection; NEXTDOOR NETWORKING’s student film projects and the program itself;
moderate Q&A sessions and discussions with filmmakers;
publish news, reviews, and critical essays in English and their native languages in local and international online media;
contribute to IN THE PALACE’s paper journal, thus gaining exposure at the Clermont-Ferrand and Cannes film markets;
receive full accreditation for the 24th IN THE PALACE in 2027, with free access to all professional events;
coordinate, create, and publish content on IN THE PALACE’s blog as a paid professional engagement for one year (for the most outstanding participants).

MOTIVATION AND NEEDS

The program provides the youngest generation of filmmakers from the Balkans and the Black Sea region with access to the vibrant short film industry. The NEXTDOOR NETWORK aims to support their visibility in a professional environment and integration into professional networks, enhancing their competitiveness in the industry.

The geographic focus of the training program reflects not only the cultural and aesthetic characteristics of these regions, but also the critical need for a cohesive and well-functioning creative industries sector, which is currently underdeveloped.

To address this need, IN THE PALACE ISFF strives to establish, manage, and expand a complex communication network that promotes the exchange of good practices, financing policies, production, distribution of film projects, and professional cooperation opportunities with national and international bodies, companies, institutions, organizations.

Furthermore, by involving participants and tutors in this program, IN THE PALACE ISFF integrates them into the professional audience of the Oscar® Qualifying festival, creating a pool of talented young professionals in whose long-term development the Festival is committed to investing.

More information about the call for projects and pitching regulations can be found here

To discuss possible collaborations with film schools, universities, companies, organizations, institutions, and other private or public bodies, please contact us via email: filmerforge@inthepalace.com