Short Form Station

Who can apply?

Directors who have developed and directed at least one feature-length film or series (>60 min) or two short films (<30 min), mini series (<50 min) or other short forms of audiovisual narrative content that have been officially invited to festivals or released widely on TV, online or theatrically. The focus of the lab is on developing your story and finding creative collaborators, rather than on technical questions, budget, funding and co-production advice in the first place. The lab is also open to Berlinale Talents alumni who have not yet taken part in the Short Form Station.

What kind of project can I submit?

You can apply with a script for a short film, a high-quality mini series, web series, XR project or other form of narrative content that is in an advanced state of conceptual development (short films and XR projects: up to 30 min; serial content: up to 50 min in total). Eligible formats include fiction, documentary, animation and everything in between.

What's the structure?

The Short Form Station takes place digitally before the Berlinale. Participants can look forward to two individual mentorship sessions of 60 minutes each as well as a number of group meetings. These take place online prior to the festival period, during one week in late January or early February. During the Berlinale, the Short Form Station participants attend the six-day onsite Berlinale Talents Summit, with its programme of public talks, workshops and networking opportunities. During the Summit, they also have one session with a trainer to prepare to present their projects to industry professionals at the European Film Market.

What can I expect?

This is an opportunity to sharpen your project based on advice from industry professionals, the tutorship of dedicated mentors and feedback from fellow Talents alike. In comparision to other labs in the industry, our Short Form Station is a rather compact and therefore very intensive experience, aimed at making you discover key insights on where and how to move your project forward, and to find new collaborators for the upcoming parts of that journey.

How do I apply?

Access to the additional application for the Short Form Station is available once you apply for Berlinale Talents as an eligible director. Be sure to allow enough time to complete both applications. Alumni should apply through their existing online profiles. Any questions? Consult our How to Apply page, or you can also contact us at talents@berlinale.de or +49 30 25920 515.