Special Mentoring Program for Women Creators

The Special Mentoring Program for Female Creators is an initiative of Animation! Ventana Sur that responds to the need to propose actions aimed at gender equity in the animation industry, promoting those projects with women in directing roles. The program, in turn, has as their axes representing local stories in pursuit of the dissemination of Latin American talent globally and creating a collaboration network of women looking to foster themselves and their projects through the exchange of ideas.

The directors of the selected projects have access to a training held by international specialists, focused on production, script and pitch which takes place online during two months. In addition, the directors have the opportunity to attend masterclasses given by renowned specialists and to meet with leading industry professionals who provide feedback on their projects.

This program, which has fostered projects from Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Chile, Mexico, Peru and Uruguay, has proven to be an excellent tool for the Latin American directors. The intensive training let them improve their abilities and boost their projects to present them successfully in events such as MIFA from Annecy International Animation Film Festival (France), the Coproduction Forum of the Quirino awards of Iberoamerican Animation (Spain), Los Angeles Latino Intl Film Festival (USA) and the audiovisual market Ventana Sur (Argentina).

The Program was recognized by WIA (Women in Animation) and was presented in the framework of the Women Summit in Annecy 2021 with the presence and testimonies of the directors and the mentors. Also it was pointed as a success case in the Women Summit in Annecy 2022

This initiative, held by Animation! Ventana Sur is possible thanks to the support of the Annecy International Animation Film Festival and its market MIFA, the Institut Français d’Argentine, Quirino Awards of the Iberoamerican Animation and LatinX in animation.

Project Selection

All Latin American projects of feature films and TV series in development which complete the submission in the call for Animation! Pitching Sessions correctly and accredit a woman in the director’s role qualify for this initiative. An international Jury will select five projects among them which will take part in the Mentoring Program for Female Creators.

After the training, the directors produce and show a video pitch and the mentors select one of the projects to be presented in an Animation! Special Pitching Session at MIFA / Annecy.

On the other hand, all projects receive a complimentary accreditation to Quirino Awards of Iberoamerican Animation to take part at the Coproduction Forum and then they are showcased in a pitching session in Animation! Ventana Sur. Additionally, after Ventana Sur, one of the projects is invited to LALIFF (Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival) with all the expenses covered.,

FAQ

What kind of projects qualify for the program?

What is the deadline to send the projects?

The submission call opens every year in July and closes by the end of August.

Does the project registration cost anything?

No, registration is free.

How many projects are selected?

The jury selects up to five projects to take part in the Mentoring Program for Female Creators.

Who selects the finalist projects?

A committee made up of experts from the international industry is in charge of the selection.

When are the finalist projects announced?

The finalist projects are announced during Ventana Sur, which takes place every year at the end of November.

When and how are the mentorships held?

The program is carried out virtually, between January and March. A detailed schedule is provided at the beginning of the Program.

Which language will be used to communicate during the program?

Communication with mentors and the project pitchings will be in English. It’s mandatory to have a good level of the language in order to communicate properly with the mentors and to present the project.

Who has access to online training in the context of this Mentoring program?

Up to three people per project will have access to the online training. The director and for instance the producer and / or the scriptwriter

How is the closure activity of the online training?

Once the Program has been completed, a video pitch of each project will be produced as a closure activity. Then, the mentors will choose one project (among the five that have received the training) to make their pitch in an Animation! special section at MIFA / Annecy in France.

How can I contact the organizers of Animation!?

You can send us an e-mail to animation@ventana-sur.com

Submit a project

To submit a feature film or TV series project with a woman in the role of director to Animation! Pitching Sessions click here.