Bridging the Gap Animation Lab For Young Artists Now Open For Submissions
Bridging the Gap, an intensive lab for animation students and young professionals from around the world who want to develop their own projects with guidance from industry experts, will take place in Valencia, Spain, from July 18-23, 2016. The six-day program is accepting applications until April 15 (UPDATE: the deadline has been extended until April 25).
The lab will be open to 12 participants this year. Organized by various Spanish government agencies as well as the animation festival 3D Wire, the event offers a rare opportunity for artists from around the world to work directly with experienced professionals, while developing the necessary tools and know-how to increase their chances for success in the industry.
Bridging the Gap consists of masterclasses, lectures, and individual meetings, and at the end of the sessions, participants will have the opportunity to pitch their workshopped projects to networks such as Cartoon Network, Canal +, and RTVE. Among the international experts who will guide the participants at this edition are:
- Guillermo Garcia Carsí, creator of Pocoyo
- Eric Goossens, director of the Belgian production company Walking the Dog (The Congress, A Monster in Paris, The Secret of Kells, The Triplets of Belleville)
- Charlotte De La Gournerie, Sun Creature Studio (The Reward)
- Nicolas Schmerkin, producer (Logorama)
- Shamik Majumdar, creative director of Walt Disney Europe
- Manuel Cristóbal, producer (Wrinkles)
- Guadalupe Arensburg, head of short film acquisitions department, Movistar+
- Paco Rodríguez, executive producer of seven animated feature films
- Spanish animation studio Silly Walks
As the name of the program implies, Bridging the Gap is especially welcoming of young artists in developing animation regions. Partial scholarships to participate will be granted to a maximum of five projects from the following countries: Bolivia, Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Peru, Dominican Republic, Mauritania, Morocco, Western Sahara, Palestinian Territories, Mali, Niger, Senegal, Ethiopia, Equatorial Guinea, Mozambique and the Philippines.
For additional details and to apply, visit the Bridging the Gap website.
Here’s a taste of what happened at the first edition of Bridging the Gap last year:
