Next Lab Picks Three New-Tech Animated Projects To Receive Financing And An Invitation To Pitch At MIFA

Spain’s Next Lab has revealed the 2024 winners of its Generation pitching and incubation program for vr, ar, xr, and animation projects.

This year, 20 projects were selected to participate in a series of lectures, meetings, presentations, workshops, and networking events in Madrid. Each also pitched to a jury of industry professionals who evaluated the projects and selected their favorite three from the lot.

In the video below, excerpts for several of this year’s projects can be seen.

The three projects selected by this year’s Next Lab jury were:

Catwalk, Lidia Luna, Omayra González Pérez and Toni Mortero

• Catwalk is an animated series project that tells the story of María, a woman who feels trapped by the routine of life. After a terrible accident during a night out with friends, her consciousness is transported to the body of a stray cat, giving her an opportunity at a completely different kind of life.

Martina e Gaurá, Paula de Abreu

• This Brazilian multiplatform project, Martina e Gaurá is the story of two siblings adapting to life in a new home on a magical island where endangered species take refuge.

The Cutting of the Forest, Vernante Amarilla Pallotti and Daniele Zen

• This Italian vr short film is an examination of the balance between humankind and nature that unspools as the user ascends to the top of a tree as the buzz of chainsaws sounds below them.

The three selected projects will each receive 8,000 euros ($8,700) in development financing, three months of mentoring from professionals in fields related to the work, and the opportunity to pitch at Annecy’s MIFA marketplace in June.

The jury also awarded a special mention to Nuño Benito and Nacho Subirats’ Spanish series project Welcome to Fucking Rainbowland.

Next Lab was first held in 2021 as a launchpad and incubator for projects that best utilize new and emerging technologies in the creative sector. Since its founding, the event has hosted 70 projects from 30 countries.

According to Next Lab director José Luis Farias:

Next Lab has taken another step forward in changing the way we understand animation, putting technology at the service of creativity. It is not only our work, but also that of the community that has been created over the last four years, which collaborates, participates and pushes us to move forward.