The aim of the IBERMEDIA NEXT line of funding, an initiative of the IBERMEDIA Program financed with NextGenerationEU funds, is to promote the potential and creativity of the Ibero-American region. The funding is an historic opportunity that will enable the animation industry to take a step forward technologically and artistically. To support the Ibero-American animation sector, which from the IBERMEDIA Program is deemed strategic, the initiative will provide support in the form of financing for selected projects, as well as through a comprehensive program of consultancy, communication and promotion.
Decidedly innovative, this funding will support projects for demonstration purposes to promote subsequent productions. Furthermore, the economic part of the aid will be non-refundable. A new feature will be to accompany the professional future of the selected projects with help aimed at mentoring, distribution and promotion of each of the projects.
I. Pioneering grants that promote innovative processes in animation projects.
As an initiative, IBERMEDIA NEXT is a unique occasion for professionals in the sector to go a step further in the application and experimentation with innovative technologies on digital content. Prototypes, teasers, pilots, short films or video clips will be accepted, these must have a minimum duration of five minutes and use new technological tools applied to animation and/or open code tools in their development.
The final result of these works will either be traditional audiovisual content or virtual reality (VR), extended reality (XR) or augmented reality (AR). Digital animation projects or those with real images will be admissible as long as they include at least 75% animation in the running time. Projects already in the production process can also be presented as long as they comply with all the requirements established for this call.
II. A significant, non-refundable, economic boost for each project.
The maximum economic amount each project may receive will be €150,000. The amount that is finally granted will be allocated depending on the characteristics of each project and their specific needs.
As already mentioned, the grants are non-refundable and, therefore, the selected companies will not have to repay them.
III. The best ally for each finalist project: personalized accompaniment.
The specialized networking activities for the sector form part of the hallmarks of the initiative. Hence the program of training, consultancy, promotion and distribution, valued at €95,000, which complements the economic contribution the selected projects will receive. After attending events such as the Annecy International Film Festival or the Ibero-American Animation Quirino Awards, IBERMEDIA NEXT will also be present at the next events of The Ibero-American Animation League, the Pixelatl Festival and Animation! Ventana Sur.
In this personalized accompaniment, the Assessment and Consultancy Committee announced at Annecy will play a special role. These specialists are the Portuguese Luís Belerique, Lead Artist at Tequila Works; the Argentinian Rosario Carlino, CEO of OSA Estudio, an animation teacher at ENERC and at Blas Pascal University; the Venezuelan Alejandra Luzardo, Manage Innovation – Creative Economy & Public Policy BID; the Spaniard Raúl García, who began his career as an animator of well-known North American series and films, who worked for nine years at Walt Disney on films such as Aladdin, he is a director and producer member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences of Hollywood and of Spain, The Writers Guild of America and ASIFA-Hollywood; and the Peruvian Aïda del Solar, a teacher at Gobelins LÉcole de l’Image (Paris) and director of art and creation at CNAM-ENJMIN (Angoulême).
IV. A range of projects to help show Ibero-America from other perspectives.
The challenge is not to lose track of the needs of a strategic sector for the future of the Ibero-American audiovisual industry. That is precisely why the alliance with the main drivers of the sector in the region has been fundamental for IBERMEDIA NEXT: the Ibero American Animation Quirino Awards and The Ibero-American Animation League, comprising the aforementioned Quirino Awards (Spain), Animation! Ventana Sur (Argentina) and the Pixelatl Festival (Mexico).
In relation to this, one of the main functions of the Committee will be to ensure this funding is granted under a competitive bidding system, in accordance with the principles of objectivity, transparency, equality, non-discrimination and publicity. To do this the Committee will assess the presented projects individually and then in joint meetings until deciding the final assessment. Subsequently, the Committee will design proposals of possible partners, financial backers or investors, among other interesting reflections.
Each selected project will also enjoy on-line monitoring sessions with the assigned tutor in 2023 and 2024. It is calculated that this first call for funding will support between 10 and 15 different projects.
V. Encourage Ibero-American co-development.
IBERMEDIA NEXT would not be understood without the intention of facilitating networking among professionals in the sector on both sides of the Atlantic. The professional matchmaking tool IBERMEDIA NEXT PLAZA will enable companies and producers from Spain, Italy and Portugal to meet other companies and creators from all the member states of the IBERMEDIA Program and connect with the aim of working together. In the same way, Latin American professionals can search for Spanish, Italian or Portuguese companies with which to apply for the aid.
Registration on IBERMEDIA NEXT PLAZA and activation of a personalized profile, both of which are completely free, are essential before presenting the application for funding for all project partners, including the European companies and producers, the creators from the Ibero-American region and the IP owners. As registration on the platform may take a few days before being effective and the profile must pass an internal verification process, the sooner the process is completed, the sooner the search for animation sector professionals and partners can begin.
All the details about the Call can be found here and the FAQs section answers many of the questions that may arise when applying. The IBERMEDIA NEXT team is also available through this contact form. If there are any questions regarding registration on PLAZA, there are specific FAQs for the platform, as well as a contact e-mail where help will be given to resolve any problems that may arise.
