{"id":9812,"date":"2025-01-28T13:28:58","date_gmt":"2025-01-28T13:28:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lpafilmfestival.com\/mecas?page_id=9812"},"modified":"2025-04-29T11:31:11","modified_gmt":"2025-04-29T11:31:11","slug":"guide-to-apply-with-a-film-to-be-made-en","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.lpafilmfestival.com\/mecas?page_id=9812","title":{"rendered":"GUIDE TO APPLY WITH A FILM TO BE MADE &#8211; EN"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><b>MECAS GUIDE TO APPLY WITH A FILM TO BE MADE (PROJECT IN DEVELOPMENT)<\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>MECAS <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">is a meeting place for independent filmmakers and producers making fiction, non-fiction, narrative and non-narrative or experimental films, films with a strong personal vision.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">MECAS is committed to talent and to the creation of <\/span><b>a cinema that is born without a commercial vocation<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, proposals that move away from labels, trends and conventionalisms, stories with their own identity, that move the viewer.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you think your next film would fit in with MECAS, we invite you to participate in <\/span><b>MECAS FILMS TO BE MADE<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You can also take a look at the selection of projects from our past editions.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>TO PARTICIPATE IN MECAS FILMS TO BE MADE<\/b> <b>(PLEASE READ BEFORE SENDING YOUR PROPOSAL)\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Your project can be in the writing and\/or financing stage.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It must have a minimum duration of 60 minutes.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It can be fiction, non-fiction or anything in between.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Projects from Europe and Latin America can be submitted.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Applicants do not need to have a producer or secured funding.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If the project already has an associated producer, it is preferable that it does not yet have a co-producer, as MECAS is a space to find allied producers.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">All applicants <\/span><b>must complete the form <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">for Film Projects in Progress ENTRY FILMS TO BE MADE<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">All those who wish to participate must <\/span><b>send a dossier with the following information<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>It is IMPORTANT <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">to comply with the information requested, <\/span><b>applications that do not comply with the maximum length required will be excluded:\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>MECAS form, Films in Progress, <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">which you can <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.lpafilmfestival.com\/mecas\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/FICHA-CINE-POR-HACER-2025-1.pdf\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">download here<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Biography of the director.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Director&#8217;s statement of intent.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Summary of total budget (1 page). This budget should be an estimate if your film is still in the writing stage, we understand that it is not a definitive version.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Estimated financing plan.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Estimated distribution and sales plan (approx. 1\/2 page).<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Long synopsis (max. 4 pages) or a summary of the script or treatment (max. 8 pages). <\/span><b>Do not send a script, nor a complete treatment.<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Add links to previous work to the dossier, if you have any, and a <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">teaser trailer <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">of the project if available.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Add images of visual references or a link to a <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">mood board<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to the dossier. We like to receive dossiers with images.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you have a production company, add a brief note of intention from the producer and a brief profile of the production company.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Participants must present a spending plan for the MECAS prize value of \u20ac5,000 (including taxes) and add it to the dossier of the project submitted.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The selection will be made on the basis of the dossier, which should include a long <\/span><b>synopsis (maximum 4 pages) <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">or a short <\/span><b>treatment (maximum 8 pages)<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>ABOUT THE SELECTION\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The MECAS team may request meetings with the projects after the final selection has been made, as well as requesting additional material.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A maximum of 8 projects will be selected.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In this 8th edition of <\/span><b>MECAS Cine por Hacer <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">dos uno of the participating projects have already been invited through the collaboration of MECAS and Cinema Pendent of L&#8217;Alternativa Film Festival 2024<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One of the selected projects will be directed by a Canarian filmmaker or produced by a Canarian production company.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One of the selected projects will be eligible to be filmed in the Canary Islands or will have the potential to be co-produced by a Canarian production company. \u25cf MECAS reserves the right to invite projects it considers of interest for this edition of MECAS Cine por Hacer.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>HOW IT WORKS ONCE THE PROJECT HAS BEEN SELECTED<\/b> <b>INFORMATION ON PARTICIPATION<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Once the project has been selected and prior to the event, the MECAS <\/span><b>team and the team from each project <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">will hold a <\/span><b>meeting via videoconference <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">to clarify any doubts and explain how their participation in MECAS will work. This meeting will serve to detail the following points:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">MECAS will cover the accommodation costs for a maximum of three (3) nights in a hotel and per diem expenses for one (1) representative from each project, preferably the director or the producer. However, we suggest that each project send more than one person from the team to accompany them to MECAS.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For LATAM participants, the organization may offer assistance for air travel, but cannot cover the entire cost of travel. Each case will be studied individually.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">All participants will present their project to the MECAS experts, who will be: representatives of international festivals, markets and laboratories, curators, production and distribution companies, sales agencies and representatives of film funds.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The <\/span><b>language of presentation of the projects will be English<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. MECAS provides a translator for participants who require one.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The presentations will take the form of a conversation in front of a professional audience (MECAS experts), this conversation will be between the team of each project and a MECAS moderator.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Each participant must send <\/span><b>an introductory video of their project lasting no more than<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> two minutes, which will be shown before the conversation with the expert audience.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Each team will have the same amount of time for the introduction of their work, conversation and possible questions from the audience, 17 minutes in total.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">MECAS will prepare a schedule of meetings. Each participant will have the opportunity to meet with the experts who can best support their project.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The representatives of the selected projects must attend the activities organized by MECAS.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>ABOUT THE MECAS AWARDS\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A jury made up of experts will award the following prizes:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>MECAS FILMS TO BE MADE <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">a cash prize of 5,000 euros (taxes included) that can be used in the process of completing the work.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At the end of MECAS, the winning projects must present all the administrative documentation to receive the payment plus an Expense Plan for the cash prize.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The following prizes will be awarded by collaborating companies or laboratories: <\/span><b>\u25cf Very Good Script Prize: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This consists of script advice from the professional Anna Ciennik.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>OTHER SPECIFICATIONS ABOUT THE AWARDS<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There will be no special mentions or ex aequo awards.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>TAX WITHHOLDINGS ON THE PRIZES\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The cash prizes will be paid upon presentation of an invoice dated in the year of the market edition and submitted within the calendar year of the market edition. These prizes will be subject to withholding taxes in accordance with Spanish law. A deduction certificate may be issued upon request of the interested party.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In cases where these payments are made to foreign individuals or companies resident in a country with a double taxation treaty with Spain that would allow the declaration of monetary prize payments with the corresponding deduction in the recipient&#8217;s country, the foreign individuals or companies must submit, together with the invoice, a certificate of tax residence in that country. In cases where the country of tax residence of the winning individual or company does not have a double taxation treaty covering this type of payment, the provisions of Spanish legislation on withholding taxes shall apply.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>PHYSICAL PRIZES\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">All prizes include the presentation of a plaque or diploma, as appropriate, to the director of the winning project or a representative.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>COMMITMENT TO PARTICIPATE<\/b><\/p>\n<p><b>BY ACCEPTING THE INVITATION TO MECAS\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The data and information to be included in the <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Infobook MECAS 2025<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, available to experts and market participants, will be those collected on the registration form, which has been completed by each participant. The veracity, accuracy and correctness of the data provided in Spanish and English are the responsibility of the participants.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The teams of the selected projects undertake to provide MECAS with the supplementary information within the deadlines required for the production of the Infobook.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>The name and logo of MECAS, Mercado del Cine Casi Hecho \/ Las Palmas de Gran Canaria Film <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Festival must be included in the credits of all selected projects, once completed, and if your project is a winner, it must be included in the opening credits of the finished film.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">MECAS reserves the right to use the photographs and promotional materials of the projects and filmmakers sent by the person submitting the project to MECAS for promotion, web and social media advertising, both of MECAS, the Las Palmas International Film Festival and other collaborating entities. They may also use the images taken during the event for promotion, communication and <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">making-of<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> purposes.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In order to maintain contact and follow-up on each project and to share the successes\/achievements that each one accumulates, the participants agree to maintain communication with the MECAS team when news arises about selections at festivals and other awards obtained. In this way, we will be able to support and publicize the journey of the works that have passed through MECAS on our social networks.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Registration implies acceptance of these rules.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>PLEASE TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE FOLLOWING\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The <\/span><b>deadline <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">for submitting projects <\/span><b>to this call for entries <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">is <\/span><b>February 20, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. UTC+1.<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>The MECAS team may make a pre-selection <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">and request meetings with the projects prior to final selection, as well as request additional material.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The MECAS team is very small and we cannot communicate with all the registered projects, therefore <\/span><b>we will send the official notification only to those selected projects.<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If by March 31st you have not received a communication from us, it means that your project has NOT been selected.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>PROCESSING OF PERSONAL DATA<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Participants declare under their own responsibility the veracity of the data provided in the registration process, and declare that they comply with the requirements established in the rules. The provision of false data will result in the rejection of the registration application.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Applicants give their consent for the processing of the data provided in the registration process to MECAS Cine Por Hacer, which will be used for the sole and exclusive purpose of managing their participation in the initiative.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The personal data collected will not be communicated to third parties, except where legally obliged to do so and except for the data necessary to manage their participation in the initiative.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Applicants give their consent to receive communications from the organization by subscribing to its newsletter.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Likewise, registration and, consequently, acceptance of these rules allow Promoci\u00f3n de la Ciudad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria S.A. to capture, reproduce and disseminate images and\/or videos of the participant taken during the MECAS event and their subsequent reproduction and\/or dissemination through any means of communication of MECAS, the Las Palmas de Gran Canaria International Film Festival and Promoci\u00f3n de la Ciudad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria S.A. , for all the uses it may have and for any application.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>JURISDICTION<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the event that an amicable resolution cannot be reached between the parties to any dispute that may arise, the parties shall submit to the jurisdiction of the Courts and Tribunals of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, expressly waiving their own jurisdiction.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>ACCEPTANCE OF THE RULES<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Registration implies the express and complete acceptance of these rules, with the organization being responsible for resolving any incident or conflict that arises and is not covered in these rules, which are final.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Promoci\u00f3n de la Ciudad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria S.A., the organizing body of MECAS, reserves the right to make modifications to these rules or to add successive annexes, which will be duly communicated during the period of the current call for entries.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>If you have any questions, please write to us at mecas@lpafilmfestival.com <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\/ <\/span><b>mecas3@lpafilmfestival.com<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>MECAS GUIDE TO APPLY WITH A FILM TO BE MADE (PROJECT IN DEVELOPMENT) MECAS is a meeting place for independent filmmakers and producers making fiction, non-fiction, narrative and non-narrative or experimental films, films with a strong personal vision.\u00a0 MECAS is committed to talent and to the creation of a cinema that is born without a commercial vocation, proposals that move &#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-9812","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry","no-post-thumbnail"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lpafilmfestival.com\/mecas\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/9812","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lpafilmfestival.com\/mecas\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lpafilmfestival.com\/mecas\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lpafilmfestival.com\/mecas\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lpafilmfestival.com\/mecas\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=9812"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.lpafilmfestival.com\/mecas\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/9812\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10852,"href":"https:\/\/www.lpafilmfestival.com\/mecas\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/9812\/revisions\/10852"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lpafilmfestival.com\/mecas\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=9812"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}