Agenda

      Opening of the call for entries for the Zinemaldia Startup Challenge

      Zinemaldia Startup Challenge

      Date

      25 September 2025

      Venue

      Donostia-San Sebastian

      Time

      9:00 am - 2:00 pm

      Price

      Free

      San Sebastian Festival has opened the call for entries for the seventh Zinemaldia Start-up Challenge, a competition aimed at Spanish and European entrepreneurs and start-ups whose projects incorporate new technologies applied to the audiovisual sector

      **Deadline for registration is 2 June

      The initiative is part of Zinemaldia & Technology, a strategic commitment of the Festival in its aim to become a space for thinking about technology and the audiovisual industry, and strengthening ties between the two sectors.

      Eligibility requirements

      Projects that enter the Zinemaldia Startup Challenge must meet several requirements:

      • They must be based around an entrepreneur or recently created start-up - set up after December 31, 2019 - at any stage of development.
      • The must be based on applying new technologies in the audiovisual field.
      • They must be resident in Spain or a European country for tax purposes.
      • Thy must consider the possibility of launching the business project in the Basque Country.

      The projects selected will make presentations during the San Sebastian Festival at the Zinemaldia & Technology conference, which will be held on Thursday, September 25. These will also be a conversation between leading industry professionals on a topical issue.

      As a new feature this year, selected projects will have the opportunity to meet potential partners.

      TECNALIA to be part of the committee of experts

      A committee of experts made up of professionals from TECNALIA, BIC-Business and Innovation Centres in the Basque Country and Vicomtech will choose five Spanish and five European projects for the final.

      • These will have the possibility of having a year’s free access to an incubation space at one of the BICs (Business Innovation Centres) located in the Network of Basque Technology Parks.
      • They will also be able to access funding of up to 500,000 euros to develop their project in the Basque Country.
      • Two independent juries will award two prizes of 10,000 euros each before taxes for the best European and national projects.
      • A third jury will award a special mention with a prize of 3,000 euros in recognition of the entrepreneurial values of one of the ten selected projects.
      • To access the Regulations and register a project, click here.

      Zinemaldia Startup Challenge contact

      Donostia-San Sebastian

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