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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