The call for applications to participate in MASO – Short Film Training Programme is open online until June 30. The training program dedicated to short films is conceived by IDM Film & Music Commission Südtirol and the Bolzano Film Festival Bozen (BFFB), with the support of the Cultural Offices of the Autonomous Province of Bolzano and the backing of other important Italian and international partners.
Now in its 3rd edition, MASO#3 will offer nine filmmaking teams—eighteen participants in total—the opportunity to create their own short film under the supervision and guidance of international experts, supporting the selected teams throughout the development, production, and distribution phases.
The aim is to give space to new creative voices and ideas, and to contribute to the creation of high-quality cinematic works. An initiative that particularly helps young talents make their debut in cinema, reflecting IDM’s commitment to supporting emerging filmmakers.
The call for MASO#3 was launched during the Industry Days of the Bolzano Film Festival Bozen, where the projects developed during MASO #2 were also presented.
The MASO#2 Projects
Today’s event also provided an important opportunity for the eight teams that took part in the previous edition of MASO #2 to present their developed projects:
- Alhamraa (Country: Germany/Syria, director and writer: Waref Abu Quba, producer: Khaled Homsi);
- Can You Touch Me? (Country: Malaysia/Singapore, director and writer: Mickey Lai, producer: Sam Weishi Chua);
- Cherries (Country: Greece, director: Alexandros Tsilifonis, writers: Anastasia Galerou Vlassi, Alexandros Tsilifonis, producer: Katerina Kaskanioti);
- Lackings – Le carenze (Country: Italy/Norway, director and writer: Federica Poiana, producer: Muhammad Hannan Hamza);
- St. Egedes Islands (Country: Norway, director and writer: Amalie Magdalena With Vedelsby, producer: Iggy Augunset);
- Still (Country: Italy, director: Gabriele Fusaro, writers: Gabriele Fusaro, Alessandro Monari, producer: Francesco Biscaglia);
- UNICORN CARRIERBAG (Country: Austria, director: Matteo Sanders, writers: Julia Haugeneder, Matteo Sanders, producer: Julia Haugeneder);
- Winter Journey / Voyage d’Hiver (Country: France, director and writer: Antoine Stehlé, producer: Jérémie Palanque).
How does MASO work?
During the first phase, creative teams—composed of a writer or director and a producer (supported by a production company)—will submit an application for their short film project.
An Advisory Board, made up of various international short film experts, will oversee the selection of the projects that will participate in the program.
In the following phase, the selected teams will work on shaping their projects, from development to production. The process will be supervised by international experts through two workshops and several mentoring sessions. The first workshop will take place in November 2026 at FilmCamp Norway in Øverbygd, Norway; the second workshop will be held in April 2027 at ZeLIG – School for Documentary, during the Bolzano Film Festival Bozen, in Bolzano, Italy.
Teams will also be supported in developing their production strategy and building their financial plan. They will receive consultancy throughout the entire duration of the program and will have the opportunity to exchange ideas and network with the other participating teams.
International experts will support participants throughout MASO, guiding them in the development of their ideas. This new edition also marks a handover: after the creative direction of Enrico Vannucci for MASO #1 and #2, Zsuzsanna Kiraly becomes the new creative director of MASO #3.
MASO has been developed in collaboration with several international partners, each of whom will provide a scholarship for participation in MASO #3 to a selected project from their respective region/country.
