FIC.UBA launches the First Ideas Competition for fiction feature films

The call opens in August and aims to boost new voices in Argentine cinema through mentorship, collaboration, and financial support for FADU students.

As part of the third edition of the University of Buenos Aires International Film Festival (FIC.UBA), the festival presents FIC.UBA LAB, a new initiative designed for students of the FADU Audiovisual Design Programme to support the development of fiction feature film projects.

This first edition of the Ideas Competition seeks to foster student talent and creativity, offering the opportunity to take part in a specialized mentorship program and work on scriptwriting and produce a teaser.

The call will be open from August 20 to September 20, 2025, through the festival’s official website. A jury made up of faculty members will select ten finalist projects, which will be announced during the third edition of FIC.UBA.

The selected teams will participate in a six-month mentorship programme covering scriptwriting, directing, and production, led by renowned industry professionals. At the end of the programme, each team must submit a dossier and pitch their project to professors, experts, and UBA authorities.

Among the finalists, two projects will be awarded the FIC.UBA LAB Prize, consisting of 5 million pesos per team, to support the writing of the first draft and the production of a teaser. Winning teams must also include students from at least three different FADU programmes, promoting interdisciplinary and collaborative work.

FIC.UBA LAB is organized by the University of Buenos Aires International Film Festival together with the UBA Secretariat of Science and Technology, the School of Architecture, Design and Urbanism, and the Audiovisual Design Programme.

This initiative aims to foster original storytelling in narrative genres that are rarely explored in academia. It also seeks to strengthen production experiences that bridge university training with professional practice, reaffirming the festival’s commitment to supporting new voices in Argentine cinema.