• 1. What is the objective of the Bayona Challenge?
  • The objective of the challenge is to provide professional support to a young director by producing the winning project as a short film.
• 2. Who can participate in the CUPRA Bayona Challenge?
  • All individuals born between 1990 and 2004 are eligible to participate in the contest if they meet the requirements.
• 3. Can I apply if I work for CUPRA, ESCAC, or any of the partner organizations?
  • No. Employees of the organizing entities, as well as members of their governing bodies related to the organization of the contest or its sponsors, may not participate in the contest.
• 4. Can I submit more than one project?
  • Each participant may submit a maximum of one project.
• 5. What are the requirements for the project?
  • The requirements are specified in the Terms and Conditions published in the Escac web. The genre of the projects submitted will be fiction; documentary or animation projects will not be accepted. Projects must be submitted in the language chosen by the candidate, but always with an English version of all required documentation. However, the final product of the project may be in any language.
• 6. Are there any restrictions on the content of the projects?
  • Projects must be original and unpublished, and participants must be the sole owners of the intellectual property rights.
• 7. Can I submit a project that is an adaptation of a book, play, or other existing work?
  • No, it needs to be an original script.
• 8. Can I submit my project to other contests, grants, or festivals while it’s being considered here?
  • No. While your project is participating in THE DREAM MAKERS CONTEST, it cannot be submitted to any other public or private grants or subsidies, nor to other contests, awards, or festivals, until the winner of this contest has been announced. Projects that are already awaiting resolution from a similar script or short film contest cannot be submitted either.
• 9. I have previous audiovisual work, but none are fiction short films. Can I still apply?
  • No, the short films need to be fiction.
• 10. I have previous audiovisual work, but not as a director. Can I still apply?
  • Yes, you can.
• 11. Is there a maximum length for the short film?
  • The short film must be a maximum of twenty (20) minutes long, and the shoot itself cannot exceed 8 days.
• 12. Do I need to speak English to apply?
  • Yes, a fluent level of English is required, as part of the required documentation (including the video pitch) must be submitted in English.
• 13. Do I need to officially register my script for Intellectual Property before applying?
  • It is not a requirement, but it is advisable.
• 14. What documentation do I need to provide?
  • Participants must provide: a synopsis, a visual dossier including a 30-second teaser of the short film, a treatment (5 pages), a script, a casting proposal, a technical team proposal, a 1-minute video pitch of the project in English, a director’s reel or portfolio, two previously produced fiction short films to demonstrate experience as a director, screenwriter, or producer (with English subtitles if in another language), and a duly completed and signed responsible declaration.
• 15. Where and how can I send my project?
  • You can send your project between August 24th, 2026 and 11:59 PM (Spanish peninsular time) on August 31st, 2026, through the participation form that will be published on ESCAC’s website.
• 16. How will the winning project be selected?
  • There will be an initial preselection of a maximum of ten projects, carried out by an ESCAC team. The jury will then choose a maximum of three projects from among the ten preselected projects, and this selection will be communicated to the three chosen projects between October 3rd and October 6th, 2026. The three finalist projects selected by ESCAC will be announced during the Sitges Film Festival, to be held in Sitges from October 8 to 18, 2026. These three projects will compete alongside the three selected by the Berlin Film Festival, and the winning project will be announced at the Berlin Film Festival in February 2027. All finalists will be selected by the Dream Makers jury.
• 17. Who is on the jury?
  • The jury consists of seven members, including: President of the jury – Juan Antonio Bayona. CUPRA – Ignasi Prieto. Brand Ambassador – Daniel Brühl. ESCAC Development Director – Aintza Serra. Sitges Film Festival Director – Ángel Sala. Berlin Film Festival Director – Tricia Tuttle. Babelsberg Director – Marcus Loges
• 18. What happens if my project is selected?
  • Selected participants must be available to travel to Sitges and Berlin to attend different events and also be available for mentoring sessions and other events the organization might consider necessary.
• 19. What happens if I am selected as a finalist but cannot attend the events in Sitges or Berlin?
  • All finalists must attend the events in Sitges or Berlin. They will be contacted before for them to accept to be a finalist, and if they cannot attend, they need to inform the organization.
• 20. When will the winning project be announced?
  • The winning project will be announced during the Berlin Film Festival, held between February 10th and 21st, 2027.
• 21. What is the prize for the contest?
  • The prize consists of the production of the winning short film project.
• 22. What is the budget for the production of the winning short film? Do I receive any money if I win?
  • The production budget is up to €120,000. The fee for the director is contemplated within the production budget; there is not a separate allocation for the director or co-directors.
• 23. I’m applying as a director-writer team or as co-directors. Who receives the prize if we win?
  • The prize is for the director or co-directors.
• 24. Who owns the rights to the winning project?
  • The winning author(s) will transfer to the production company, ESCAC Studio S.L., the exploitation rights of the intellectual property over the script and other materials needed to produce the short film — specifically the rights of reproduction, public communication, distribution, and transformation. This transfer will be exclusive, will include the right to sublicense to third parties, will apply worldwide, and will last for the maximum term permitted by applicable law. This transfer does not affect the authors’ non-waivable moral rights, nor their non-waivable right to remuneration, which remain with them.
• 25. Are there any legal conditions I should be aware of?
  • Participants must ensure they comply with all legal requirements regarding intellectual property rights and data protection.
• 26. When will the production of the winning short film take place?
  • Pre-production, filming, and post-production will take place after the announcement of the winner, between May 2027 and July 2027, taking into account that the short film will be presented at the 2027 edition of the Sitges International Fantastic Film Festival.
• 27. Can changes be made to the winning script?
  • No changes will be accepted to the winning script, except those agreed upon with the production company and justified by production-related needs.
• 28. Can I submit an AI-generated teaser?
  • No. The teaser must be an original piece created by you or your team.
• 29. What happens if the winner is unable to continue with the production of the short film?
  • If the winning director or team renounces, fails to respond within the given deadline, or is unable to move forward for reasons attributable to them, the organization may withdraw the winner status and, where applicable, choose to declare the prize void or take other measures foreseen in the contest rules. In such cases, the organization may also seek reimbursement of expenses already incurred, as well as compensation for any economic damages caused to the organizers and to the production company, ESCAC Studio S.L.
• 30. Who should I contact if I have further questions?
  • All the necessary information is included in these FAQs and in the contest Terms and Conditions.For any additional inquiries, participants can contact thedreammakerscontest@escac.es, questions will not be answered by email, phone calls, or any other means of communication until September 1st, 2026, when the application period is over.

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