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Shorts Lab — Mediterranean Forms

Shorts
Lab.

An international screenplay development lab exploring narrative forms through the lens of Mediterranean culture, light, and landscape.

Lab Dates 19 Dec 2026 — 17 Jan 2027
Application Deadline 30 September 2026
Location Dalyan, Muğla, Türkiye
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About the Lab

What is the
Shorts Lab?

4 Selected Projects
28 Days in Dalyan
3+ Industry Tutors

The Dalyan Shorts Lab is a residential screenplay development programme set against the ancient landscape of the Carian coast. Filmmakers from the Mediterranean and beyond come to develop their short film projects in intensive one-on-one sessions with international shorts advisors.

The lab operates on the premise that good stories need space to breathe — both conceptually and physically. By situating development work in Dalyan, participants gain access not only to expert feedback but to a particular quality of attention that this place makes possible.

Projects selected for the lab are at treatment or first-draft stage. The programme is designed for filmmakers who are directing their own short films and seek rigorous, honest development work.

Programme

How the Lab Works

01

Selection

4 short film projects are selected through an open call. Projects should be at treatment or early draft stage. Directors who write their own scripts are given priority.

02

Residency

Selected participants spend 28 days in Dalyan. Shared living, communal meals, and evening screenings create a rare environment of sustained focus.

03

Development Work

Each project is assigned a primary shorts advisor for intensive one-on-one sessions. Group workshops explore narrative structure, character, and Mediterranean storytelling.

04

Pitch & Presentation

The lab concludes with a private pitch session attended by selected producers, development executives, and festival programmers.

4 Weeks in Dalyan

12 - 14 DECEMBER

Orientation & Diagnosis

Arrival, group orientation, and initial project presentations. Each participant presents their project and receives first dramaturgical responses from the group.

19 - 21 DECEMBER

Individual Mentoring

Individual meetings with the lead tutor. Group discussions around the thematic focus. First rewriting assignments distributed.

26 - 28 DECEMBER

Writing & Development

Intensive rewriting period with daily peer feedback sessions. Workshop exercises focused on scene structure, dialogue, and character interiority.

5 - 10 JANUARY

Pitch & Showcase

Participants pitch their developed projects to invited industry professionals. Celebration and closing dinner on the Dalyan river.

Lab Tutor
Marta Serafini — Lab Tutor

Marta Serafini

Screenwriter & Dramaturgy, Rome / Istanbul

Marta Serafini has worked as a screenwriter and dramaturg across European and Mediterranean co-productions for over twenty years. Her screenplays have been developed at CinéFondation, TorinoFilmLab, and Berlinale Talents, and her work has accompanied films to Cannes, Venice, and Sundance.

She is particularly interested in the intersection of somatic experience and narrative structure — how the body's knowledge enters the screenplay. She brings a rigorous, generous, and deeply attentive approach to the development process.

Guest Mentors
Cem Özdemir

Cem Özdemir

Director, Istanbul

Freya Nielsen

Freya Nielsen

Producer, Copenhagen

Abdou Koraté

Abdou Koraté

Filmmaker, Ife / Nairobi

Yuji Tanaka

Yuji Tanaka

Screenwriter, Tokyo / Seoul

Eligibility

What We
Look For

The Shorts Lab welcomes filmmakers from all backgrounds. We look for strong storytelling instincts, a distinctive personal vision, and projects that are genuinely alive — not finished but moving.

Apply Now
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    Short Film Projects

    Treatment or first-draft scripts at an active development stage. Any genre; live action or animation.

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    Writer-Directors

    Priority given to filmmakers directing their own short films, though writer-producer teams are also considered.

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    Mediterranean Connection

    Projects by or about the Mediterranean region are especially encouraged, though the programme is international in scope.

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    Previous Work

    At least one prior short or feature film, or evidence of substantial development experience. Emerging voices are welcome.

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    Working Language

    The lab operates in English. Scripts may be submitted in English or Turkish, with a synopsis in both languages.

Practical Info

Frequently
Asked

There is no tuition fee for the Shorts Lab. Selected participants are responsible for their own travel to Dalyan. Accommodation, meals, and programme costs are covered by the lab.

Yes. Projects at treatment or first-draft stage are preferred. The script does not need to be complete — the lab is specifically designed for active development work.

Yes. The Shorts Lab is a fully residential programme. In-person attendance for the entire 28-day duration is required. The residential nature of the lab is central to its design and effectiveness.

The lab operates in English. Applications and scripts may be submitted in English or Turkish. Simultaneous support in Turkish is available for participants who need it.

All applicants will be notified within 6 weeks of the application deadline. Selection results will be announced by mid-November 2026.

Newsletter
Previous Participants

Previous Participants

Selma Bozkurt
Selma Bozkurt Turkey

The Reed Garden

Writer-director based in Istanbul. First feature in development.

Marco Febbri
Marco Febbri Italy / Greece

Mediterranean Blue

Screenwriter. Winner of Torino Script Lab 2024.

Ana Polau
Ana Polau Argentina

White Salt

Filmmaker and visual artist. Sundance Screenwriters Lab alumna.

Archive

Previous Editions

2024

Borders & Crossings

9 Film Projects
2023

Return

7 Film Projects
2022

Inaugural Edition

5 Film Projects
The Dalyan River
The Dalyan River
Ancient Kaunos Ruins
Ancient Kaunos
Mediterranean Light
Mediterranean Light
The Place

Dalyan,
Muğla

Dalyan sits between two worlds — ancient and alive. The river cuts through dense reeds and limestone cliffs carved with Lycian rock tombs. The ruins of Kaunos rise among pine and oleander. Caretta caretta turtles nest on the beach beyond the delta.

This is a place where time moves slowly and attention deepens. It is why we chose Dalyan for a film development lab. The Mediterranean light, the sounds of water and wind through reeds, the proximity of history — all conspire to create conditions for honest story work.