Open call: Short Film Incubator 2026
Deadline: Sun, 28 June 2026 (2359H SGT)
The Objectifs x Momo Film Co Short Film Incubator will run from 1 September to 31 October 2026. This year’s incubator will take place with a hybrid format, with weeks 1 to 5 conducted online, and the sessions from 29 to 31 Oct will be conducted in person at Objectifs. Applications close on 28 June 2026.
Applications will be assessed by Objectifs, Momo Film Co, and mentors Aiko Masubuchi and Kenneth Dagatan.
Application Criteria
ELIGIBILITY
1. Applicants must be of Southeast Asian nationality.
2. Applicants must be a screenwriter and/or writer/director of at least one short film that has screened in international festivals/regional or local screening programmes.
3. Applicants must not have made a feature length film before.
4. Applicants can apply for the Incubator individually or as a team (up to 3 people featuring either the director, producer, scriptwriter only).
5. Applicants must be committed to the entire duration and all sessions of the incubator.
6. The incubator is not open to full time students.
SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS
1. Script draft (max. 25 pages, PDF)
2. Director’s biography (max. 1 page, PDF)
3. Director’s profile picture
4. Director’s statement (max. 1 page, PDF)
5. Past short film(s) — provide a link that is accessible to watch the work online
6. Director’s pitch video for the story submitted (A simple 1-min or less video with no major editing of you telling us the story you have in mind, and sharing with us your vision of the story — provide either a link to watch the video online, or the video file)
8. Please ensure that your Google drive link is accessible. Inaccessible links will not be considered.
All submissions must be made in the English language. Films in any other language other than English must have English subtitles.
Incomplete submissions will not be accepted.
GENERAL REGULATIONS
1. All entries must be complete and submitted through the Objectifs website before 28 June, 11:59PM (SGT).
2. Successful applicants will be informed of the selection results by August 2026.
3. The Incubator will not provide individual explanation on the non-selection of a project.
4. Rights of the written materials produced during the Incubator will belong solely to the applicant.
5. Participating projects must indicate Objectifs and Momo Film Co support in any subsequent project materials, by displaying the Short Film Incubator logo.
Submit your applications by Sun, 28 June 2026 (2359H SGT).
Meet the mentors
Aiko Masubuchi
Aiko Masubuchi is a producer, film programmer, and translator based in New York and Tokyo. She is the producer of films such as Happyend (dir. Neo Sora), One Hundred Years and Hope (dir. Takashi Nishihara), and The Chicken (dir. Neo Sora). Films she has produced have premiered at film festivals worldwide including Venice International Film Festival, Locarno Film Festival, International Film Festival of Rotterdam, and Hong Kong International Film Festival.
Formerly the Senior Film Programmer at Japan Society in New York (2013-2018), she has since become independent and has guest-programmed at theaters including the Museum of Modern Art, Film at Lincoln Center, Anthology Film Archives, and Film Forum. She is the co-founder of GINZAZA, a short films initiative in Tokyo. Her writings and interviews can be found in publications such as Screen Slate and Film Comment.
Kenneth Dagatan
Kenneth Dagatan is a Manila-based writer and director, originally from Cebu. His short film Sanctissima premiered at the Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival. His debut horror feature Ma competed at the 2019 New York Asian Film Festival to critical acclaim.
In 2023, his World War II horror film In My Mother’s Skin became the first Filipino film to premiere at the Midnight Section of Sundance Film Festival. The film was the first to be supported by government funding across 3 countries (The Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan), and was acquired by Amazon, ranking top 6 in Variety’s Top Horror Films of 2023.
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