#vertical #social #story-telling
An international shorts film / series lab exploring narrative forms through the lens of Mediterranean culture, light, and landscape.
The Dalyan Shorts Lab is a 28-day production-focused programme for short film projects. Unlike development-only labs, the Shorts Lab combines script development with on-location production support — allowing participants to develop, shoot, and begin editing their films within the landscape that inspired them.
Snaps
The lab for this year focuses on made on / for social media in the format of vertical, single feature or in episodes.
We welcome projects from any genre.
4 short film / series 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.
Selected participants spend 28 days in Dalyan. Shared living, communal meals, and evening screenings create a rare environment of sustained focus.
Each project is assigned a primary shorts advisor for intensive one-on-one sessions. Group workshops explore narrative structure, character, and Mediterranean storytelling.
The lab concludes with a private pitch session attended by selected producers, development executives, and festival programmers.
Arrival, group orientation, and initial project presentations. Each participant presents their project and receives first dramaturgical responses from the group.
Individual meetings with the lead tutor. Group discussions around the thematic focus. First rewriting assignments distributed.
Intensive rewriting period with daily peer feedback sessions. Workshop exercises focused on scene structure, dialogue, and character interiority.
Participants pitch their developed projects to invited industry professionals. Celebration and closing dinner on the Dalyan Canal.
The Script 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 NowOpen to writers and writer-directors of all nationalities. Projects at treatment or first draft stage. Maximum four participants selected.
Project dossier (treatment or draft), director's note, short biography, filmography or writing samples, and a letter of motivation.
A substantially developed draft or treatment at the conclusion of the lab, ready for the next stage of production development.
Applications reviewed on a rolling basis. Final selections announced by 15 October 2026.
There is no tuition fee for the Script Lab. Selected participants are responsible for their own travel to Dalyan. Accommodation 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 Script 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 8 weeks of the application deadline. Selection results will be announced by mid-October 2026.
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.