Feature Expanded: Third Edition Call for Artist-Filmmakers

The third edition of Feature Expanded, a European training program for visual artists making their first feature film, has opened its call for applications. Organized by Lo Schermo dell'Arte Film Festival in Florence and HOME Manchester, the initiative is directed by Leonardo Bigazzi and Sarah Perks and funded by Creative Europe/MEDIA. It addresses the needs of a generation of artists working with moving images and the traditional audiovisual sector through a different approach to feature film production. The six-month program includes two residencies: in Manchester (June 21–26) and Florence (November 15–19, concurrent with Lo Schermo dell'Arte Film Festival), along with courses, workshops, screenings, online tutoring, and project pitching. Applications are open until March 3, with twelve projects to be selected. Silvia Lucchesi, director of Lo Schermo dell'Arte Film Festival, noted that 'Kindness' by Stefanos Tsipolous—a 2016 edition project and artist from the Greek Pavilion at the 2013 Venice Biennale—was selected for Cinemart at the Rotterdam Festival, a major European co-production platform for independent films, generating strong interest from international producers.