Technology, animation, video games, and emerging talent: the Next Lab Generation workshop returns

Next Lab Generation announces the launch of the call for entries for animation and video game projects for its sixth yearly workshop, which will begin at the end of April and conclude with an event on June 11-12, 2026, in Madrid, Spain. The initiative is once again sponsored by the Community of Madrid, through the Regional Ministry of Culture, Tourism, and Sports, and seeks to discover new talent and promote new forms of animation and video game production through the use of cutting-edge technologies.

The call for entries will be open from February 12 through March 13 and is aimed at animation and video game projects interested in experimenting with VR, XR and AR tools, as well as AI tools applied to prototyping and production. The call also includes the participation of fiction productions with a high content of animation or VFX. The application form is available on the Next Lab website.

An exclusive selection of projects will be part of an online workshop valued at €6,000 per spot, which will be free of charge for participants. This specialized training program combines technological experimentation and creative support, designed to propel early-stage projects toward professional production standards. Registration for the workshop is also free and can be accessed through the event’s official website. To formally apply, candidates must have a project that is visually developed and submit an explanatory dossier. A committee made up of industry professionals will evaluate the proposals and select the projects, which will receive expert advice and support in the areas of production, R&D&I, market knowledge, and the application of cutting-edge technology.

During this program for industry professionals and experts, participants will work on their project’s teaser, which they may present before a professional audience during the Next Lab Generation event on June 11-12 in Madrid. A jury made up of professionals from the audiovisual industry will select the winning project(s), giving them the opportunity to attend the prestigious Annecy Festival with free registration and be part of a special event by Next Lab within the festival, thus gaining visibility for their work and new networking opportunities.

Next Lab Generation once again opens a door to the future of animation, offering a space for creators who want to experiment, grow professionally, and showcase their talent before a specialized jury. The free nature of the program, together with mentoring from active professionals and the opportunity to present the results at an in-person event, place Next Lab Generation in a strategic position to identify emerging talent and explore new ways of producing animation and hybrid content in an environment of innovation and collaboration.