About this opportunity
The XR Lab is a creative development process rather than a pitch competition. It exists to take a team out of the day to day work on a project and let them test the idea through conversation, experimentation and exchange. The call covers immersive and new media work in innovative formats and emerging technologies, whether fiction, non fiction or in between, across immersive storytelling, web experiences, digital art, gaming, audio narratives, physical installations and projects built with AI, XR and other new tools.
Projects can be at any stage of development, and the selectors specifically encourage work that still has creative questions open. Two things shape the profile they want. The team must have at least two creative members attached, for instance two creators or a creator working with a producer, and the project must be produced or co produced by an eligible country, or carry story elements that connect it to these regions. Africa is well inside that map, since the country list includes Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Tunisia, Palestine, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria, and teams from outside the listed countries may still apply because every submission is reviewed.
You apply with an online form in English plus a single PDF that holds the working title, a logline, a synopsis or treatment of up to two pages, your thinking on why the project should exist as an immersive work, notes on target audience and distribution with up to three comparative projects that inspire you across up to three pages, what you hope to gain from the workshop, the production company profile, the core creative team and producer biographies, a financing plan if you have one, visual material such as a moodboard or a link to moving images, and examples of previous work in no more than two pages. One lead creative or producer may submit up to two projects, and a project that was not picked before can return if it has changed substantially.
Up to five projects are selected, and up to two participants per team must attend every session. The process runs from an online preparation and enhancement workshop during January 2027 to the lab itself in Thessaloniki, with arrival on 6 March, workshop days from 7 to 10 March, presentations and meetings on 10 March and online industry meetings on 12 March. The lab provides five nights of accommodation, one double room when two members attend, and can reimburse part of the travel expenses against receipts. The lead mentor is the creative producer Vassiliki Khonsari, co founder of the immersive studio iNK Stories. Applications opened on 18 September 2026, the submission window was extended to 25 November 2026, and results arrive in early January 2027.
What you receive
- A place among the five projects taken through the creative development process
- An online preparation and project enhancement workshop during January 2027
- Four workshop days in Thessaloniki from 7 to 10 March 2027 with presentations on 10 March
- Mentorship led by the creative producer Vassiliki Khonsari, co founder of the immersive studio iNK Stories
- A curated meeting schedule built from the requests of invited industry professionals, with extra meetings arranged by the AGORA team
- Online industry meetings on 12 March 2027 for teams that cannot extend their stay
- Five nights of accommodation, one double room when two members attend, and partial reimbursement of travel costs against receipts
- A route into AGORA Docs in Progress, which now takes projects from XR Lab alumni at prototype or final production stage
Who can apply
- Your project is an immersive or new media work that experiments with innovative formats or emerging technologies
- At least two creative members are attached, such as two creators or a creator working with a producer
- The project is produced or co produced by a country in South Eastern Europe, the Eastern Mediterranean or North Africa, or its story carries clear links to these regions
- The project can be at any stage of development, and work that still has creative questions open is encouraged
- Up to two participants per project commit to every session of the lab
- Your application and all materials are in English
- Projects from outside the listed countries are welcome where the team believes the lab is the right springboard
Who should not apply
- Solo applicants without a second creative member attached to the project
- Teams who cannot commit to the online workshop in January and the full lab in Thessaloniki
- Conventional film projects with no immersive, new media or experimental component
Documents to prepare
- The completed AGORA XR Lab application form, in English
- One project PDF holding the working title, logline and a synopsis or treatment of up to two pages
- Your note on why the story should be built in an immersive format
- Notes on target audience and distribution, naming up to three comparative projects, across up to three pages
- Company profiles for the lead and co production companies, and biographies for the core creative team and producers
- A financing plan, if available, showing the amount needed and how it will be raised
- Visual material such as a moodboard or an online link to moving images
- Examples of previous work, in pictures or links, in no more than two pages
How to apply
- Read the AGORA XR Lab page on the festival website, including the list of eligible countries and the kind of projects the lab looks for
- Open the AGORA XR Lab application form for the 29th Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival
- Complete the form with your project, team and contact details, since it cannot be edited once sent
- Attach the single project PDF with the treatment, distribution notes, biographies, financing plan, visual material and previous work
- Submit before 25 November 2026
- If you are selected, join the online preparation workshop during January 2027 and confirm which two members will attend the lab in Thessaloniki
Selection process
- Every submitted project is reviewed and evaluated, including work from outside the listed countries
- The focus of the read is the artistic ambition of the project and its appeal to an international audience
- An international selection committee assesses the submissions, and the final choice is made by that committee with the Head of AGORA and the festival administration
- Up to five projects are selected
- The final selection aims for a balance across represented countries, regions, genders and themes
- Notification arrives in early January 2027, ahead of the online workshop later that month
Sources and verification
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Questions applicants ask
Can a team from Nigeria or another African country apply?
Yes for the eligible list, which covers Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Tunisia, Palestine, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria. For a team from a country that is not listed, the lab still asks you to apply if you believe it is the right springboard, and all submissions are reviewed.
How many people from our team can take part?
You should apply with at least two creative members attached, and if you are selected, up to two participants per project are expected to attend all sessions, including the online workshop in January and the lab in March.
Is there an application fee?
No. Applying through the official festival form is free, and the lab covers five nights of accommodation for selected teams with partial travel reimbursement against receipts.
Can we submit more than one project?
One lead creative or producer may submit up to two projects. A project that was not selected in a previous edition can be sent again as long as its development has changed substantially.
What does the lab give the project at the end?
Teams leave with a strengthened creative direction, feedback from mentors, a curated schedule of meetings with industry professionals, and a standing to present the finished work at AGORA Docs in Progress if it reaches production stage.
Important disclaimer
Nextali researches and curates useful opportunities to make discovery easier. Before applying, verify every timeline, requirement, fee and application link on the official provider website. Do your own research into the organisation, its background and the authenticity of the offer. Nextali does not guarantee selection, funding or the conduct of third party providers.
