by FilmInk Staff

PAOLO SORRENTINO LAB: IN ARGENTINA From December 1st to 11th, 2025

At a glance:
• Dates: Dec 1–11, 2025
• Where: Patagonia, Argentina
• Cohort: 50 filmmakers (one short film per participant)
• Deadline: Sept 21, 2025

The Venice Film Festival has placed Paolo Sorrentino back at the centre of the cinematic world this week: he opened the Mostra with La grazia and reignited the global conversation around cinema and politics. On that same stage, Werner Herzog, a master who has also led past editions of the Creators Lab, was honoured with the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement, a tribute to a body of work that forever changed the language of cinema. Two major headlines that set the perfect stage for announcing our next edition: Paolo Sorrentino Lab: Filming in Argentina.

Following the unforgettable experiences with Apichatpong Weerasethakul in the Peruvian Amazon (2022) and the Yucatán jungle in Mexico (2023), and with Pedro Costa in Mexico (2024), the Creators Lab by Playlab Films returns with a new and powerful edition. For the first time, 50 filmmakers from around the world will take part in an intensive residency to develop and shoot a short film under the artistic guidance, vision, and sensitivity of Paolo Sorrentino, Academy Award winner and one of the most distinctive voices in contemporary cinema.

The lab will be hosted at Rotui Luxury Village, in the heart of the Argentine Patagonia, a natural and mystical landscape that will serve as both setting and inspiration. Amid lakes, mountains, and landscapes seemingly frozen in time, filmmakers will leave behind their daily lives to listen to their inner voice and discover what this singular territory has to whisper to them.

¨As far as I’m concerned, every film must be a relentless search for the unknown and the mysterious — not so much to find an answer, but to keep the question alive.¨— Paolo Sorrentino

During the Lab, filmmakers will go through every phase of the creative process: observation, writing, shooting, editing, and screening. Each director will take on the essential roles in the making of their film: directing, camera, sound, and editing, with close guidance from Paolo Sorrentino and the Playlab Films team. The methodology is rooted in the approach developed by Abbas Kiarostami, reinterpreted by Werner Herzog, Apichatpong Weerasethakul, and Pedro Costa, and now reimagined through Sorrentino’s unique lens.

This Lab is not only about making films, it’s about building community. It will be a time of deep exchange, long walks, evening dialogues, and shared learning that extends beyond the act of shooting. At the end of the residency, ten short films will be selected for international festival distribution. Later, all 50 participants will be invited to submit feature film or series proposals to an internal Playlab Films call, from which two projects will be chosen for development and production support.

“The truth is that, no matter how much you think about your film or how much preparation goes into it, the final result always goes far beyond that. It’s not something you can truly anticipate.” — Paolo Sorrentino

KEY DATES

→ Call for Applications Opens: August 21, 2025

→ Call for Applications Closes: September 21, 2025

→ Lab Start Date: December 1, 2025

→ Lab End Date: December 11, 2025

DURATION & FEE

→ Led by: Paolo Sorrentino

→ Length: 10 full days (11 nights)

→ Participation Fee: €7,500

*Once the fee is paid, no refunds will be issued. If a selected participant fails to complete payment within the established deadline, their spot will automatically be offered to the next applicant on the waiting list.

WHAT’S INCLUDED IN THE RESIDENCY

→ Artistic mentorship and creative guidance from Paolo Sorrentino

→ Ongoing support from the PlayLab Films team

→ 11 nights of accommodation at Rotui Luxury Village, Patagonia, Argentina

→ Full board for 12 days (3 meals per day + unlimited hydration)

→ Internal transfers to and from Chapelco Airport – Aviador Carlos Campos

→ Daily transportation during the Lab

→ Evening dialogues with Paolo Sorrentino

→ Exclusive workspaces dedicated to the Lab

→ A comprehensive pre-production booklet including:

A wide casting list of local non-professional and professional actors
A curated list of shooting locations with historical and cultural context
Filming permits
Practical production information

→ 10 short films will be selected for international festival distribution

→ Exclusive internal call to submit future feature or series projects

HOW TO APPLY

→ The international call opened on August 21, 2025, and is open to filmmakers and audiovisual creators from around the world. Applicants will have one month to submit their materials before the deadline on September 21, 2025.

Program & applications: https://playlabfilms.com/en/creators-lab/paolo-sorrentino-lab-2025/