Mendoza
~750 m
The city, the foothills and the Uco Valley.
First edition
NÓMADE
Intensive Independent Film Workshop
Mendoza · ArgentinaNovember 2027
- 6 short films of 15 minutes
- 6 teams of 5 participants
- genre open
- Supported by
- The workshop's technical crew, mentors and guest professionals
- With
- Casting and location scouting
- 4 virtual pre-production sessions
- 15 days all inclusive
- 1 winner award 1 year of distribution
Mendoza · 1–15 Nov 2027
Applications open January 2027 · Notify meI. What it is
From idea to screening, in fifteen days
NÓMADE is an intensive independent film workshop in Mendoza, Argentina: from 1 to 15 November 2027, thirty participants form six teams and make six short films, from the first idea to the final screening.
Each team works with the roles of a professional shoot, supported by the workshop's technical crew and by mentors and guest professionals. The genre is open and each short runs up to 15 minutes. There's casting and location scouting, and pre-production starts a month earlier, with four virtual sessions. The winning short receives a one-year distribution award from the distributor ANIOLUZ.
It isn't for beginners: we're looking for craft, a personal point of view and a real wish to work as a team.
A professional standard. Professional film equipment and gear, filming permits, insurance and legal work are all included. No need to bring a camera.
Six teams of five. Each participant chooses up to two head-of-department roles. The first edition is curated, for people with previous work.
Ethics and craft. Informed consent from the people we film, respect for the communities that host us and clear roles within each team.
Is it for you?
It's for you if…
- You have demonstrable previous work in your role and work to professional standards.
- You work as a head of department: directing, screenwriting, producing, assistant directing, cinematography, lighting, sound, art direction, costume and make-up, editing, sound or picture post-production, or original score.
- You want to work in a team and learn from other people's decisions as much as from your own.
- You can be in Mendoza from 1 to 15 November 2027 and join the four virtual pre-production sessions in October.
- You speak fluent Spanish and you're excited to film on location, through long days.
Maybe not this time if…
- You're just starting out: this first edition is for experienced people.
- You're looking for a self-paced course with no dates or deadlines.
- You want to shoot a fully defined personal project on your own, without sharing decisions.
- You can't be in Mendoza for the full fifteen days.
II. The format
Six shorts, six teams
Thirty participants, open genre and up to fifteen minutes per short.
- Short films
- 6 · up to 15 min
- One per team. Developed, shot, edited and screened within the workshop.
- Teams
- 6 of 5
- Thirty participants, in teams built by role, as on a professional independent film shoot.
- Genre
- Open
- Fiction, documentary, western, portrait, hybrid: each team decides how to tell its story.
- Support
- Technical crew and mentors
- Teams are supported by the workshop's technical crew and by mentors and guest professionals.
- Casting
- Actors
- For the stories that need it. Actors' fees are included in the price.
- Scouting
- Locations
- Fieldwork to choose where each short is shot.
What you leave with
- A finished short
- Up to 15 minutes, to a professional standard: shot, edited, with sound, mix and colour, and screened on the last day.
- Craft in real conditions
- Shooting on location with professional film equipment, permits, casting and defined roles, as on a real production.
- The network
- The people you filmed with, and the community of future editions.
III. Pre-production
Four sessions before you travel
A month earlier, in October 2027. Days and times will be confirmed with the selected participants.
Pre-production starts remotely: a month before the workshop, the thirty participants meet online once a week, four times, so they arrive in Mendoza with their teams formed, their stories underway and a production plan.
- Session 1
- Teams and roles. Introductions and forming the six teams, with each person's roles.
- Session 2
- Ideas. Each team's first ideas for its short.
- Session 3
- Stories and treatments. Developing the stories and their treatments.
- Session 4
- Production plan. Each team's production plan, looking ahead to scouting, casting and the shoot in Mendoza.
IV. Schedule
Fifteen days in Mendoza
From Monday 1 to Monday 15 November 2027: arrival, scouting, casting, five shooting days, editing and the final screening.
- Oct 2027BeforeOnline
Virtual pre-production
- Mon 1 NovDay 0Arrival
Arrivals and welcome
- Tue 2 NovDay 1Opening
Opening
- Wed 3 NovDay 2Scouting
Location scouting
- Thu 4 NovDay 3Stories
The stories
- Fri 5 NovDay 4Casting
Casting and final prep
- Sat 6 NovDay 5Shoot
Shoot 1
- Sun 7 NovDay 6Shoot
Shoot 2
- Mon 8 NovDay 7Shoot
Shoot 3
- Tue 9 NovDay 8Shoot
Shoot 4
- Wed 10 NovDay 9Shoot
Shoot 5 and start of the edit
- Thu 11 NovDay 10Editing
Editing 1
- Fri 12 NovDay 11Editing
Editing 2
- Sat 13 NovDay 12Delivery
Delivery
- Sun 14 NovDay 13Screening
Final screening
- Mon 15 NovDepartures
Departures
Schedule · subject to change
V. Territory
Three territories
Within a few hours of each other, Mendoza has film landscapes that couldn't be more different: the city and the Uco Valley; the volcanic steppe of Malargüe and La Payunia; and the High Andes corridor, with Uspallata, Puente del Inca and Aconcagua Provincial Park. Where each team shoots is decided during scouting.
South: Malargüe and La Payunia
1,400–2,200 m
Volcanic steppe with more than 800 volcanoes and vast lava fields. La Payunia is reached by 4x4, with licensed guides.
Andes: Uspallata and Aconcagua
1,900–2,950 m
The Uspallata valley, Puente del Inca and Aconcagua Provincial Park. Maximum altitude ~2,950 m, at Laguna de Horcones.
The location itinerary is an illustrative draft: it shows a possible route through the three territories, not the workshop schedule.
See the location itineraryVI. Investment
USD 5,000 all inclusive
A single price per participant. Payment options and deadlines will be published with the call for applications in January 2027. Nothing is charged today.
What's included
- Lodging
- Meals
- Transport
- Production costs and actors' fees
- Filming permits
- Insurance
- Legal
- Professional film equipment and gear
What's not included
- Travel to Mendoza
- Personal expenses
To be confirmed
- Scholarships and volunteering
- The specific accommodation (lodging is already included in the price)
- Mentors and guest professionals: we'll announce them as they confirm
VII. Award
Distribution award
ANIOLUZ
The winning short receives a one-year distribution award from the distributor ANIOLUZ. It's presented on Sunday 14 November, at the final screening.
VIII. Selection
Selection by role
The head-of-department roles of a professional independent film crew. Each participant chooses up to two.
- 1. Up to two roles
- You choose one or two roles from the list: that's how we build six complete, balanced teams.
- 2. Previous work
- The first edition is curated, for people with previous work: you'll need to show finished work in your role.
- 3. Curation
- We look at each person's work and build the six teams of five.
The roles
- Directing
- Screenwriting
- Producing
- Assistant directing
- Cinematography
- Gaffer
- Production sound
- Art direction
- Costume & make-up
- Editing
- Sound design & post
- Colour & picture post
- Original score
Applications open in January 2027
More information coming soon: the guidelines, deadlines and calendar will be published that month. Leave your details and we'll let you know. It isn't an application and it commits you to nothing.
Notify me when it opensIX. Questions
What people ask most
What is NÓMADE?
An intensive independent film workshop in Mendoza, Argentina, from 1 to 15 November 2027. Thirty participants, in six teams of five, make six short films, from the first idea to the final screening, supported by the workshop's technical crew and by mentors and guest professionals.
What do we film? Does it have to be documentary?
No: the genre is open. Fiction, documentary, western, portrait, hybrid: each team decides how to tell its story. Each short runs up to 15 minutes.
How much does it cost?
USD 5,000 all inclusive: a single price per participant. Payment options and deadlines will be published with the call for applications in January 2027. Nothing is charged today.
What's included?
Lodging, meals, transport, production costs and actors' fees, filming permits, insurance, legal, and professional film equipment and gear.
When do applications open?
In January 2027. That month we'll publish the guidelines, deadlines and calendar. If you join the interest list, we'll let you know when it opens.
Which roles can I choose?
Up to two of these: directing; screenwriting; producing; assistant directing; cinematography; gaffer; production sound; art direction; costume and make-up; editing; sound design and post; colour and picture post; and original score.
How do I get to Mendoza? Do I need a visa?
Fly into Mendoza International Airport (MDZ), with connections from Buenos Aires and Santiago de Chile. Travel isn't included in the price. If you're not Argentine, check the entry requirements with the Argentine consulate in your country.
Where do we shoot?
In Mendoza. Each short's locations are chosen during scouting. The location itinerary we publish (the city, Malargüe and La Payunia, and the High Andes) is an illustrative draft.
See all questions
Still have a question? Write to us
X. Credits
Who you'll work with
The people behind NÓMADE
Filmmakers who shoot on location and know what it takes to build a team far from home and finish a film in a matter of days.
Juan Francisco Montes
Director and screenwriterSan Juan, Argentina
Explores life in the Andes through documentaries such as “Sierra” (2025) and “Serás Calingasta”, portraying ancestral rituals and little-known worlds. Co-directed “I Am an Island” (2026).
juanfmontes.com
Nico Nuñez
Cinematographer and producerMendoza, Argentina
Sees the camera as a vital space where intuition, music and experimentation guide the story, aiming for deep emotional impact. Co-directed “I Am an Island” (2026).
annonimofilms.com
Emilios Goutas
FilmmakerMexico and Greece
Works on nature, ancestral cultures and spiritual landscapes. Through PIGUAME Films he combines adventure, Indigenous knowledge and environmental awareness to convey the poetry of real places and the resilience of the people who live there.
@piguame_films
Mentors and guest professionals
To be confirmed
Film professionals support the teams during the workshop and in open sessions. We'll announce them as they confirm.
The workshop crew
- Technical crew
- Supports the six teams during the shoot and post-production, with professional film equipment and gear.
- Production
- Filming permits, insurance, legal, casting, lodging, meals and transport.
- Safety
- A safety protocol and, wherever the terrain calls for it, licensed guides and drivers who know gravel and mountain roads.
Joining the interest list commits you to nothing. Before charging any amount, we'll publish the details of the entity that runs and invoices the workshop.