Why "Sponde"?
A “sponda” (Italian for “shore”, “threshold”) is the edge where land and sea meet. It’s an invisible limbo in which two different worlds find a point of contact. The point of contact between cultures and perspectives is what the residency invites to investigate, through the vision of young filmmakers.
In the Italian language, the word “sponda” refers also to an act of support toward a friend, or a technical gesture of complicity with a teammate.
Sponde, the residency, is therefore not only an invitation to explore a new territory and experience it, but also to play together with those who inhabit it and with one’s fellow filmmakers. A time for personal and collective research, guided by a master of cinema, aimed at creating a new, free vision of a place.
The Mentor: Ljubo Stefanov
Ljubo Stefanov is a two-time Academy Award nominee, best known for Honeyland (2019), which won three awards at Sundance and was nominated for Best Documentary and Best International Feature at the Oscars.
With over 20 years of experience, his work focuses on environmental and socio-political documentaries. His clients include UN agencies, The World Bank, the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, and EuroNatur. He is currently finishing his new feature documentary film ’Master Pinky is Building a House’, continuing his exploration of human impact on landscapes. Since 2020, he has been a member of AMPAS, contributing to the global documentary community.
Objectives
The residency aims to create a collaborative environment for artistic research and professional development. Cultural and artistic exchange with the territory, as well as peer-to-peer exchange among participants – of ideas, knowledge, and technical skills – constitute the core of the residency.
Each participant will be expected to develop and create an audiovisual project, of any genre or duration. Project completion may take place within two months after the end of the residency.
ELIGIBILITY
Participation in the residency is free of charge and open to 7 filmmakers who meet the following criteria:
- Aged between 18 and 35;
- Resident in a country belonging to the Mediterranean area*;
- Have completed at least one audiovisual work available for viewing, of any duration;
- Have access to and be able to work with their own filming equipment.
A good knowledge of English is recommended, as it will be the primary language spoken during the residency.
One place is reserved for a participant residing in the Province of Lecce.
* Mediterranean area countries include: Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cyprus, Croatia, Egypt, France, Greece, Italy, Kosovo, Lebanon, Libya, North Macedonia, Morocco, Montenegro, Palestine, Portugal, Principality of Monaco, San Marino, Serbia, Syria, Slovenia, Spain, Tunisia, Turkey.
Apply
To apply, candidates must submit the application form (available through the “DOWNLOAD FORM” button), fully completed, together with a motivation letter written in Italian or English.
All materials must be sent via email to sponde@arcicassandra.it with the subject line:
“SPONDE RESIDENCY_SUBMISSION_NAME_SURNAME”
The application deadline is February 28, 2026.
The Territory
The residency will take place in Morciano di Leuca, a small village in the south of Salento, in the far southeast of Italy. Together with Barbarano and the coastal area of Torre Vado, it has about three thousand inhabitants.
The area offers a wide variety of landscapes, from the rural and agricultural inland to the coastal zones of the seaside, often deeply shaped by human activity. Over the past ten years, however, the landscape has undergone significant changes due to the death of millions of olive trees caused by Xylella fastidiosa. The hinterland is now forced to reinvent and reimagine itself.
Like many other villages in the area, Morciano faces a contradiction: it becomes an overcrowded tourist destination in the summer months, while in winter it experiences significant demographic decline due to the lack of work.
Structural deficiencies in the area led to mass emigration in the 1960s and 1970s. A flow that has never completely stopped over time.
At the same time, the territory is also a place of arrival and hospitality, for people in transit from North Africa and from Eastern Europe. This constant human movement makes the region an interesting crossroads for new Mediterranean migration flows.
Despite these changes and challenges, the local community strongly identifies with its traditions: from culinary arts to agricultural practices, and through the legends tied to these places.
All of this contributes to the creation of the territory’s historical memory, preserved especially by the village’s older generation.
F.A.Q. - Frequently Asked Questions
What the Residency provides
Room and Board
The organisation will provide:
- Accommodation for the full duration of the residency, from March 20 to April 1, 2026*;
- Breakfast, lunch, and dinner for the same period;
* Excluding the participant residing in the Province of Lecce.
Educational experiences
The organisation will provide:
- A mentorship and training program with Ljubomir Stefanov and industry professionals;
- Guided visits and field research activities in the territory;
- Project mentoring in writing, production planning, and finalization;
- Support from translators and cultural mediators when necessary.
What is not provided
Transportation
The organisation does not cover:
- Travel to and from the residency location;
- Local transportation;
Expenses
The organisation does not cover:
- Costs related to the production and post-production of audiovisual projects;;
- Personal expenses.
The organisation, at its discretion, reserves the right to provide a scholarship covering travel expenses to a maximum of one participant.
The Storie meridiane project
Sponde – Residenza artistica is carried out as part of Storie Meridiane, the cultural and social regeneration project promoted by the Municipalities of Patù and Morciano di Leuca and funded by the EU – NextGenerationEU and the Ministry of Culture under the PNRR Cultura M1C3 Investment 2.1 “Attractiveness of villages.”
More on the Project
Storie Meridiane is focused on the regeneration and enhancement of the cultural and social heritage of the two territories, with the primary aim of revitalizing the socio-cultural context of the Capo di Leuca area. Secondly, it seeks to promote culture as a driver of economic and employment development, countering unemployment and depopulation. The project also aims to strengthen territorial attractiveness and contribute to the creation of an integrated tourism offer capable of generating stable and long-term economies.
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