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Cuenca, Spain — Portugal’s “Told by Women” (“Contado por Mulheres”), an ambitious anthology of TV movies all made by first-time women filmmakers, is set for a Season 2 which raises the ante including 20 new titles as compared to the original’s 10 films.

The second season will also re-team the Portuguese producers of the original collection: public broadcaster Rtp and Lisbon-based Ukbar Filmes, behind Netflix hit “Turn of the Tide.”

Now in development, “Told by Women” Season 2 will go into production this September/October, said Ukbar Filmes producer Pandora da Cunha Telles, also the first collection’s creator, talking at Spanish co-production forum Conecta Fiction on Wednesday.

Well respected international producers, such as Gudny Hummelvoll (Norway), Mariela Besuievsky (Spain), and Francesco Virga (Italy) are providing mentorship on the new projects.

Their involvement strengthens the project’s cross-border relevance and reinforces its focus on excellence and sustainability, the producers said in a press statement Tuesday.

“Contado por Mulheres” (“Told by Women”), an initiative led by the Portuguese public broadcaster Rtp and the Lisbon-based production company Ukbar Filmes, featured 10 primetime movies told by female first-time filmmakers in its first season. For its second edition, it is expanding to 20 projects. “20 women first-time directors/20 TV movies for primetime/20 stories told by women,” highlighted a summary of the second edition of the initiative shown during a Wednesday breakfast event at the Conecta Fiction & Entertainment industry gathering in Cuenca, Spain.

Ukbar’s Pandora da Cunha Telles (Once Upon a Time in Gaza), creator of the initiative, and José Fragoso, director of programs at Rtp, presented their plans for the second season during the event, with the latter emphasizing the goal of “nurturing the next generation of Portuguese filmmakers.”

With a focus on sustainability and a collective community experience, all films will be shot back-to-back in blocks of five in small cities in Portugal,...

If you’re one of the filmmakers who supplied some 5,600 submissions to the 2019 Palm Springs International Shortfest, the stakes were high. Not only because Shortfest offers the only short-film market in North America; or, because 369 of those films were selected for juried screenings to an audience of more than 700 over June 18-23.

Those functions matter, but as the world’s biggest short-film festival, Shortfest also draws talent agents, production executives, and producers who are keenly aware that, beyond identifying early talent, short-form content holds tremendous value in the current market. Yes, the Sundance Film Festival is still the best way to get films seen by Hollywood — but in a world that’s (re)discovering the virtues of short-form content, there’s something sexy about an event entirely devoted to its celebration.

While short films have always provided fodder for features, today they’re more likely to fuel web or TV series.

If you’re one of the filmmakers who supplied some 5,600 submissions to the 2019 Palm Springs International Shortfest, the stakes were high. Not only because Shortfest offers the only short-film market in North America; or, because 369 of those films were selected for juried screenings to an audience of more than 700 over June 18-23.

Those functions matter, but as the world’s biggest short-film festival, Shortfest also draws talent agents, production executives, and producers who are keenly aware that, beyond identifying early talent, short-form content holds tremendous value in the current market. Yes, the Sundance Film Festival is still the best way to get films seen by Hollywood — but in a world that’s (re)discovering the virtues of short-form content, there’s something sexy about an event entirely devoted to its celebration.

While short films have always provided fodder for features, today they’re more likely to fuel web or TV series.

Keep up with the always-hopping film festival world with our weekly Film Festival Roundup column.

– Exclusive: The 6th Annual Lower East Side Film Festival and their 2016 panel of judges, including Ethan Hawke, Cindy Tolan, Steve Farneth and Raul Castillo have announced their winners. Check them out below.

Best Feature Film – “Americana” – By Zachary Shedd

Best Live Action Short Film – “Killer” – By Matt Kazman

Best Animated Short Film – “The Mega Plush: Episode I” – By Matt Burniston

Best Music Video – The Knocks’ “Collect My Love” – By Austin Peters, Music by The Knocks, featuring Alex Newell

Best Documentary Short Film – “Erosion” – By Brandon Bloch, Tim Sessler and Brandon Bray

The Advocacy Award Presented by Here TV – “Video” – By Randy Yang

The Lesff Neighborhood Award – “Streit’s: Matzo and the American Dream” – By Michael Levine

Best of Fest, The Lesff Prix D’Or – “Art of the Prank” – By Andrea Marini

Audience Award...