Opportunities for RUFA Cinema and Photography students
With INK 2026, cinema returns to dialogue with live music in one of the symbolic venues of Italian culture: the Auditorium Parco della Musica “Ennio Morricone” in Rome. For the 21st edition of INK, the Saint Louis College of Music launches a national open call addressed to directors, filmmakers, and visual artists, inviting them to submit concepts for silent short films that will come to life through live orchestral scoring.
This opportunity is aimed at those working with audiovisual language who wish to see their creative vision engage with original compositions, written by the Composition and Film Scoring students of Saint Louis and performed by a large live symphony orchestra in May 2026.
The new INK 2026 format
With INK 2026, the project opens up even further. For the first time, artists outside Saint Louis are invited to enter into direct dialogue with students from the Composition Department, who will write original music specifically conceived for the selected short films. The chosen concepts will become complete works – short films scored with original music – and will be presented during INK 2026 with a live orchestral performance on the stage of the Auditorium Parco della Musica Ennio Morricone in Rome. A multi-voiced creative dialogue in which direction and music meet within a high-profile scenic context. During the evening, the projects will also be evaluated by a qualified jury, which will award the INK Prize for Best Short Film.
Who can apply
The call is open, with no age or nationality restrictions, to: directors, filmmakers, authors and aspiring directors, illustrators, animators, and individual or collective visual artists. Concepts for live action, animation, stop motion, or mixed-technique short films are eligible, provided they have a strong visual and narrative focus in relation to live orchestral scoring.
Project requirements
The selected concepts will lead to short films: – with a maximum duration of 3 minutes and 30 seconds – original and previously unreleased, with a strong visual and narrative identity
After selection, directors and composers will work in close collaboration, building a coherent artistic path together, culminating in the public presentation during INK 2026.
How to apply for INK 2026
Applications must be submitted by February 25, 2026, exclusively through the online form, attaching:
– short film concept (max 2 pages)
– cover letter
– artistic CV
Before submitting your concept, we recommend carefully reading the Call by clicking below:
