VIVABOOK Lab has selected its five projects. In its second edition, the lab promoted by Mi Primer Festival will support the development of five screen adaptations based on works of children's and young adult literature, aiming to forge new pathways between books and the screen while stimulating the creation of film and television series for children and families

The selected projects are Heura, by Eloy Calvo, Blanca Escoda and Volker Schmitt (author); Where is Dad?, by Carla Lainez Tabuenca; Mia Fantasia, by Inés Acuña De Piero and Júlia Puig Fontanet; Belzi, the Hornless, by Silvina Schnicer Schliemann; and The Moon at Home, by Mario Monzó Porras and Guillem Villalonga i Colomé.

Five distinct proposals (one feature film, two short films, and two animated series) that share a common aim: to reimagine stories for children through emotion, adventure, humour, sensitivity, and a critical lens.

With this selection, VIVABOOK Lab strengthens the dialogue between two deeply connected creative realms: children's and young adult literature and the screen industry. The lab aims to serve as a space for support, development, and professional networking to drive forward projects with a distinct identity and the potential to reach new generations of viewers.

Based on Heura: Starting Anew, by Volker Schmitt and Màriam Ben-Arab, published by Bindi Books, Heura is conceived as an adventure feature film set in a world shaped by the Great Collapse. Earth has turned into a vast wasteland plagued by extreme climates, poisonous rivers, and mutated animals.

In this harsh landscape lives Heura, a resourceful and courageous ten-year-old girl, accompanied by her rat Whiskers and an improvised family surviving together in a greenhouse shelter. When Heura ventures beyond the forbidden borders, she discovers Atari, an injured boy who appears to hold a secret. This chance encounter sparks a race to survive, heal him, and safeguard the fragile ecosystem keeping them alive.

The project is spearheaded by Blanca Escoda, Volker Schmitt (author), and Eloy Calvo, a film director and storyboard artist. His directorial debut in fiction, La Furgo, an adaptation of the graphic novel of the same name, premiered in 2025 and was produced by Teidees. Calvo has also directed documentaries such as Road to Gusen, Housing First: A New Roof, and Japan: Imagined Visions.

The short film Where is Dad? draws inspiration from the book of the same title by Lorena Zamora Blanco and Laura Delgado Carrillo to explore, through the eyes of a child, a complex and rarely depicted reality in children's media: a father's imprisonment.

The story follows Nicolás, who returns home from school eager to show his father a new origami figure. However, upon arrival, his father is nowhere to be found. He searches in the wardrobes, under the bed, inside the washing machine... until his mother delivers news that alters his world. From that moment on, Nicolás tries to find a way to help him, convinced that earning good marks will bring his father home sooner.

With delicacy and an intimate perspective, the project touches upon absence, childhood, family love, and the need to find new ways to stay close, even when the distance feels insurmountable.

Its creator, Carla Lainez Tabuenca, is a director, screenwriter, and documentary filmmaker. She has worked on projects such as Surviving Paradise: Beyond the Jehovah's Witnesses, The Way, Humanity: A Story of Philanthropy, Raphaelism, and Until My Voice Fails Me. As a director and screenwriter, she has developed short films including I Love You, The Filthy One, Queens of the Sky, and System Girl.

Magic, friendship, and everyday life intertwine in Mia Fantasia, an animated series based on the work of Elisenda Roca. The protagonist is Mia, a young witch and daughter of Linus, an absent-minded wizard, and Flordeneu, a formidable witch.

Surrounding her is a family as magical as it is comical: Vinil, a clever and sarcastic cat; Bowie, a large, shaggy, friendly dog; Boleta, a hamster turned blue by a miscast spell; and Rosalia, a spider with an extraordinary flair for spinning webs. And yes: all the pets can talk.

Through their adventures both inside and outside the classroom, Mia Fantasia presents a world full of humour, warmth, and fantasy, championing friendship, empathy, environmental stewardship, and the courage to tackle daily challenges.

The project is written by Inés Acuña De Piero and Júlia Puig Fontanet. Acuña has worked as a script reader and writer at Massa d’Or, contributing to projects such as The Portrait of María Cerezo and Liminal. Puig served as a screenwriter and staff writer on Our Only Chance, the first Disney+ Originals Spain series, and is part of the writing team for Saber y ganar, which earned the 2024 ALMA Award for Best Game Show Script. Together, they have developed projects selected for platforms such as the Sitges Film Festival's Fanpitch and Sombra Market.

What happens if a demon is simply too good to do evil? That is the question posed by Belzi, the Hornless, an animated series based on the first three volumes of the work created by Gemma Brie, Vincas Richardson, and Ingrid Valls.

Belzi is a little demon who suddenly materialises in the human world. He has no idea how he got there and, more importantly, no clue how to return to the underworld. With the help of twins Álex and Vera, alongside his friend Ross, he attempts to grow his horns so he can journey back to hell. However, they soon discover that his horns will only sprout if he commits evil deeds. The snag is that Belzi is, quite simply, a pathologically good demon.

Boasting a humorous premise, the series plays with fantasy and comedy tropes to address identity, friendship, and the difficulty—or blessing—of not quite fitting in where you are expected to.

Leading the project is Silvina Schnicer Schliemann, an Argentine filmmaker holding a degree in Social Communication from the University of Buenos Aires. After starting her career in the art department, she wrote the feature film Tigre, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and the San Sebastián International Film Festival. She subsequently directed Carajita, which received a Special Jury Mention at San Sebastián, and La Quinta, awarded at the Marrakech International Film Festival.

Based on the short story La lluna a casa by Pere Calders, this short film presents a heartwarming tale of childhood imagination and the ability to turn a daunting concern into a domestic adventure.

Seven-year-old cousins Arlet and six-year-old Joan have just discovered that the Americans are planning another mission to the Moon. Fearing it might be harmed, they decide to save the Moon by bringing it into their bedroom. To achieve this, they construct a path of reflections using every mirror in the house, stretching from the river to their window, all while the adults remain absorbed in conversation, oblivious to the commotion caused by the rescue mission.

The project blends tenderness, humour, and poetry to capture the essence of Calders' work, celebrating a child's capacity to transform the mundane into something extraordinary.

The project is written and created by Mario Monzó Porras and Guillem Villalonga i Colomé. Monzó, a Film and Audiovisual Media graduate from ESCAC, directed the short film The Way of St. James and has developed projects selected for initiatives such as Serielizados Kick, La Traca, the SGAE Film Lab, Ibiza Cine Fest Pitch, and the Mediapro Studio lab. Villalonga, an Audiovisual Communication graduate specializing in screenwriting, has worked at Produccions Quart and Fuera de Campo Films, and is the co-author of projects including Antonio Gilipollas Caraculo and Vallclosa.

The selection for this second edition of VIVABOOK Lab highlights the richness and diversity of children's and young adult literature as a springboard for new screen productions. Post-apocalyptic worlds, intimate family tales, young witches, overly kind demons, and moons floating through bedroom windows coexist in a single initiative that views childhood with respect, imagination, and artistic ambition.

Through these five projects, VIVABOOK Lab continues its journey as a dedicated space to conceptualise, write, and develop new stories for young audiences, guiding creators through the process of adapting literary worlds for film and television formats.