The upcoming Alternativa Film Festival will take place in Colombia in 2026, with Latin America as the focus region 

Guadalajara, Mexico, June 10, 2025 – Alternativa has announced that the 3rd edition of theAlternativa Film Festival will take place in Colombia in Q2 2026, with an expanded prize fund of120,000 USD (an increase of 20,000 USD from the previous edition) and a new award categoryfor a feature film from the focus region, bringing the total number of awards to seven. The opencall for submissions runs from June 10 to October 10, 2025. Feature-length films of all genresare accepted from Latin America and Asia, while the short film categories are reservedexclusively for Latin America.

These announcements were made on June 9 during Alternativa’s first-ever press conference in Latin America, held at the 40th Guadalajara International Film Festival — an official partner of the initiative. Speaking at the event were Liza Surganova, Head of Alternativa; Anna Gudkova, Head of Industry and Labs; and Andjelka Jankovic, Head of Marketing and Communications. Together, they presented the vision for the upcoming festival, highlighting Alternativa’s growing presence in Latin America and its ongoing commitment to supporting emerging talent across the Global South.

The initiative shifts its focus region with each edition of the Alternativa Film Festival, an alternative system for recognizing filmmakers from the Global South, enabling their work to reach broad and diverse audiences and build bridges across regions. The festival honors films that bring positive change to the world and society, combining artistic excellence with the potential for significant social impact. 

Alternativa was launched in Central Asia (Kazakhstan) in 2023 and expanded to Southeast Asia (Indonesia) in 2024. Now, it is moving to Latin America to continue its mission of spotlighting brave new voices in Global South cinema.

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“Latin America has always been a region of powerful stories and deeply committed filmmakers. Colombia, in particular, stands out for its vibrant film community and the way it engages with urgent social realities through cinema. We are very excited to bring the Alternativa Film Festival into this context — to learn from the region, connect with its creative forces, and amplify the voices that deserve global attention,” said Liza Surganova, Head of the Alternativa. 

The Alternativa Film Festival 2026 welcomes films from Latin America, and — remaining committed to its mission of building bridges across regions — will continue to accept works from Asia, where the previous two editions took place. In 2024, the festival received over 1,000 submissions from 33 countries, and with a new region now in focus, the team expects a significant surge in entries.Out of seven awards, three will be dedicated to Latin Americanfilmmakers. The new Focus Award will honor a feature film that provides insight into the complexities of the current Alternativa focus region – Latin America — illuminating both its challenges and its hopes. As in the previous editions, the Shorts Awards are also reserved exclusively for directors from the focus region.

The open call for the Alternativa Film Festival 2026 begins on June 10 and will remain open untilOctober 10, 2025. Fiction films, documentaries, animations, and hybrid works of all genres completed after January 1, 2025 are eligible. For films with a world premiere before August 1, 2025, the submission deadline is September 1, 2025, at 23:59 (UTC -5). For films with a world premiere after August 1, 2025, the deadline is October 10, 2025, at 23:59 (UTC -5). A full list of eligible countries and detailed film requirements can be found in the Rules & Regulations, available on the official Alternativa website:alternativa.film.

The Alternativa Film Festival 2026 program will focus on — but not be limited to — free public screenings of films selected for the Competition. The screenings will be accompanied by impact discussions and other public events designed to deepen the films’ social impact and engage audiences in dialogue. The festival will also feature Industry Days — a professional program that connects filmmakers, producers, and social impact leaders, fostering

thought-provoking conversations, exchange of experience, and new collaborations. The festival culminates in the Awards Ceremony. Directors, whose films are selected for the Competition, are invited to attend the festival and the ceremony, and the organizers cover their travel and accommodation costs. 

A message from Arsen Tomsky, CEO and founder of inDrive and the visionary behind Alternativa, was also shared during the press conference: “At inDrive, we believe that talent and powerful stories should never be limited by borders — and that art has the power to create meaningful change for millions of people around the world. It can also help advance inDrive’s mission of challenging injustice — both through our business and beyond. That’s why we founded and support Alternativa and its festival that gives impact filmmakers from the Global South a platform to be seen, heard, and celebrated.”

Alternativa is a global non-profit initiative, founded by Arsen Tomsky, CEO and founder of inDrive company. Through Alternativa, inDrive demonstrates that innovation extends beyond transportation, reshaping how opportunities are created and change is ignited in the creative sphere. As inDrive continues to expand its footprint in the creative economy, its foray into Latina American's film industry serves as a blueprint for how businesses can use innovation to create broader societal impact. By bridging technology and art, the company is redefining what it means to be a global leader as one that doesn’t just move people, but also inspires and uplifts entire industries. 

The host city and exact dates of the Alternativa Film Festival 2026, along with the names of the Selection Committee and the International Jury, will be announced in the coming months.

Alternativa thanks its partners in Latin America — Guadalajara International Film Festival, Proimagenes Colombia, Bogotá Audiovisual Market, Taturana, Impacta Cine, and Nodo Sur — for their support and looks forward to building new connections and fostering meaningful collaborations throughout the region and beyond. 

Find photos, videos, and all relevant materials at the link.

Follow Alternativa on our Alternativa Latin America account, and find all information about open call on our website alternativa.film.

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Alternativa is an international non-profit project launched by the global technology company inDrive in 2023. The project is designed tosupport and promote filmmakers from the Global South whose work has the potential to bring positive change to the world. Its missionis to amplify the international visibility of impact-driven talents and help their films reach broad and diverse audiences. By championing stories that make a difference, Alternativa bridges regional divides, empowers local communities, and contributes to meaningful social transformation.

inDrive is a global mobility and urban services platform. The inDrive app has been downloaded over 280 million times, and has been declared the second most downloaded mobility app for the third consecutive year. In addition to ride-hailing, inDrive provides an expanding list of services, including intercity transportation, delivery, and financial services. In 2023, inDrive launched New Ventures, a venture and M&A arm. 

inDrive operates in 888 cities in 48 countries. Driven by its mission of challenging injustice, the company is committed to having a positive impact on the lives of one billion people by 2030. It pursues this goal both through its core business, which supports local communities via a fair pricing model; and through the work of its impact arm. inDrive’s community empowerment programs help to advance education, sports, arts and sciences, gender equality and other vital developments. 

For more information visit www.inDrive.com