Alternativa Film Festival 2026 Opens Submissions with $120K Prize Fund

The submission window runs from June 10 to

October 10, 2025. Entries include fiction films

documentaries, animations, and hybrid works

Staff Reporter

Karachi: The Alternativa Film Festival, supported by global mobility platform inDrive, has officially opened submissions for its 2026 edition, set to take place in Colombia. This year’s festival offers an expanded prize fund of $120,000, up from $100,000 in the previous edition.

Submission Dates and Eligibility

The submission window runs from June 10 to October 10, 2025. Eligible entries include fiction films, documentaries, animations, and hybrid works completed after January 1, 2025.

• For films premiering before August 1, 2025, the deadline is September 1, 2025 (23:59 UTC-5).
• For films premiering after August 1, 2025, the deadline extends to October 10, 2025 (23:59 UTC-5).

A full list of eligible countries and film criteria can be found in the Rules & Regulations section on Alternativa’s official website.

Empowering Voices from the Global South

Arsen Tomsky, CEO and founder of inDrive and the visionary behind Alternativa, emphasized the importance of the initiative:

“At inDrive, we believe powerful stories should never be limited by borders. Alternativa gives impact filmmakers from the Global South a platform to be seen, heard, and celebrated.”

Originally launched in Kazakhstan in 2023, and expanded to Indonesia in 2024, the festival now moves to Latin America to continue its mission of spotlighting bold voices and socially impactful films.

From Awards to Festival: A New Chapter

What began as the Alternativa Film Awards has evolved into a full-scale film festival, featuring:

• Public screenings
• Industry Days for professional networking and collaboration
• Discussions and panels with filmmakers, producers, and social impact leaders
• A grand awards ceremony

Filmmakers whose works are selected for the Competition section will be invited to attend the festival, with travel and accommodation fully covered by the organizers.

Celebrating Social Impact Through Cinema

The festival continues its unique model of rotating regions with each edition, focusing on uplifting voices from the Global South and celebrating films that drive social change. In 2024, Alternativa received over 1,000 submissions from 33 countries.

Details including the host city, festival dates, Selection Committee, and International Jury will be announced in the coming months.