This year’s prize fund has been increased to
$120,000, offering more opportunities for
filmmakers from the South, including Pakistan
Entertainment Reporter
Karachi: The Alternativa Film Festival, supported by global mobility platform inDrive, is now accepting film submissions for its 2026 edition, set to take place in Colombia. This year’s prize fund has been increased to $120,000, offering more opportunities for filmmakers from the Global South, including Pakistan.
The submission window runs from June 10 to October 10, 2025. Eligible formats include fiction, documentary, animation, and hybrid films completed after January 1, 2025. Two deadlines apply:
- Films premiering before August 1, 2025: Submit by September 1, 2025
- Films premiering after August 1, 2025: Submit by October 10, 2025
Full eligibility and technical details are available in the Rules & Regulations on Alternativa’s official website.
inDrive CEO and Alternativa founder Arsen Tomsky said, “We believe powerful stories should not be bound by geography. Alternativa empowers Global South filmmakers to create social impact through storytelling.”
Launched in Kazakhstan in 2023 and expanded to Indonesia in 2024, Alternativa has grown from an awards program into a full film festival. The 2026 edition in Latin America will feature public screenings, industry networking, panel discussions, and culminate in an awards ceremony. Travel and accommodation for selected competition directors will be covered by the festival organizers.
In 2024, Alternativa received over 1,000 submissions from 33 countries. Pakistani filmmakers are now encouraged to seize this global platform.
The 2026 host city and jury members will be announced in the coming months.
