The best film festivals in Latin America (and how you can submit your film)
The Latin American film and entertainment industry is a vibrant, fast-growing market, expected to reach $6.9 million by 2030, and with it, Latin America’s film festivals are having a moment. From Mexico to Argentina, Cuba to Colombia, international film festivals in South America are drawing in more crowds as viewers become hungry for new, exciting stories. And many of these festivals accept foreign film submissions (if properly localized).
Latin America as a global film hub
Spanish is one of the most widely-spoken languages in the world, and those speakers are primarily located in Spain and Latin America, and any film catering to those audiences, whether through subtitles or dubbing, is sure to rapidly expand their market. And while there are plenty of film festivals in North and South America that highlight Latin American stories, there are also plenty that look further afield for their programming, often with particular interests in social justice, experimental, and independent cinema.
The best festivals in Latin America
Photo by cottonbro studio
Buenos Aires International Festival of Independent Cinema (BAFICI)
Argentina
The Buenos Aires Festival Internacional de Cine Independiente (BAFICI) has been running since 1999, and is firmly established as one of the most significant film festivals in Latin America. It blends local, Argentinian cinema with new and exciting voices to showcase a diverse array of films worldwide.
BAFICI is open to both feature films and short films, fictional, documentary, and experimental and will accept films via application. Films can be in any language, but must have either English or Spanish subtitles available if the film is not already in one of those languages.
Guadalajara International Film Festival (FICG)
Mexico
The longest running film festival in Mexico, the Festival Internacional de Cine en Guadalajara (FICG) is a cultural institution that uplifts creative cinema “of everyone and for everyone.” While it places a huge emphasis on Mexican and Ibero American cinema, it also recognises international films, particularly animated films and films that focus on queer issues.
FICG accepts submissions from films in any language, but they must be accessible in both English and Spanish. If a film is in English, it must also have Spanish subtitles. If a film is not in English or Spanish, it must have both English and Spanish subtitles.
Cartagena de Indias International Film Festival (FICCI)
Colombia
The Festival Internacional de Cine de Cartagena de Indias (FICCI) is a free-to-all event that not only offers up a stellar program of films, but also sets out to foster connection through industry gatherings and academic events that bring audiences together with the cinema’s stakeholders. It’s one of the oldest of its kind, started in 1960.
FICCI welcomes submissions from Colombia and Ibero-America, but also has categories for international films, Afro cinema, and indigenous communities. All films must be accessible in both English and Spanish. English-language productions must have Spanish subtitles and non-English or Spanish films must have both English and Spanish subtitles.
FICValdivia, Valdivia International Film Festival
Chile
FICValdivia (Festival Internacional de Cine de Valdivia) is Chile’s premiere film festival, at the forefront of world cinema. Billed as “a cultural event, a social phenomenon and a meeting ground to experience the movies of tomorrow.”
FICValdivia allows for foreign submissions in many of its categories, including feature film and youth feature film. For a production to be considered for FICValdivia, it must be accessible to both English- and Spanish-speaking audiences. English films must have Spanish subtitles and foreign-language films must have English and Spanish subtitles.
The importance of getting your subtitles right
You don’t want your film to be lost to the audience – professional subtitling increases the jury’s comprehension of your work and keeps audiences talking. And mistakes could cost you more than the prize, it could damage your reputation.
Work with a professional
If you wouldn’t leave the script-writing up to AI, you shouldn’t leave the subtitles up to AI either. Automatic subtitling tools don’t have nearly enough cultural nuance, technical skills, or training to take your story from one language to another. Working with a professionally trained subtitler or audiovisual translator is key to audience accessibility.
Use properly localized subtitles
Working with a professional subtitler that specializes in Latin American Spanish can make or break audience reception. European Spanish subtitles won’t cut it for today’s LatAm cinephile, as misaligned cultural references or odd vocabulary can break immersion and leave viewers unable (or unwilling) to engage with the film.
Consider dubbing
Dubbing is widely used in the Latin American entertainment industry. If your film is particularly fast-paced or experimental, it could be a good opportunity to dub your script into Latin American Spanish. Again, working with a professional on this is crucial – dubbing script translators and voiceover actors work together to match the actor’s mouth movements and timing as closely as possible while still creating a compelling story.