About
Alternativa Film Festival is a nomadic film festival championing impactful cinema from the Global South. We celebrate films that combine artistic excellence with the power to drive positive social change. By connecting filmmakers with diverse audiences and the international film community, we help powerful stories travel further and make a lasting impact.
With each edition, the festival moves to a new region, exploring its cinematic landscape and building connections across borders. Our journey began in Almaty, Kazakhstan, in 2023, followed by Yogyakarta, Indonesia, in 2024 and Medellín, Colombia, in 2026. In 2027, Alternativa will make its African debut, continuing to discover and amplify bold new voices from across the Global South.
Our mission is to:
- Strengthen the connection between cinema and social change.
- Discover bold new voices and amplify them on a global stage.
- Empower underrepresented filmmakers through resources, professional opportunities, and international connections.
- Bring impactful films to wider audiences, foster dialogue, and build bridges between cultures and communities.
AWARDS
Seven Alternativa Film Awards are presented in six categories with a total prize fund of $120,000. Fiction, documentary, hybrid and animated films of all genres compete together for the Awards.
SPOTLIGHT Award
Celebrating cinema that reveals the unseen
Presented to a film that brings overlooked stories into the light, inviting awareness and deeper public engagement with what is often ignored.
FUTURE VOICE Award
Recognizing bold new talent
Presented to a first or second feature that demonstrates outstanding creative vision and the potential to bring positive change to both cinema and society.
ALTER Award
Championing the catalysts for change
Presented to a film that addresses critical issues and can inspire action, motivating audiences to take tangible steps toward transformation.
NATIVA Award
Illuminating identity
This award honors a film that explores identity and belonging, portraying a place or community with depth and care while bringing local voices to global attention.
FOCUS Award
Revealing a region’s challenges and hopes
Presented to a film that offers insight into the complexities of the current Alternativa Focus Region, depicting the realities shaping its future with clarity and urgency.
SHORTS Award
Discovering the storytellers of tomorrow
Presented to two short films from the current Alternativa Focus Region to support filmmakers who boldly forge their own paths with a strong vision for impact.
Past editions
Alternativa Distrubution
A new non-profit distribution label dedicated to bringing impactful cinema from the Global South to audiences worldwide. We help outstanding films overcome structural barriers and get the international circulation they deserve.
