Alternativa Film Festival is heading to Africa for its fourth edition in late 2027! Bringing together powerful stories from across the Global South, the festival will celebrate cinema that combines artistic excellence with the potential to drive social change.
We invite filmmakers from Africa, Asia, and Latin America to submit their feature-length films. Short film submissions are open exclusively to filmmakers from Africa, our focus region for the 2027 edition. We welcome fiction, documentary, animation, and hybrid films of any genre completed after January 1, 2026.
Selected filmmakers will have the opportunity to present their work to diverse audiences, connect with international industry professionals, and compete for $120,000 in prize money across seven awards. The 2027 edition also brings new opportunities beyond the festival itself. Selected films may be considered for Alternativa Distribution, our distribution label dedicated to bringing impactful cinema from the Global South to audiences worldwide.
SUBMISSIONS ARE FREE AND OPEN UNTIL MARCH 1, 2027.
READY TO SHARE YOUR STORY? SUBMIT YOUR FILM VIA FILMFREEWAY →
AFF 2027: Key Dates
Submissions open
Host country announced
Host city and dates announced
Submissions deadline
Competition lineup announced
AFF 2027
It feels like we’ve only just returned from the unforgettable third edition of Alternativa Film Festival in Medellín, Colombia. Leaving its packed, buzzing screening rooms behind is bittersweet, but our festival’s nomadic nature also brings excitement for what lies ahead.
And next comes a new Open Call, welcoming films from our previous focus regions — Asia and Latin America — as well as a new one: Africa! We couldn’t be more excited to work with films from the continent for the first time in Alternativa’s history.
Another recent milestone was the launch of Alternativa Distribution, bringing impactful cinema from the Global South to TV channels and streaming platforms worldwide. Its catalogue already includes six films from previous festival editions, ready to reach new audiences.
Submit your film to the Alternativa Film Festival 2027 Open Call and join us on a journey to spotlight impactful stories from the Global South — through the festival and, potentially, beyond the big screen with Alternativa Distribution.
Selection Committee
The Competition program of the 4th Alternativa Film Festival will be drawn up by the Selection Committee consisting of film critics and journalists, curators, and programmers of film festivals as well as of filmmakers and impact producers from Africa, Latin America, Asia, and other regions. The Selection Committee members will be announced later on our website.
FAQ
Alternativa Film Festival is a nomadic film festival championing impactful cinema from the Global South. Learn more about the Festival's mission and history here.
The fourth edition of Alternativa Film Festival will take place in Africa in the fourth quarter of 2027. The host country will be announced on our website by December 31, 2026, and the exact dates and host city by February 28, 2027. The Festival's dates and location may be changed where reasonably required due to security concerns, logistical considerations, or other material circumstances.
We welcome:
- Feature-length films (40 minutes or longer) by directors from Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
Short films (under 40 minutes) exclusively by directors from Africa, the Festival’s focus region for 2027.
We accept fiction, documentary, animation, and hybrid films of all genres. All films must have been completed after January 1, 2026.You can find the full list of eligible countries and areas in our Rules & Regulations (also available in Spanish, French, and Arabic).
All submissions must be made through FilmFreeway. Complete the submission form in English and upload the required materials before the deadline. You can find the full list of required materials in our Rules & Regulations.
Films can be submitted by their directors, producers, production companies, or authorized representatives of the right holders.
No. Submitting your film to Alternativa Film Festival is completely free.
The open call closes on March 1, 2027, at 23:59 Anywhere on Earth (AoE).
Yes. You don't have to currently live in Africa, Asia, or Latin America to be eligible. You can qualify if you are a citizen or national of an eligible country or area, were born there, or have a substantial personal, cultural, professional, or creative connection to it. The Festival may request reasonable information to verify your eligibility. Please refer to the Rules & Regulations for the full eligibility criteria.
International co-productions are welcome. If at least one of the film's directors meets the Festival's regional eligibility criteria, the film can be considered for selection.
Absolutely! We welcome emerging filmmakers and first-time directors. We even have a dedicated award, the Future Voice Award, recognizing a director’s first or second feature film.
No, only completed films are eligible for submission.
Yes. Films in languages other than English must have burned-in English subtitles for submission.
Alongside artistic excellence, the Festival considers each film's potential to bring about positive change. This could mean raising awareness, challenging perspectives, sparking conversations, or inspiring action among individuals, communities, or society at large.
We consider both the impact a film has already achieved and its potential for future impact, taking into account its impact vision or strategy and the context in which it was created.
The Impact Form is a required part of the submission process. You’ll find it on FilmFreeway under “Additional Information Required by the Festival.”
It includes questions about the film, the filmmaker’s background, and the film’s impact potential. You don't need to demonstrate that your film has already created measurable change — a clear impact vision or strategy is also relevant. You can preview all the questions here (link to PDF).
The Festival's Competition program is selected by an international Selection Committee comprising film critics, journalists, curators, festival programmers, impact producers, and activists from Africa, Latin America, Asia, and other regions.
The Committee evaluates each film's content, artistic qualities, impact vision or strategy, and the context in which it was created.
The Competition program will be announced on our website by September 15, 2027. Selected filmmakers will also be notified by email at the address provided in their submission.
If you haven't received a response by that date, your film has not been selected. Due to the expected volume of submissions, we cannot provide individual feedback on films that are not selected.
Alternativa Film Festival 2027 offers seven awards across six award categories, with a total prize fund of USD 120,000.
The Focus Award and two Shorts Awards are reserved for filmmakers from Africa. The Spotlight, Future Voice, Alter, and Nativa Awards are open to selected films from Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
Five awards carry a prize of USD 20,000 each, while the two Shorts Awards carry USD 10,000 each.
The Festival may also introduce additional thematic, special, or partner awards in accordance with the Rules & Regulations. Any prizes associated with such awards are separate from the stated prize fund unless expressly indicated otherwise.
Learn more about the awards here.
The Festival may organize up to three public screenings of your film during the event. Screenings may be accompanied by discussions and other public events.
If your film is selected, the Festival team will contact you with details about screening dates, venues, technical specifications, and any additional materials required.
Yes. One representative from each film selected for the Competition will be invited to the Festival and Awards Ceremony, with priority given to the director. The Festival will cover their travel and hotel accommodation. Further details will be provided to selected filmmakers.
If you have any further questions, please reach us at info@alternativa.film.
Partners
Alternativa Distribution
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.
