Alternativa, a global and nomadic non-profit film initiative founded by international technology company inDrive, has announced the winners of the 2026 Alternativa Film Awards, revealed during the festival’s closing ceremony in Medellín, Colombia.
The awards for this third edition were held at the Jardín Botánico de Medellín and brought together filmmakers, industry figures and cultural voices from across Latin America, Asia, and beyond.
As part of the Alternativa Film Festival’s nomadic approach, the organisation also announced that Africa will be its next home in 2027, where the fourth edition of the festival and awards will take place.
From the 30 films selected – including 15 feature-length films and 15 shorts, spanning across nine Latin American countries, eight Asian countries and 18 different languages – the winners were chosen by an independent international jury of socially engaged filmmakers, led by president of the Features Jury, Colombian actor, activist and producer Natalia Reyes.
The Features Jury also included Astrid Rondero (Mexico), Amanda Nell Eu (Malaysia), Juan Sarmiento G. (Colombia) and Cyril Aris (Lebanon), and the Shorts Jury comprised Consuelo Castillo (Colombia), Fernando Epstein (Uruguay) and Jessica Kiang (Germany).
The Alternativa Film Festival recognises films of “artistic excellence that also address important social and cultural topics, and in doing so invite reflection and inspire positive action”.
Dedicated to recognising “impactful filmmaking from developing industries”, the 2026 edition of the festival programme included screenings, discussions and public events for broad and diverse audiences.
Alongside this, the festival featured an Industry Days strand that brought together filmmakers, producers and social impact leaders from Latin America and the global stage to foster dialogue and collaboration.
This edition marks the third iteration of the festival, following the previous edition held in Yogyakarta, Indonesia.
For the 2026 edition, the prize fund expanded to $120,000 USD (an increase of $20,000 USD from the previous edition), alongside the introduction of a new award category for a feature film from the focus region (this year being Latin America), bringing the total number of awards to seven.
Collectively, these awards “champion voices and stories that matter, driving meaningful conversations through cinema”, organisers said.
Liza Surganova, head of Alternativa, added: “We are proud to celebrate each of the winners of the 2026 Alternativa Film Festival, whose remarkable works are a brilliant reminder of how powerful cinema can be.
“These are films that tell timely, deeply human stories, sparking important conversations and bringing vital perspectives to the forefront.
“More broadly, the winners each reflect the mission of the Alternativa as we continue championing underrepresented filmmakers whose work actively drives meaningful social change.
“We’re proud to have brought this edition to Medellín, and look forward to continuing our journey in Africa in 2027.”
The winners for the Alternativa Film Festival’s third edition are as follows.
Focus Award: RUNA SIMI
Spotlight Award: 9-MONTH CONTRACT / ᲪᲮᲠᲐᲗᲕᲘᲐᲜᲘ
Future Voice Award: A USEFUL GHOST / PEE CHAI DAI K
Alter Award: CUTTING THROUGH ROCKS
Nativa Award: LOST LAND / HÀRÀ WATAN
Shorts Awards: BLUE HEART / COEUR BLEU + CASA CHICA
