Overview
The Havana Film Festival (Festival Internacional del Nuevo Cine Latinoamericano) is the largest competitive festival dedicated to Latin American and Caribbean cinema. The 47th edition runs December 3 to 13, 2026, in Havana, Cuba. The festival accepts films across 9 competitive categories including fiction features, documentaries, first features, short films, animation, and unproduced screenplays.
The 46th edition (December 4 to 14, 2025) received 2,225 submissions (1,631 films, 474 scripts, 120 posters) and selected 222 works from 42 countries, with 114 competing for Coral Awards. The festival launched MECLA "Isla Abierta," a new Latin American Film Market designed to connect producers, distributors, sales agents, festival programmers, and digital platforms across Latin America, the Caribbean, and Eurasia.
The festival was founded in 1979 with the specific mission of supporting New Latin American Cinema, the politically and artistically engaged filmmaking movement that emerged across the region in the 1960s and 1970s. The Coral Award is the festival's top prize and carries significant recognition within Latin American cinema.
History
The festival was founded in 1979 by the Fundacion del Nuevo Cine Latinoamericano, an organization created to support and study Latin American cinema. The foundation was backed by Gabriel Garcia Marquez and Alfredo Guevara, with the support of the Cuban government. The festival reflected the cultural politics of the Cuban Revolution and the New Latin American Cinema movement that sought to decolonize regional filmmaking from Hollywood and European models.
Despite the political context of its founding, Havana has grown into a genuinely important platform for Latin American filmmaking across ideological boundaries. The festival has maintained its focus on Latin American and Caribbean cinema for over four decades, surviving Cuba's economic crises of the 1990s (Special Period), the digital transition, and ongoing US-Cuba political tensions.
The 46th edition in 2025 was held under the slogan "Rodando cine" ("Rolling cinema") and took place in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa, which hit eastern Cuba. The festival organized Cine Movil (Mobile Cinema) screenings for hurricane victims during the event. The launch of MECLA "Isla Abierta" at the 46th edition represents the most significant structural change to the festival's industry infrastructure in its history.
Submission Details
Submissions are made through the festival website or in person at the festival offices (Calle 2, esquina 19, Vedado, Plaza de la Revolucion, Havana). The festival does not use FilmFreeway.
47th edition (2026) submission timeline:
- Submissions open: May 28, 2026
- Submission deadline: August 15, 2026
- Festival dates: December 3 to 13, 2026
Eligibility requirements:
- Films must focus on Latin American or Caribbean themes
- Films must be completed between 2025 and 2026 (for the 47th edition)
- Films that have participated in previous editions of the festival are ineligible for competition
- Films that have been screened at other film events in Cuba are ineligible for competition (but may be considered for non-competitive showcases)
- Films that have been openly shared on digital platforms are ineligible for competition
- Registration fees apply as specified in the festival regulations
Competitive categories: Fiction Feature, First Feature (Opera prima), Documentary Feature, Short Film, Animation, Other Territories (alternative narrative proposals), Arrecife (queer cinema), Unproduced Screenplay, Poster.
Full guidelines and regulations are available at habanafilmfestival.com/regulation.
Key Sections
- Fiction Feature Competition - Latin American and Caribbean narrative features competing for the Coral Award
- First Feature Competition (Opera Prima) - debut features from emerging directors
- Documentary Feature Competition - nonfiction features from the region
- Short Film Competition - fiction and documentary shorts
- Animation Competition - animated films from Latin America and the Caribbean
- Other Territories (Otros Territorios) - alternative narrative proposals
- Arrecife - dedicated section for queer cinema
- Unproduced Screenplay Competition - screenplays not yet produced
- Poster Competition - film poster design
- Latinoamerica en Perspectiva - non-competitive showcase of regional cinema
- Panorama Internacional - non-competitive showcase of international films
- MECLA "Isla Abierta" - Latin American Film Market connecting producers, distributors, sales agents, and platforms
Past Winners
46th Havana Film Festival (2025) - Coral Award for Best Fiction Feature: Un Poeta (A Poet, directed by Simon Mesa Soto, Colombia/Germany/Sweden) - a tragicomedy about an aging poet and a young girl with unexpected talent. Also won the Coral for Best Actor (Ubeimar Rios), plus the Don Quijote Award and the Signis Award. The film is Colombia's submission for the Academy Awards. It world premiered at Cannes 2025 in the Un Certain Regard section. Sales handled by Luxbox.
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Un Poeta (Simon Mesa Soto) - 46th Havana Film Festival Coral Award for Best Fiction Feature, Colombia's Oscar submission, Cannes 2025 Un Certain Regard
46th Havana Film Festival (2025) - Coral Award for Best Director: Kleber Mendonca Filho for The Secret Agent (El Agente Secreto, Brazil/France) - the film won 5 Coral Awards total: Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Art Direction, Best Original Score, and Best Film Editing. The Secret Agent has 3 Golden Globe nominations and was distributed in the U.S. by Neon (theatrical release November 26, 2025). Starring Wagner Moura.
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The Secret Agent (Kleber Mendonca Filho) - 46th Havana Film Festival Best Director, 5 Coral Awards, 3 Golden Globe nominations, distributed by Neon
46th Havana Film Festival (2025) - Coral Award for Best First Feature: The Mysterious Gaze of the Flamingo (Chile/France)
46th Havana Film Festival (2025) - Coral Award for Best Documentary Feature: The Prince of Nanawa (El Principe de Nanawa, directed by Clarisa Navas, Argentina/Paraguay/Colombia/Germany)
46th Havana Film Festival (2025) - Special Jury Prize (Fiction): Cuerpo Celeste (Nayra Ilic Garcia, Chile/Italy) - also won Best Cinematography (Sergio Armstrong) and Best Actress (Helen Mrugalski and Denise Weinberg, ex aequo)
46th Havana Film Festival (2025) - Coral Arrecife (Queer Cinema): Dos veces bestia (Luis Esguerra Cifuentes, Colombia)
46th Havana Film Festival (2025) - Best Unproduced Screenplay: Noche buena (Dailyn Sucel A. Barroso, Cuba)
Notable Alumni Films and Where They Ended Up
The Havana Film Festival has been a launchpad for Latin American cinema for over four decades. Films that have won Coral Awards or screened at Havana have gone on to international distribution and awards recognition:
- The Secret Agent (Kleber Mendonca Filho, 2025) - won 5 Coral Awards at Havana. The film was also selected for the Cannes Film Festival and received 3 Golden Globe nominations. Distributed in the U.S. by Neon and in Brazil by Vitrine Filmes. Kleber Mendonca Filho is one of Brazil's most internationally recognized directors, with previous films (Bacurau, Aquarius) also receiving Coral recognition.
- Un Poeta (Simon Mesa Soto, 2025) - won the Coral Award for Best Fiction Feature and is Colombia's Oscar submission. Mesa Soto previously won the Short Film Palme d'Or at Cannes for Leidi (2014) and made his feature debut with Amparo (2021) at Cannes Critics' Week. Sales handled by Luxbox.
- Santa and Andres (Carlos Lechuga, 2016) - initially selected for Havana but rejected by ICAIC (Cuba's state-run film institute). Premiered at TIFF, won Best Performance at Miami International Film Festival. Acquired by Breaking Glass Pictures for North American distribution.
- La Edad de la Peseta (Pavel Giroud, 2006) - premiered at TIFF Discovery section, won multiple international festival awards, nominated for the Goya Award. Giroud's screenplay Omerta won the Best Unpublished Script Award at Havana.
Submission Tips Specific to This Festival
The Havana Film Festival is specifically for Latin American and Caribbean cinema. Films from outside the region can be programmed in the Panorama Internacional section but are not eligible for the main Coral Awards. If your film is from Latin America or the Caribbean, Havana offers the most significant competitive platform in the region.
The December timing places Havana at the end of the festival calendar, making it a destination for films that have already premiered elsewhere but seek significant Latin American exposure. The festival does not require a world premiere, but films that have been openly shared on digital platforms are ineligible for competition.
The festival strictly enforces its Cuba-specific eligibility: films that have screened at other film events in Cuba are ineligible for competition but may be considered for non-competitive showcases. If you are planning a Caribbean festival run, hold your Cuba premiere for Havana.
The 46th edition introduced MECLA "Isla Abierta," the first dedicated industry market at the festival. If you are a producer, distributor, or sales agent looking for Latin American content, MECLA offers direct access to regional producers. The market is open to producers, distributors, sales agents, festival programmers, digital platforms, and service companies.
The 46th edition also introduced a scholarship for women filmmakers over 50, created in collaboration with the United Nations Population Fund and Proyecto Palomas. This initiative addresses age-related barriers to access for female creators in the region.
Industry Reputation Notes
The Havana Film Festival is the most significant competitive platform for Latin American and Caribbean cinema, but its industry infrastructure has historically lagged behind other major Latin American festivals. The launch of MECLA "Isla Abierta" in 2025 addresses this gap, though it remains less developed than Guadalajara's Encuentro de Coproduccion or San Sebastian's WIP Latam.
Compared to FICG Guadalajara, Havana is stronger for politically engaged and socially committed cinema, reflecting its founding mission of supporting New Latin American Cinema. Compared to Ventana Sur (Buenos Aires), Havana is less focused on the Southern Cone and more focused on the Caribbean, Central America, and Brazil. The festival's political context gives it a unique position: it is one of the few major festivals in a socialist country, which creates both opportunities (access to Cuban and Venezuelan cinema) and challenges (travel restrictions, limited internet infrastructure).
The Glauber Rocha Award, granted by Prensa Latina and the foreign press, reinforces the festival's mission to promote socially committed cinema.
Awards / Accreditation
The Coral Award is the festival's top prize, awarded across 9 competitive categories. The festival is not an Academy Award-qualifying festival, but several Coral Award winners have gone on to become their country's Oscar submission, including Un Poeta (Colombia's submission for the 2026 Academy Awards).
Coral Award categories include Best Fiction Feature (top prize), Best First Feature, Best Documentary Feature, Best Short Film, Best Animation, Special Jury Coral, craft awards (Directing, Screenplay, Cinematography, Acting, Original Score, Editing), In-Production and Post-Production awards, Best Poster, Best Unproduced Screenplay, and Coral Arrecife (queer cinema). Additional awards include the Don Quijote Award, Signis Award, Glauber Rocha Award, and Sumate Award.
The 46th edition celebrated the centenary of Alfredo Guevara, the festival's intellectual founder. The Coral de Honor was awarded to Estudios Churubusco, Mexico's oldest and largest film production facility. The festival director is Tania Delgado Fernandez.
What Filmmakers Should Know
The Havana Film Festival is the most significant competitive platform for Latin American and Caribbean cinema. Films from outside the region can be programmed in the Panorama Internacional section but are not eligible for the main Coral Awards. The December timing places Havana at the end of the festival calendar, making it a destination for films that have already premiered elsewhere but seek significant Latin American exposure.
The 46th edition introduced MECLA "Isla Abierta," the first dedicated industry market at the festival, addressing a long-standing gap compared to Guadalajara's Encuentro de Coproduccion. A scholarship for women filmmakers over 50 was also introduced in collaboration with the United Nations Population Fund and Proyecto Palomas.
Travel to Cuba requires specific documentation for many nationalities. US filmmakers must verify current travel authorization requirements before planning festival attendance. The festival offices are located at Calle 2, esquina 19, Vedado, Plaza de la Revolucion, Havana. Registration can be completed at the offices in person if online submission is not feasible.
Watch
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Un Poeta (Simon Mesa Soto) - 46th Havana Film Festival Coral Award for Best Fiction Feature, Colombia's Oscar submission, Cannes 2025 Un Certain Regard
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The Secret Agent (Kleber Mendonca Filho) - 46th Havana Film Festival Best Director, 5 Coral Awards, 3 Golden Globe nominations, distributed by Neon
See Also
To calculate the return on your festival submission spending, use the Festival ROI Calculator. For understanding Latin American cinema markets, see International Film Markets. For festival circuit planning, see Film Festival Strategy. For full submission guidelines and regulations, visit habanafilmfestival.com/regulation.
