Overview
The Mar del Plata International Film Festival is the only FIAPF Category A competitive festival in Latin America. It shares this accreditation with 14 other festivals worldwide, including Cannes, Venice, Berlin, and San Sebastian. The 41st edition takes place November 5 to 15, 2026, in Mar del Plata, Argentina's Atlantic coast resort city 400 kilometers south of Buenos Aires. The festival is organized by INCAA under the Argentine Secretariat of Culture, in partnership with EMTURyC.
The 40th edition in 2025 screened nearly 200 films across 10 days under the theme "The Rebirth of Splendor." The festival runs multiple competitive sections: International Competition (features), Latin American Competition, Argentine Competition, International Short Film Competition, Latin American Short Film Competition, Argentine Short Film Competition, and En Transito (Work in Progress). Films must have been completed within the 12 months preceding the festival start date and must not have had prior public screenings in Argentina.
The Astor Piazzolla Award for Best Feature Film is the top prize in the International Competition. At the 40th edition, the award went to Calle Malaga by Maryam Touzani, which also won Best Actress for Carmen Maura and the Audience Award. Other 40th edition winners included Vache Folle (Special Jury Prize), La Gioia (Best Director), and Risa y la cabina del viento (Best Argentine Feature, Best Argentine Director for Juan Cabral). The Latin American competition was won by 3.000 km en bicicleta by Ivan Vescovo.
Submission Details
Submissions for the 41st edition are open from May 4 to June 30, 2026, with a deadline extension to July 15, 2026. The process is exclusively online through the festival website.
Submission fees:
| Category | Fee |
|---|---|
| International Feature Films | USD 60 |
| International Medium-Length and Short Films | USD 30 |
| Argentine Feature Films | ARS 60,000 |
| Argentine Medium-Length and Short Films | ARS 30,000 |
Requirements:
- Films must have been completed between November 2025 and November 2026
- Films must not have had prior public screenings in Argentina
- Films must be presented in their original language with English subtitles and electronic Spanish subtitles
- Screening copy must be delivered in DCP format by October 5, 2026
- Maximum file size for submission download link: 2GB (password valid until November 15, 2026)
- Programmed films may not be commercially released in Argentina until the end of the festival
The festival notifies all applicants of results once the selection process is complete. The programming team recommends films based on artistic and innovative values, with final selection made by festival authorities.
Key Sections
- International Competition - feature films competing for the Astor Piazzolla Award for Best Feature Film
- Latin American Competition - films from Latin America competing for Best Latin American Film
- Argentine Competition - new Argentine features and short films, with Best Feature and Best Director awards
- International Short Film Competition - competitive short film program with Best Short Film award
- Latin American Short Film Competition - short films from Latin America
- Argentine Short Film Competition - Argentine shorts with Best Short Film award
- En Transito (Work in Progress) - works in progress competing for the En Transito Award
- Independent Awards - SIGNIS, ACCA, RECAM, FNA, and FIPRESCI prizes awarded by external juries
Awards / Accreditation
International Competition
- Astor Piazzolla Award for Best Feature Film
- Special Jury Prize, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Screenplay
- Up to 2 Special Mentions (jury may grant)
- No film may receive more than 2 awards
Argentine Competition
- Best Feature Film, Best Director, up to 2 Special Mentions
Short Film Competitions
- Best Short Film - International Competition, Best Short Film - Argentine Competition
- Up to 1 Special Mention per category
Other Awards
- En Transito Award - best work in progress
- Audience Award - voted by attendees at screenings of each International Competition film at the Auditorium Theatre
Independent Awards (40th edition)
- SIGNIS Award - Flood by Martin Gonda
- ACCA Award (Argentine film critics) - La casa by Gustavo Trivino
- FIPRESCI Award (international critics) - Night Stage by Filipe Matzembacher and Marcio Reolon
- RECAM Award (MERCOSUR) - Mientras tanto by Flor Berthold and Carla Scatarelli
- FNA Award (National Arts Fund) - El borde de las cosas by Justo Dell Acqua
What Filmmakers Should Know
Mar del Plata is the only Latin American festival with FIAPF Category A accreditation, placing it in the same competitive tier as Cannes, Venice, Berlin, and San Sebastian. The International Competition is the festival's flagship section, with features costing USD 60 and shorts USD 30 to submit. Films must not have screened publicly in Argentina before the festival. Argentine filmmakers pay separate fees in pesos and should target the Argentine Competition. Latin American filmmakers can submit to either the International or Latin American Competition, with the latter offering a less crowded field. The En Transito work-in-progress section connects projects in advanced editing with sales agents and distributors. Programmed films cannot be commercially released in Argentina until the festival ends. The key trade-off: FIAPF Category A status brings international standing and high-level jury members, but Mar del Plata does not host a major film market.
Festival History
Mar del Plata was founded in 1954, making it one of the oldest film festivals in the Americas. The festival has operated with interruptions during periods of political turbulence, particularly during the military dictatorships of the 1960s through 1980s. The festival was reactivated in 1996 after a long hiatus and has run annually since then, growing into Latin America's only FIAPF Category A event.
The festival is named after Astor Piazzolla, the Argentine tango composer. The top prize, the Astor Piazzolla Award, is named in his honor. The festival takes place in November, during the Argentine spring, in Mar del Plata, Argentina's primary seaside resort city.
Argentina's film tradition gives the festival a deep domestic cinema culture. Directors associated with the New Argentine Cinema movement, including Lucrecia Martel, Pablo Trapero, and Lisandro Alonso, have had significant presence at the festival.
The festival is organized by INCAA under the Argentine Secretariat of Culture. For the third consecutive year as of 2026, the festival operates in partnership with EMTURyC under the Municipality of General Pueyrredon.
Practical Information
- 41st edition dates: November 5 to 15, 2026
- Location: Mar del Plata, Buenos Aires Province, Argentina (400 km south of Buenos Aires)
- Submission window: May 4 to June 30, 2026 (extended to July 15, 2026)
- Submission platform: mardelplatafilmfest.com
- Screening format: DCP (other formats require festival authorization)
- DCP delivery deadline: October 5, 2026
- Official regulations: PDF download
- Organizer: INCAA
- FIAPF status: Category A (competitive festival)
Past Winners
The Astor Piazzolla Award for Best Feature Film is the festival's top prize. Recent International Competition winners include Motherland (2023, dir. Marco Panatonic, Peru); Au bord du monde / At the Edge of the World (2024, dirs. Guerin van de Vorst and Sophie Muselle, Belgium); and Calle Malaga (2025, dir. Maryam Touzani, Morocco), which also won Best Actress for Carmen Maura and the Audience Award. The 2025 edition also awarded Vache Folle the Special Jury Prize, La Gioia the Best Director prize, and Risa y la cabina del viento the Best Argentine Feature and Best Argentine Director awards (Juan Cabral). The Latin American Competition was won by 3.000 km en bicicleta (dir. Ivan Vescovo).
Notable Alumni Films and Where They Ended Up
Mar del Plata has been a launching platform for Argentine and Latin American directors. The New Argentine Cinema movement, represented by Lucrecia Martel (La Cienaga, The Headless Woman), Pablo Trapero (Mundo Grua, El Bonaerense), and Lisandro Alonso (La Libertad, Jauja), has had significant presence at the festival. The 2025 Best Feature winner, Maryam Touzani's Calle Malaga, continued the festival's tradition of programming socially engaged international cinema. International guests at recent editions have included Juliette Binoche, Jodie Foster, and Gael Garcia Bernal.
Submission Tips Specific to This Festival
Submissions are exclusively online through the festival website. The window opens May 4 and closes June 30, 2026, with an extension to July 15. Feature films cost USD 60 and short films USD 30. Argentine films have separate fees in pesos. Films must not have had prior public screenings in Argentina, and screening copies must be delivered in DCP by October 5, 2026.
Industry Reputation Notes
Mar del Plata's FIAPF Category A accreditation ensures participation from high-level jury members, international critics, and sales agents. The festival is organized by INCAA, which provides institutional stability.
However, Mar del Plata does not host a major film market. Its industry value lies in the En Transito work-in-progress section, which connects Latin American projects in advanced editing stages with sales agents, distributors, and programmers. The FIPRESCI, SIGNIS, and ACCA independent juries add critical recognition that can support a film's international festival run.
Watch
See Also
For Argentine cinema context, see International Film Markets. For Latin American festival strategy, see Film Festival Strategy. Use the Festival Entry Fee ROI Calculator to evaluate the cost-benefit of submitting to festivals with paid submission fees. For other Latin American festivals, see FICCI Cartagena in Colombia or FestCurtasBH in Brazil.
