FICUNAM - Festival Internacional de Cine de la UNAM

Overview

FICUNAM (Festival Internacional de Cine de la UNAM) is Mexico's university-backed international film festival, organized by the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). The 16th edition runs November 5 to 15, 2026, in Mexico City. The festival programs 100+ films across competitive and non-competitive sections, with an emphasis on formally adventurous, politically engaged, and artistically challenging cinema from Mexico, Latin America, and the world.

UNAM's institutional backing gives FICUNAM exceptional cultural authority. The festival screens across UNAM campus cinemas, bringing world cinema to an audience of university students, academics, critics, and cinephiles with high cinematic literacy. The festival also operates as a production platform through its Catapulta post-production lab.

The 15th edition (FICUNAM 15, May 29 to June 5, 2025) presented 117 titles including 18 world premieres, with 123 invited guests.

Submission Details

FICUNAM accepts open submissions through its website. Key details for the 16th edition (2026):

Submissions are made through the FICUNAM website. The festival does not use FilmFreeway. The selection committee has no obligation to watch films submitted after the deadline.

Competition Sections

International Competition

Open to all films with a runtime of 25 minutes or more, produced in Mexico or abroad from 2025 onwards. The festival's top competitive section.

Ahora Mexico (Mexican Competition)

Open to Mexican films of 25 minutes or more, completed in 2025 up to the submission deadline of June 30, 2026. Supported by IMCINE.

Catapula (Atelier de Produccion)

A production atelier for Mexican and Latin American projects in post-production with a rough cut. The 2025 first prize was $60,000 MXN plus a virtual production filming day at Estudios Churubusco ($350,000 MXN value). Second prize: $40,000 MXN.

Competencia Umbrales (Avant-Garde Cinematographies)

A section for formally experimental and avant-garde cinema. The 2025 Best Film prize was $50,000 MXN (presented by Filmoteca UNAM), plus an Estudios Churubusco in-kind services prize ($100,000 MXN).

Aciertos (Encuentro Internacional de Escuelas de Cine)

An international film school encounter for short films. The 2025 Best Short Film prize was $70,000 MXN.

Awards and Prizes

International Competition Awards

• Puma de Plata a Mejor Pelicula - $150,000 MXN (for the producer) and silver Puma sculpture by Martin Soto Climent
• Puma de Plata a Mejor Direccion (presented by MUBI) - $100,000 MXN (for the director)
• Premio del Publico (Audience Award) - diploma

Ahora Mexico Awards

• Puma de Plata a Mejor Pelicula Mexicana - $150,000 MXN (supported by IMCINE)
• Premio TV UNAM - $80,000 MXN for broadcast rights (18 months, max 2 screenings)
• Premio Estimulo Churubusco UNAM - $800,000 MXN in post-production services for the winner's next film
• Premio LCI Seguros - 50% discount on film insurance for the winner's next project

2025 Winners (FICUNAM 15)

International Competition:

• Best Film - Todo documento de civilizacion (Tatiana Mazu Gonzalez, Argentina). Also won the Prix Georges de Beauregard at FID Marseille and opened DocBuenos Aires. Continues on the international documentary festival circuit.
• Best Director - Bani Khoshnoudi for Punto de fuga (Mexico/France/Iran)
• Special Mention - Los destrozos (Masha Chernaya, Georgia/Germany)
• Audience Award - Todo documento de civilizacion (Tatiana Mazu Gonzalez)

Ahora Mexico:

• Best Mexican Film - Un techo sin cielo (Diego Hernandez)
• TV UNAM Prize - Sex Panchitos (Gustavo Gamou)
• Estimulo Churubusco UNAM - La eterna adolescente (Eduardo Esquivel)
• LCI Seguros Prize - Say Goodbye (Paloma Lopez Carrillo)

Catapulta:

• First Prize - La Maquinaria (Diandra Arriaga): $60,000 MXN plus virtual production filming day ($350,000 MXN value)
• Second Prize - Guardiana de las ausencias (Andre Lo Sanchez): $40,000 MXN

Umbrales:

• Best Film - Nada fuera de la isla (Dalissa Montes de Oca Mosquea): $50,000 MXN
• Estudios Churubusco Prize - Piel de toro muerto (Arnoldo Murguia): $100,000 MXN in-kind services

Aciertos:

• Best Short Film - El reinado de Antoine (Jose Luis Jimenez, ENAC, Mexico): $70,000 MXN

The 2025 International Competition jury comprised Verena Paravel, Kahlil Joseph, and Daniel Gimenez Cacho. The Ahora Mexico jury comprised Lucia Salas, Isaac Frias Leon, and Diego Calva.

What Filmmakers Should Know

For Mexican Filmmakers

FICUNAM is the most important Mexican festival platform for art cinema. The Ahora Mexico section provides a dedicated competitive section for Mexican productions, with the Puma de Plata a Mejor Pelicula Mexicana carrying $150,000 MXN (approximately $8,500 USD) supported by IMCINE. The Premio Estimulo Churubusco UNAM offers $800,000 MXN (approximately $45,000 USD) in post-production services for the winner's next film. The Catapulta atelier offers cash prizes and in-kind services for filmmakers with projects in post-production.

For International Filmmakers

The International Competition is open to films from any country with a runtime of 25 minutes or more, produced from 2025 onwards. No submission fee. The Puma de Plata a Mejor Pelicula carries $150,000 MXN and the Puma de Plata a Mejor Direccion carries $100,000 MXN (presented by MUBI).

FICUNAM's audience is one of the most cinematically literate in Latin America. The UNAM campus community includes film students, academics, critics, and programmers who engage with challenging work at a depth that commercial festival audiences do not. The festival's November timing places it after Cannes, Venice, Toronto, and San Sebastian, meaning FICUNAM often programs films that have already premiered at major European festivals.

Practical Considerations

Submissions require an online screener with password access. Filmmakers must specify whether the submitted version is a final cut or work in progress. Selected films must provide a director's statement, bio-filmography, full credits, technical specifications, and high-resolution photograms. The exhibition copy must be a DCP with English or English/Spanish subtitles.

The festival does not have an attached film market. Its industry value is in the Catapulta atelier, the Aciertos film school encounter, and networking with Latin American distributors, critics, and programmers.

Festival History

FICUNAM was founded in 2011 by UNAM. The 15th edition ran May 29 to June 5, 2025, and the 16th edition is scheduled for November 5 to 15, 2026. The shift from May-June to November represents a strategic repositioning. The Puma de Plata awards, designed by Martin Soto Climent, have become recognized prizes in the Latin American festival circuit. The festival's academic context distinguishes it from other Mexican festivals: UNAM's campus provides both screening venues and the core audience.

Notable Alumni Films and Where They Ended Up

FICUNAM has served as a launching platform for films that traveled to major international festivals and secured distribution:

• Principe de Paz (Clemente Castor, 2019) - Won Best Mexican Film at FICUNAM 2019, then premiered at FIDMarseille (special mention). Screened at the Viennale, Mar del Plata, and Lincoln Center's Neighboring Scenes in New York.
• La paloma y el lobo (Carlos Lenin, 2018) - Premiered at the 72nd Locarno Film Festival, won the Swatch Art Peace Hotel Award.
• Attenberg (Athina Rachel Tsangari, 2011) - Won Puma de Plata a Mejor Direccion at FICUNAM's first edition. Tsangari returned to open FICUNAM 15 with La cosecha (Harvest, 2024), acquired by MUBI.
• Una pelicula de amor y guerra (Santiago Mohar Volkow) - Screened at FICUNAM, then picked up by Videocine for Mexican theatrical distribution.

Submission Tips Specific to This Festival

FICUNAM's curatorial taste is distinct from other Mexican festivals. The programming team prioritizes formally adventurous cinema, political documentary, and experimental work over conventional narrative. If your film is a straightforward drama with traditional pacing, FICUNAM is likely not the right fit. The Umbrales section specifically programs avant-garde work that most festivals would reject.

There is no premiere requirement, which means films that have played at other festivals remain eligible. This makes FICUNAM a viable option for films that have already premiered elsewhere but seek Latin American exposure. For the Ahora Mexico section, IMCINE backing signals that the festival values state-supported Mexican cinema. The Catapulta atelier requires a rough cut, so filmmakers in post-production should apply with a work-in-progress version.

The concept paper should emphasize formal approach and political or artistic intent. Generic synopses that focus on plot without discussing visual strategy are less competitive at FICUNAM than at commercially oriented festivals.

Industry Reputation Notes

FICUNAM is the most intellectually serious festival in Mexico, comparable to the Viennale or FIDMarseille in its commitment to auteur and experimental cinema. Unlike Guadalajara, which operates at a larger scale with a market component, FICUNAM functions as a curated, academic platform with deeper critical engagement but fewer commercial deal-making opportunities.

The festival's founder, Eva Sangiorgi, went on to become director of the Viennale. The MUBI sponsorship of the Best Director prize provides a direct pipeline to streaming distribution. Industry attendees include Latin American distributors, critics, and programmers from Cannes Directors' Fortnight and Berlinale Forum. Compared to Morelia, FICUNAM has broader international scope with deeper engagement with experimental work. Filmmakers seeking sales agent meetings should look to Guadalajara or Ventana Sur.

Watch

See Also

Calculate your total festival submission costs and projected return using the Festival ROI Calculator. For Mexican and Latin American cinema, see International Film Markets. For festival circuit strategy and premiere planning, see Film Festival Strategy. For the Ariel Awards, Mexico's national film awards, see Ariel Awards. Submit through the FICUNAM website or read the International Competition rules.