Overview
Encuentros del Otro Cine (EDOC) is Ecuador's longest-running and most influential documentary film festival. The 24th edition took place September 5 to 14, 2025, in Quito. The 25th edition is scheduled for September 25 to October 4, 2026. The festival is organized by Corporacion Cinememoria, a non-profit entity based in Quito, and operates as a non-competitive international documentary festival focused on creative nonfiction.
EDOC accepts both short and feature-length documentaries with no runtime limit. Submissions are free. The festival programs approximately 60 to 120 films per edition from dozens of countries, with a focus on creative documentaries that express a clear artistic viewpoint and authorial intention. The 2024 edition drew approximately 7,200 attendees and screened films by 18 Ecuadorian directors.
The festival is not an Academy Award-qualifying festival. It has no attached film market. EDOC's value for filmmakers lies in exhibition to Ecuadorian and Andean regional audiences, programming alongside Latin American and international documentary work, and access to a festival circuit that includes other Latin American documentary events.
Key Sections
EDOC is a non-competitive festival. Programming is organized thematically rather than into competitive categories. Sections include:
- International Panorama - contemporary international creative documentaries
- Ecuadorian Documentary Program - new Ecuadorian nonfiction films, including works by Ecuadorian filmmakers living abroad
- Latin American Focus - documentaries from across Latin America
- Thematic Programs - curated programs organized around specific social, political, or artistic themes (e.g., art's power, family matters, social issues)
- Retrospectives - programs dedicated to key documentary filmmakers and movements
- Como Nos Vemos - a section focused on national perspectives and Ecuadorian self-representation
- Special Screenings - community and outreach screenings
What Filmmakers Should Know
Submission Process
Submissions are free and made online. The festival accepts submissions via a Google Form available on the EDOC website. Filmmakers must submit a completed form along with a screener link. The submission deadline for the 24th edition (2025) was May 10, 2025. The 25th edition (2026) is expected to open submissions in spring 2026.
A maximum of 2 documentaries may be submitted per participant. The festival does not charge submission fees and does not pay screening fees to selected films. By submitting, the rights holder authorizes 3 to 4 festival screenings of the selected film without economic compensation.
Eligibility Requirements
- Films must be documentaries of creation (creative nonfiction). Journalistic reports, wildlife documentaries, and institutional films are not accepted.
- Films must have been produced after January 1, 2023 (for recent editions).
- Films must not have had a premiere or commercial exhibition in theaters, digital, or online media in Ecuador.
- Films must not have participated in other national festivals or public presentations (paid or free) in Ecuador. Films exhibited at other Ecuadorian festivals may be invited by exception.
- Both short and feature-length documentaries are accepted. No duration limit.
- The theme and duration of submitted works are free, provided the work expresses the point of view and artistic intention of its author or authors.
- EDOC accepts national submissions (Ecuadorian) in post-production, provided the rights holder commits to having the film finished by August 13 of the festival year.
Language and Subtitle Requirements
Films are exhibited in their original version in Spanish or with Spanish subtitles. Submitted films must have either a Spanish-subtitled master or, at minimum, a Spanish dialogue list.
Exhibition Format
Selected films must provide an exhibition copy in DCP and .mov format. Promotional materials required: production stills, poster, press dossier, and other standard promotional materials.
Premiere Requirements
Films must not have had a commercial, theatrical, television, or online premiere in Ecuador prior to the festival. Once selected, the rights holder agrees not to hold any public, online, or television exhibition in Ecuador before the festival ends, with the exception of press screenings or private professional contexts.
Strategic Considerations for Filmmakers
EDOC is the most important documentary platform in Ecuador and one of the key documentary festivals in the Andean region. For Latin American documentary filmmakers, the festival provides exposure to Ecuadorian audiences and connections to the regional documentary circuit. For international filmmakers, EDOC offers access to a Global South audience.
The festival's non-competitive format means there are no prizes or awards beyond the Audience Award. The value is purely in exhibition, audience engagement, and networking. Filmmakers seeking competitive recognition should target other festivals in addition to EDOC.
The festival's dual-city model extends reach across Ecuador's two largest cultural centers. The 2024 edition ran September 5-14 in Quito and September 7-14 in Guayaquil.
Festival History
EDOC was founded in 2002 by Corporacion Cinememoria, a Quito-based non-profit. The festival's name translates as "Encounters with Other Cinema," reflecting its mission of connecting Ecuadorian audiences with documentary work.
The festival maintained its annual schedule through the late 2010s. The 20th edition in 2021 adapted to a fully virtual format during the COVID-19 pandemic. Post-pandemic, EDOC resumed in-person and hybrid programming, expanding to venues in Guayaquil alongside Quito.
The 24th edition (September 5-14, 2025) continued the festival's format. The 25th edition (September 25 to October 4, 2026) will mark a quarter century of continuous operation.
Past Winners
EDOC is a non-competitive festival. It does not award juried prizes. Instead, the festival gives an Audience Award and a Youth Jury Award selected by young viewers. Recent recognition:
2025 Audience Award: MAMA directed by Ana Cristina Benitez (Ecuador). The film debuted at Hot Docs Toronto 2025 in the Persister section. It won Best Documentary by the Jury and Critics Awards at Punta del Este IFF. It also won the EDOC Audience Award and Youth Jury Award. At Sunny Side of the Doc, it won Best Impact Campaign and the BIM Award.
2025 Opening Film: Carmela y los Caminantes directed by Esteban Coloma and Luis Herrera (Ecuador). The film had its world premiere at Sheffield DocFest 2025 in the International First Feature Competition. It was nominated for the Public Award at Sheffield. The film opened EDOC 2025 at Teatro Capitol in Quito.
2025 Ecuadorian Premieres: 11 Ecuadorian feature documentaries debuted at EDOC 2025, including 2 world premieres. El viento y todos los tiempos by Carla Valencia Davila and Erase una vez en Quito by Inaki Onate both had world premieres. El viento y todos los tiempos later screened at IDFA Amsterdam.
2023 Opening Film: Al otro lado de la niebla (Behind the Mist) directed by Sebastian Cordero (Ecuador). The film had its world premiere at EDOC 2023. It was commercially released in Ecuador on January 25, 2024. Ecuador submitted it for the Academy Awards.
Notable Alumni Films
EDOC has presented approximately 350 Ecuadorian films across 24 editions. Several alumni films achieved downstream success:
- Carmela y los Caminantes (2025) - Debuted at Sheffield DocFest, opened EDOC 2025. The film is in distribution through Labocine and ShareDoc. It received an Honor Mention from the Sheffield jury.
- Rotacismo (2025) by Ricardo Ruales - Screened at EDOC 2025 in the Urgencias section. The film was an official selection at Sheffield DocFest 2025. It received funding from Sundance Institute, IDFA Bertha Fund, and Ibermedia.
- El viento y todos los tiempos (2025) by Carla Valencia - World premiered at EDOC 2025. It later screened at IDFA Amsterdam and Documentarist Istanbul 2026.
- Behind the Mist (2023) by Sebastian Cordero - World premiered at EDOC 2023. Released theatrically in Ecuador in January 2024. Ecuador submitted it for the Academy Awards.
- Toroboro: The Name of the Plants (2024) by Manolo Sarmiento - Screened at EDOC 2024. It later screened at Eye Filmmuseum Amsterdam and FINCA festival in Argentina.
Submission Tips
- Submit creative documentaries only. EDOC rejects journalistic reports, wildlife documentaries, and institutional films. Your film must express a clear artistic viewpoint and authorial intention.
- Ensure your film has not screened commercially in Ecuador. EDOC requires Ecuadorian premiere status. Films that played other Ecuadorian festivals may be invited by exception only.
- Provide a Spanish-subtitled master or at minimum a Spanish dialogue list. Films screen in their original version with Spanish subtitles.
- Submit via the Google Form on the EDOC website. Submissions are free. You may submit a maximum of 2 documentaries per participant.
- Confirm your film was produced after January 1, 2023. EDOC applies a recency requirement for recent editions.
- Prepare DCP and .mov exhibition copies if selected. You must also provide production stills, poster, and press dossier.
- Note that EDOC does not pay screening fees. By submitting, you authorize 3 to 4 festival screenings without economic compensation.
- Ecuadorian filmmakers may submit films in post-production, provided you commit to finishing by August 13 of the festival year.
Industry Reputation Notes
EDOC is the most important documentary platform in Ecuador and a key documentary festival in the Andean region. The industry values it for exhibition to Ecuadorian and Andean audiences, not for acquisitions or market activity.
Compared to Santiago Documentary Festival (FIDOCS) in Chile, EDOC has a similar focus on creative nonfiction but operates without a competitive section. FIDOCS runs a juried competition with cash prizes. EDOC offers no prizes beyond the Audience Award, making it less useful for films seeking competitive recognition.
Compared to DocMontevideo (Uruguay), EDOC has no market component. DocMontevideo attracts sales agents and buyers. EDOC attracts filmmakers, students, and local audiences.
EDOC's industry value lies in its role as a launchpad for Ecuadorian documentary talent. The festival has presented 350 Ecuadorian films over 24 editions. Filmmakers like Sebastian Cordero, Carla Valencia, and Ricardo Ruales have used EDOC as a domestic platform before international runs at Sheffield DocFest, IDFA, and Hot Docs.
The festival's 25th edition in 2026 will mark a quarter century of continuous operation. The Antologia EDOC retrospective surveys 25 years of Ecuadorian documentary through 25 features and 11 shorts at Cinemateca Nacional and UArtes.
See Also
For Latin American documentary filmmaking, see Documentary Filmmaking Guide. For festival circuit planning, see Film Festival Strategy. For budgeting festival submissions, use the Festival Entry Fee ROI Calculator. For international film markets, see International Film Markets.
