Festival Internacional de Cine de Caracas (FICCaracas)

Overview

The Festival Internacional de Cine de Caracas (FICCaracas) is a competitive film festival organized by the Government of the Capital District and the Mayor of Caracas, with support from Venezuela's Ministry of Culture and Ministry of Communication. Founded in 2014, the festival focuses on cinema from CELAC (Community of Latin American and Caribbean States) countries plus Puerto Rico. It is distinct from the Festival del Cine Venezolano de Merida, which is Venezuela's national cinema festival, and from the Habitar el Cine Festival Internacional de Cine Contemporaneo de Caracas, which is a separate non-competitive contemporary cinema festival organized by independent exhibitors.

The first edition took place September 12 to 21, 2014, screening 81 films from 13 countries selected from 483 submissions across 19 CELAC nations plus Puerto Rico. The festival used 10 screening venues across Caracas, including the Teatro Bolivar, Cine Aquiles Nazoa, Sala Antonieta Colon at Centro Cultural Parque Central, and the Cinemateca Nacional at the Museo de Bellas Artes.

The second edition ran February 24 to March 1, 2016, under the subtitle "Cinematografias Emergentes de los Pueblos del Sur." The competitive selection included 10 fiction features and 10 documentaries from Latin America and the Caribbean, with cash prizes ranging from $4,000 to $10,000.

FICCaracas has operated intermittently since 2014, with editions in 2014, 2016, and subsequent years. The festival's schedule has been affected by Venezuela's ongoing economic and political crisis. Filmmakers should verify the current operational status before submitting.

Submission Details

Eligibility

• Productions by filmmakers or producers from CELAC member states: Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Bahamas, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Dominica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Saint Lucia, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay, Venezuela
• Films must be completed within the eligibility window specified in each edition's call for entries
• Submissions are free, which is unusual for a competitive festival
• The festival evaluates submissions through the Distribuidora Nacional de Cine Amazonia Films

Competition Sections and Awards

FICCaracas presents competitive awards across five categories, with cash prizes:

• Best Fiction Feature - cash prize (2014 winner: Azu by Luis Alberto Lamata, Venezuela)
• Best Documentary Feature - cash prize (2014 winner: Sigo Siendo by Javier Corcuera, Peru)
• Best Animation - cash prize (2014 winner: Guida by Rosana Urbes, Brazil)
• Best Short Fiction - cash prize (2014 winner: Coz en el Pecho by Renan Rovida, Brazil)
• Best Short Documentary - cash prize (2014 winners: El Apagon by Florencia Poblete, Argentina, and Memoria de Rio by Roney Freitas, Brazil)
• Audience Award for Best Fiction Feature - (2014 winner: Azu by Luis Alberto Lamata, Venezuela)
• Audience Award for Best Documentary Feature - (2014 winner: El Misterio de las Lagunas, Fragmentos Andinos by Atahualpa Lichy, Venezuela)

The 2016 edition increased the competitive films to 10 fiction features and 10 documentaries, with cash prizes ranging from $4,000 to $10,000. Sidebar programs include "Libertadores," "Nuestramerica Libre," "Humor," and "Caleidoscopio de Bolivar."

What Filmmakers Should Know

FICCaracas is a government-organized festival with direct ties to Venezuela's cultural ministries. Screening at the festival connects your film with the Distribuidora Nacional de Cine Amazonia Films, which handles national distribution of Venezuelan cinema. The free submission policy means there is no financial barrier to entry for CELAC productions.

The festival's cash prizes ($4,000 to $10,000 based on 2016 data) are significant in the context of Venezuelan independent filmmaking. However, filmmakers should verify whether prize amounts have been adjusted for inflation or currency changes in recent editions.

FICCaracas should not be confused with the Habitar el Cine Festival Internacional de Cine Contemporaneo de Caracas, a separate non-competitive festival organized by the independent exhibitor collective Habitar el Cine, led by director Richard Nieto. The 4th edition of Habitar el Cine took place May 19 to 24, 2025, screening 30+ films from 16 countries. Habitar el Cine focuses on auteur cinema, while FICCaracas is a competitive government-organized festival focused on CELAC cinema.

Caracas has limited international flight connections. Venezuela's economic situation affects practical logistics: internet access can be unreliable, and ATMs may have withdrawal limits. Filmmakers attending in person should carry sufficient USD cash and arrange accommodation through festival contacts.

Festival History

FICCaracas was founded in 2014 by the Government of the Capital District and the Mayor of Caracas, with support from the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Communication. The first edition received 483 films from 19 CELAC countries plus Puerto Rico, with 81 films from 13 countries selected. The festival opened with the Venezuelan film Azu, alma de princesa by Luis Alberto Lamata, which won both the Best Fiction Feature and Audience Award.

The second edition in 2016 expanded the competitive selection. The festival has continued intermittently since then, with its schedule and scale affected by Venezuela's economic conditions. The Habitar el Cine contemporary cinema festival (founded 2022) operates as a separate non-competitive event. The Festival del Cine Venezolano de Merida (founded 2005) is the national cinema festival focused on Venezuelan productions.

Past Winners

The 1st edition (September 2014) awarded Best Fiction Feature to Azu, alma de princesa by Luis Alberto Lamata (Venezuela). The film also won the Audience Award for Best Fiction Feature. Best Documentary Feature went to Sigo Siendo by Javier Corcuera (Peru). Best Animation went to Guida by Rosana Urbes (Brazil).

Best Short Fiction went to Coz en el Pecho by Renan Rovida (Brazil). Best Short Documentary had two winners: El Apagon by Florencia Poblete (Argentina) and Memoria de Rio by Roney Freitas (Brazil). The Audience Award for Best Documentary Feature went to El Misterio de las Lagunas, Fragmentos Andinos by Atahualpa Lichy (Venezuela).

The 2nd edition (February to March 2016) expanded to 10 fiction features and 10 documentaries in competition. Cash prizes ranged from $4,000 to $10,000 for winners. The festival has operated intermittently since 2016 due to Venezuela's economic crisis. Specific winners from later editions have not been widely published in international media.

Notable Alumni Films

Azu, alma de princesa (2014 Best Fiction Feature and Audience Award winner) is a Venezuelan historical drama about slavery directed by Luis Alberto Lamata. The film was released in Venezuelan theaters in 2013. Venezuela's Villa del Cine produced the film. It later became available on the Venezuelan government's YouTube channel in 2020. The film did not receive international theatrical distribution.

Sigo Siendo (2014 Best Documentary Feature winner) is a Peruvian documentary about traditional music directed by Javier Corcuera. The film grossed $157,684 at the box office according to AllMovie. It screened at international festivals and received positive reviews in France. The film traveled the global festival circuit after its Caracas win.

Guida (2014 Best Animation winner) is a Brazilian animated short by Rosana Urbes. The film won 2 prizes at the Annecy International Animation Festival and 5 prizes at AnimaMundi. It collected over 70 awards at festivals worldwide. Guida was made with approximately 8,000 hand-drawn frames. The film's FICCaracas win contributed to its international festival run.

Submission Tips

1. Only filmmakers and producers from CELAC member states and Puerto Rico can submit. The festival does not accept films from outside Latin America and the Caribbean. Check the CELAC member list before submitting.

1. Submissions are free, which is unusual for a competitive festival with cash prizes. The festival evaluates submissions through the Distribuidora Nacional de Cine Amazonia Films.

1. Films about Latin American identity, social issues, and regional cooperation align with the festival's programming priorities. Sidebar sections like "Libertadores" and "Nuestramerica Libre" reflect the government's political orientation.

1. Verify the festival's operational status before submitting. Venezuela's economic crisis has affected cultural institutions. Contact the festival organizers directly to confirm dates and eligibility.

1. The festival accepts fiction features, documentary features, animation, short fiction, and short documentary. Submit through the official website when the call for entries opens.

1. Cash prizes of $4,000 to $10,000 (based on 2016 data) are significant for Latin American independent filmmakers. Confirm whether prize amounts have been adjusted for inflation. Prize money may be paid in local currency.

Industry Reputation Notes

FICCaracas operates as a government-organized festival with direct ties to Venezuela's cultural ministries. The festival does not attract international buyers, sales agents, or distributors. No film market runs alongside the festival. Programming decisions may reflect government cultural policy priorities.

Compared to the Habitar el Cine Festival (Caracas, founded 2022), FICCaracas lacks independent curatorial credibility. Habitar el Cine operates as a non-competitive auteur cinema festival organized by independent exhibitors. International filmmakers regard Habitar el Cine as the more credible Caracas festival for auteur cinema.

Compared to the Festival del Cine Venezolano de Merida (founded 2005), FICCaracas has a broader geographic scope. Merida focuses exclusively on Venezuelan national cinema. FICCaracas accepts films from all 33 CELAC countries plus Puerto Rico. However, Merida has operated more consistently despite economic challenges.

The festival's free submission policy and cash prizes make it accessible to Latin American filmmakers with limited resources. However, the political context limits its international reputation. Filmmakers from outside Latin America cannot submit. The festival's value lies in regional networking among CELAC filmmakers.

See Also

Calculate your total festival submission costs and projected return using the Festival ROI Calculator. Estimate your acceptance probability with the Festival Acceptance Odds Estimator. For Latin American film market analysis, see International Film Markets. For festival circuit strategy, see Film Festival Strategy. For Venezuela's national cinema festival, see Festival del Cine Venezolano de Merida. Visit the official website.