Overview
The Lima Film Festival (Festival Internacional de Cine de Lima PUCP) is a 10-day competitive film festival held annually in August in Lima, Peru. The 30th edition runs August 6 to 15, 2026, organized by the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru (PUCP) through its Cultural Center. The festival screens Latin American fiction and documentary films across three competitive sections and awards the Spondylus Trophy with cash prizes in each category.
The festival's top prize is USD 5,000, awarded in three categories: Best Peruvian Film (awarded to the production or co-production company), Best Latin American Fiction Film (awarded to the director), and Best Latin American Documentary (awarded to the director). Additional prizes include Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Screenplay, Best First Feature (USD 2,500), Best Cinematography, and an Audience Award (USD 2,500). The festival also presents a PUCP Community Award (USD 2,000) and an LGBTQ+ Award.
The 30th edition in 2026 accepts films completed in 2025 or 2026 that have not previously screened in Peru. Submissions opened January 22, 2026, with a regular deadline of February 28, 2026, and an extended deadline of March 31, 2026 (with a USD 20 fee for extended submissions). The festival accepts submissions through FilmFreeway, Festhome, or its own online form.
For Latin American filmmakers seeking a competitive festival with cash prizes and exposure to Peruvian and regional audiences, the Lima Film Festival is the primary platform in the Andean region. Check the festival website for current submission openings.
Submission Details
Submissions are accepted through three channels: FilmFreeway, Festhome, or the festival's online form. The online form must be signed and include a viewing link with a non-expiring password.
2026 Submission Deadlines:
| Phase | Dates | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Regular registration | January 22 to February 28, 2026 | Standard platform fees apply |
| Extended registration | March 1 to March 31, 2026 | USD 20 (via festival form only) |
The extended registration is only available through the festival's online form, not through FilmFreeway or Festhome. To obtain the payment link for the extended fee, contact the Festival Management Office at krojas@pucp.pe or +51 1 6161620.
Eligibility:
Peruvian Competition:
- Films of all genres, minimum 45 minutes
- Produced or co-produced by a Peruvian company
- Completed in 2025 or 2026
- Not previously screened in Peru
Latin American Fiction Competition:
- Feature films, minimum 60 minutes
- By Latin American filmmakers
- Completed in 2025 or 2026
- Not previously screened in Peru
Latin American Documentary Competition:
- Films, minimum 45 minutes
- By Latin American filmmakers on any theme, or by filmmakers from other countries working on Latin American themes
- Completed in 2025 or 2026
- Not previously screened in Peru
Subtitling Requirements:
- Original language Spanish: English subtitles required
- Original language English: Spanish subtitles required
- Other languages: Spanish and English subtitles required
Exhibition Format:
- Exhibition copy: DCP
- Backup copy: MP4 or H264 file
If your film is selected, promotional materials must be submitted by Friday, June 12, 2026, and exhibition materials by Friday, June 19, 2026.
Key Sections
- Peruvian Competition - films produced or co-produced by a Peruvian company (minimum 45 minutes, any genre), competing for Best Peruvian Film (Spondylus Trophy and USD 5,000)
- Latin American Fiction Competition - Latin American fiction features (minimum 60 minutes), competing for Best Latin American Fiction Film (Spondylus Trophy and USD 5,000), Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Screenplay, Best First Feature (USD 2,500), Best Cinematography
- Latin American Documentary Competition - Latin American documentaries (minimum 45 minutes), competing for Best Latin American Documentary (Spondylus Trophy and USD 5,000)
- Special Screenings - non-competitive programming and curated selections
What Filmmakers Should Know
The festival accepts submissions through three platforms: FilmFreeway, Festhome, and its own online form. The regular deadline (February 28, 2026) allows submissions through any of the three channels. The extended deadline (March 31, 2026) is only available through the festival's own form and carries a USD 20 fee. If you miss the regular deadline, you must contact the festival directly for the payment link.
The festival is organized by PUCP (Pontifical Catholic University of Peru), which gives it an academic institutional base. The university campus hosts festival activities, and the PUCP Community Jury awards a separate prize for the best Peruvian film across all competitive sections. The festival also presents an LGBTQ+ Award for the best LGBTQ+ themed film across all competitive sections.
The festival promotes the presence of filmmakers at the event. While the festival does not appear to offer travel grants, attending filmmakers benefit from the festival's industry networking opportunities and the large audience base that PUCP and Lima provide. The festival press conference is held in the third week of July, when the official selection is announced.
Festival History
The Lima Film Festival was founded in 1997 and is organized by the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru through its Cultural Center. The festival has operated for 29 years as one of the principal exhibition and meeting spaces for Peruvian, Latin American, and international cinema in the Andean region. The 30th edition in 2026 marks a milestone anniversary for the festival.
The festival's institutional base at PUCP provides stability and academic resources that many independent festivals lack. The university campus hosts festival activities, and the PUCP community participates in the festival through the PUCP Community Jury and the Pase cinefilo (cinephile pass) program, which allows students and the general public to purchase advance tickets.
The 30th edition in 2026 expanded the festival's pre-event programming, including a free campus screening of El agente secreto (Brazil), directed by Kleber Mendonca Filho and starring Wagner Moura, held on June 4, 2026, at the PUCP Auditorio de Derecho. The festival's press conference is scheduled for the third week of July 2026, when the official selection, venues, and activities are announced.
The Lima Film Festival has played a role in establishing Lima as a regional cinema hub. While Buenos Aires, Rio de Janeiro, and Mexico City have larger film industries, Lima's festival provides a competitive platform specifically for Latin American cinema that is organized with university infrastructure and academic support. The festival's three competitive sections, each with a USD 5,000 top prize, make it one of the most financially significant competitive festivals for Latin American filmmakers in the region.
Past Winners
The 2025 Trophy Spondylus went to The Secret Agent / O agente secreto (dir. Kleber Mendonca Filho, Brazil), which also won Best Director and Best Actor at Cannes 2025. Best First Film went to The Mysterious Gaze of the Flamingo (dir. Diego Cespedes, Chile), also a Cannes premiere. The Peruvian Competition winner was Los inocentes (dir. German Tejada).
The 2024 Trophy Spondylus went to Simon of the Mountain (dir. Federico Luis, Argentina/Chile/Uruguay). Best First Film went to Kinra (dir. Marco Panatonic, Peru), which won six prizes and also won at Mar del Plata.
The 2023 Trophy Spondylus went to Totem (dir. Lila Aviles, Mexico), which premiered at Berlinale 2023. Janus Films and Sideshow distributed in the US.
Notable Alumni Films and Where They Ended Up
- Bacurau (dirs. Kleber Mendonca Filho and Juliano Dornelles, 2019) - Lima 2019 Best Film. Won the Cannes Jury Prize 2019. Kino Lorber distributed in the US.
- Totem (dir. Lila Aviles, 2023) - Lima 2023 Best Film. Berlinale 2023 Competition. Janus Films and Sideshow US distribution.
- The Secret Agent (dir. Kleber Mendonca Filho, 2025) - Lima 2025 Best Film. Won Best Director and Best Actor at Cannes 2025.
- La Teta Asustada / The Milk of Sorrow (dir. Claudia Llosa, 2009) - Lima alumnus. Won the Golden Bear at Berlinale 2009. Nominated for Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.
Submission Tips Specific to This Festival
The Peru premiere requirement is strictly enforced. If your film has screened publicly in Peru before the festival, it is ineligible. The Latin American Documentary Competition also accepts films by non-Latin American filmmakers working on Latin American themes.
Subtitles are mandatory: Spanish-language films need English subtitles, English-language films need Spanish subtitles, and other languages need both. Budget for subtitling if needed.
Industry Reputation Notes
Lima is the primary competitive platform for Latin American cinema in the Andean region. Compared to BAFICI (Buenos Aires), Lima has a more focused competitive structure with cash prizes (USD 5,000 top prizes) and a stronger emphasis on Latin American fiction and documentary. BAFICI has a larger international industry presence but does not offer comparable cash prizes. Compared to the Havana Film Festival, Lima has a more stable institutional base through PUCP.
Watch
See Also
To calculate the return on your festival submission spending, use the Festival ROI Calculator. For festival strategy and circuit planning, see Film Festival Strategy. To estimate your probability of acceptance, use the Festival Acceptance Odds Estimator. For understanding Latin American cinema and international film markets, see International Film Markets.
