This April, the third edition of the Alternativa Film Festival (powered by inDrive) took place in Medellin, Colombia, culminating in the film awards at the Jardín Botánico (Botanical Garden) de Medellín, attended by filmmakers, industry figures and cultural voices from across Latin America, Asia, and beyond.
What’s it all about? Alternativa is a global, nomadic non-profit film initiative founded by inDrive. The Film Festival and Awards are key events in Alternativa’s calendar: the Festival spotlights filmmakers from underrepresented regions (particularly across the Global South), by funding, showcasing, and amplifying stories that address social issues and diverse lived experiences.
What’s inDrive got to do with film? We believe that great films can inspire change, by highlighting important social issues and can change hearts and minds. The festival seeks to shift the balance of the film industry, creating opportunities for new voices, encouraging culturally authentic storytelling, and connecting these films with wider international audiences. So it’s a way of extending our impact and striving for greater fairness.
How did it go? It was fantastic. This year, Alternativa received more than 1,000 submissions from 33 countries. Thirty films were selected: 15 feature films in competition and 15 short films. (Check out the shortlist here!). The festival was held at the Museum of Modern Art (MAMM) and Colombo Americano, with free screenings, discussions and public events. For the awards, internationally renowned Colombian actor, activist and producer Natalia Reyes was this year’s President of the Features Jury, alongside Astrid Rondero (Mexico), Amanda Nell Eu (Malaysia), Juan Sarmiento G. (Colombia), and Cyril Aris (Lebanon),. The Shorts Jury comprised Consuelo Castillo (Colombia), Fernando Epstein (Uruguay) and Jessica Kiang (Germany).
Why Medellin? The 2026 host city was chosen for its “transformation through art and innovation.” Once plagued by violence, Medellin has reinvented itself as a cultural hub through political will, community-driven creativity, and urban planning. City leaders invested in inclusive public spaces and cultural infrastructure, while communities have used art, music, and storytelling to reclaim their identity. What better place for the 2026 Alternativa Film Festival?
And where to next? In 2027, the fourth edition of the festival will head to Africa.
Most importantly, here are this year’s winners, and what the jury had to say:
Focus Award - Honors a film that offers insight into the complexities of the current Alternativa Focus Region. With clarity and urgency, it depicts the realities shaping the future of this part of the world.
WINNER: RUNA SIMI
Director: Augusto Zegarra
Peru, 2025
Genre: Documentary
Languages: Spanish, Quechua, English
Jury Citation - “A film that deeply moved us, leaving a lasting impact through its sweet and tender portrayal of a protagonist struggling to preserve his identity, an identity that is inseparable from language. Transporting us into the landscapes of rural Peru, and honoring the Quechua culture, this moving film reminds us that life is rooted in an appreciation of the beauty that surrounds us: in nature, in family, in community, and in a boundless love for cinema.”
Spotlight Award - Highlights films that bring overlooked social issues to public attention, illuminating stories that might otherwise remain untold.
WINNER: 9-MONTH CONTRACT / ᲪᲮᲠᲐᲗᲕᲘᲐᲜᲘ ᲙᲝᲜᲢᲠᲐᲥᲢᲘ
Director: Ketevan Vashagashvili
Georgia, 2025
Genre: Documentary
Languages: Georgian
Jury Citation - “Ketevan, you took our hearts and broke them a little – this is also the power of cinema. Thank you for making us feel alive and capable of sparking a conversation about the darker side of a practice that is becoming increasingly common and normalized in today’s world. Thank you for raising awareness and speaking with deep humanity about unjust and asymmetrical power relationships, human trafficking, obstetric violence, and the complex, powerful love of a mother in a way that is as raw as it is beautiful. We can’t wait for the world to see your documentary and for this seed you’ve planted to grow.”
Future Voice Award - Honors emerging filmmakers whose first or second feature demonstrates a profound potential to drive change within both the film industry and society at large.
WINNER: A USEFUL GHOST / PEE CHAI DAI KA
Director: Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke
Thailand; Singapore; Germany; France, 2026
Genre: Dark Comedy
Languages: Thai
Jury Citation - “We, the jury, are awarding a film that is shaping a bold and future voice, with its absurdist comedy. This film enticed us with genre-bending humour and tragedy, making us feel ultimate rage about the voices that are silenced… sometimes via the noise of a passing airplane. Let’s never forget the ghosts of our past.”
Alter Award - Celebrates a film that can inspire action, motivating audiences to take tangible steps toward transformation.
WINNER: CUTTING THROUGH ROCKS
Director: Sara Khaki; Mohammadreza Eyni
Iran; USA; Netherlands; Qatar; Chile; Canada, 2026
Genre: Documentary
Languages: Spanish, French
Jury Citation - “From the very first frame of this film we find Sara, a unique and brave woman determined to stand her ground no matter the consequences. The film moves fluidly as in a motorbike between moments of hope, and the harsh reality of what being a woman still means in many parts of the world. For its powerful portrayal of freedom and its unflinching reminder of the inequalities that continue to shape the lives of millions of women, the award goes to Cutting through Rock.”
Nativa Award - Recognizes works that delve into national or cultural identity, showcasing stories that put regions and communities on the global map.
WINNER: LOST LAND / HÀRÀ WATAN
Director: Akio Fujimoto
Japan; France; Malaysia; Germany, 2025
Genre: Drama
Languages: Rohingya
Jury Citation - “A sibling’s game of hide and seek becomes a powerful metaphor for resilience and survival in a world where human life is often treated as expendable. Through the intimate and immersive perspective of two children, this film tells a story which becomes universal in its urgency, immediacy and emotional depth.”
Shorts Awards - Supports the storytellers of tomorrow, who boldly forge their own paths with a strong vision for impact
WINNER: BLUE HEART / COEUR BLEU
Director: Samuel Suffren
Haiti; France, 2026
Genre: Fiction
Languages: Haitian Creole
Jury Citation - “In a burst of startling colour and imagination, we were astonished by this sudden, undeniable proof of a new filmmaking talent, whose future is as bright and vibrant as the wildly cinematic tableaux through which the story is told. Surreal slivers of imagery - telephones and sewing machines and pipe smoke curling softly into the air - spring from a place of deep love for the rich culture of the filmmaker's native Haiti, and leave us breathless, wondering how it is possible that a film about a slow death can be so full of joyful life.”
WINNER: CASA CHICA
Director: Lau Charles
Mexico, 2025
Genre: Fiction
Languages: Spanish
Jury Citation - “Short films speak in the language of the single moment. Lau's extraordinarily complete film is a lovely act of gratitude that builds subtly yet powerfully, to one shimmering moment – a tiny gesture of connection between a brother and a sister. Showing enormous maturity and skill, not least in the amazing performances elicited from such young stars, this is also a film of quiet daring, when across one inspired edit, it seamlessly switches perspective from one sibling to the other. To make something so difficult look so effortless, and to fill it with such grace and light is a small miracle, and we award it with our whole hearts.”
HONOURABLE MENTION: PRESENT IN THE BIG EVENTS / PRESENTE EN LOS GRANDES EVENTOS
Director: Pamela Andrea Martinez Barrera
Panama; Venezuela; USA, 2025
Genre: Documentary
Languages: Spanish, English
Jury Citation - “In a cruel world that is getting crueler by the second, things get broken all the time, big things like governments and laws, and small things like hearts and, in this compassionate and cleverly structured film, promises. For a moving blend of archival memories and chatty, funny hangout footage that illustrates how the enormous forces of geopolitical change can impact us on the most intimate of levels, the jury awards an honorable mention to PRESENT IN THE BIG EVENTS (Presente en Los Eventos Grandes) directed by Pamela Andrea Martinez Barrera.”
Congratulations to all who made the shortlist, and well done to the winners!
