KATHMANDU: Alternativa has announced that the 3rd edition of the Alternativa Film Festival will take place in
Colombia in Q2 2026, with an expanded prize fund of 120,000 USD (an increase of 20,000 USD from the previous edition) and a new award category for a feature film from the focus region, bringing the total number of awards to seven.

The open call for submissions runs from June 10 to October 10, 2025. Feature-length films of all genres are accepted from Latin America and Asia, while the short film categories are reserved exclusively for Latin America.

These announcements were made during Alternativa’s first-ever press conference in Latin America, held at the 40th Guadalajara International Film Festival — an official partner of the initiative. Speaking at the event were Liza Surganova, Head of Alternativa; Anna Gudkova, Head of Industry and Labs; and Andjelka Jankovic, Head of Marketing and Communications.

Together, they presented the vision for the upcoming festival, highlighting Alternativa’s growing presence in Latin America and its ongoing commitment to supporting emerging talent across the Global South.

The initiative shifts its focus region with each edition of the Alternativa Film Festival, an alternative system for recognizing filmmakers from the Global South, enabling their work to reach broad and diverse audiences and build bridges across regions.

The festival honors films that bring positive change to the world and society, combining artistic excellence with the
potential for significant social impact.

A message from Arsen Tomsky, CEO and founder of inDrive and the visionary behind Alternativa, was shared during the press conference: “At inDrive, we believe that talent and powerful stories should never be limited by borders — and that art has the power to create meaningful change for millions of people around the world. It can also help advance inDrive’s mission of challenging injustice — both through our business and beyond.

That’s why we founded and support Alternativa and its festival that gives impact filmmakers from the Global South a
platform to be seen, heard, and celebrated”.

Alternativa was launched in Central Asia (Kazakhstan) in 2023 and expanded to Southeast Asia (Indonesia) in 2024, where it made a lasting impression with the 2nd Alternativa Film Awards & Festival held in Yogyakarta — featuring a rich program and a memorable awards ceremony.

Now, the initiative is moving to Latin America to continue its mission of spotlighting bold new voices in Global South cinema. This transition also marks an evolution of the project. What began as the Alternativa Film Awards has now grown into a full-fledged festival — a shift reflected in its new name.

While the awards remain at its core, the festival continues to expand its program with screenings, discussions, and events designed to deepen the impact of the selected films. At the same time, Alternativa remains active through its hubs in Central and Southeast Asia.

The agenda for 2025 already includes the Just Futures Impact Story Lab in Bali, Indonesia (produced in collaboration with In-Docs, Doc Society, and !mpact); the Impact Distribution Lab in Central Asia; Alternativa Film Days in Almaty, Kazakhstan, and Jakarta, Indonesia; and an impact campaign for Devi in Nepal.

The Alternativa Film Festival 2026 welcomes films from Latin America, and — remaining committed to its mission of building bridges across regions — will continue to accept works from Asia, where the previous two editions of the event took place.

In 2024, the festival received over 1,000 submissions from 33 countries. Among the 25 shortlisted films, 14 Asian countries were represented, with Indonesia leading the selection with five titles. Now, with a new region now in focus, the team expects a significant surge in entries.

“Being part of Alternativa was a truly special experience. The thoughtful programming, warm community, and space for dialogue made it feel like more than just a screening platform — it was a space for exchange and discovery. Receiving an award there was not only an honor but also an encouragement that continues to push me forward in my practice,” recalls Vietnamese director Nguyen Duy Anh, whose film “A Cleaning Service” won one of the two Shorts Awards at the Alternativa Film Awards & Festival 2024.

The open call for the Alternativa Film Festival 2026 begins on June 10 and will remain open until October 10, 2025. Fiction films, documentaries, animations, and hybrid works of all genres completed after January 1, 2025, are eligible. For films with a world premiere before August 1, 2025, the submission deadline is September 1, 2025, at 23:59 (UTC -5).

For films with a world premiere after August 1, 2025, the deadline is October 10, 2025, at 23:59 (UTC -5). A full list of eligible countries and detailed film requirements can be found in the Rules & Regulations,
available on the official Alternativa website: alternativa.film.

The Alternativa Film Festival 2026 program will focus on — but not be limited to — free public screenings of films selected for the Competition. The screenings will be accompanied by impact discussions and other public events designed to deepen the films’ social impact and engage audiences in dialogue. In 2024 in Yogyakarta, around 2300 viewers attended 14 screenings.

The festival will also feature Industry Days — a professional program that connects filmmakers, producers, and social impact leaders, fostering thought-provoking conversations, exchange of experience, and new collaborations. The festival culminates in the awards ceremony.

Directors, whose films are selected for the Competition, are invited to attend the festival and the ceremony, with travel and accommodation covered by the organizers.

The host city and exact dates of the Alternativa Film Festival 2026, along with the names of the Selection Committee and the International Jury, will be announced in the coming months.

Alternativa is an international non-profit project launched by the global technology company inDrive in 2023. The project is designed to support and promote filmmakers from the Global South whose work has the potential to bring positive change to the world.

Its mission is to amplify the international visibility of impact-driven talents and help their films reach broad and diverse audiences. By championing stories that make a difference, Alternativa bridges regional divides, empowers local communities, and contributes to meaningful social transformation.

InDrive is a global mobility and urban services platform. The inDrive app has been downloaded over 280 million times, and has been declared the second most downloaded mobility app for the third consecutive year. In addition to ride-hailing, inDrive provides an expanding list of services, including intercity transportation, delivery, and financial services.

In 2023, inDrive launched New Ventures, a venture and M&A arm. inDrive operates in 888 cities in 48 countries. Driven by its mission of challenging injustice, the company is committed to having a positive impact on the lives of one billion people by 2030.

It pursues this goal both through its core business, which supports local communities via a fair pricing model; and through the work of its impact arm. inDrive’s community empowerment programs help to advance education, sports, arts and sciences, gender equality and other vital developments.