We invite youth (ages 18–30) based in the Greater Vancouver area to take part in a youth-led jury at the 24th Vancouver Latin American Film Festival, taking place September 10–20, 2026.

As a Youth Jury member, you will:

• Watch and evaluate a selection of six feature-length films by New Directors
• Engage in conversations with filmmakers
• Collaborate with fellow jurors to select the recipient of the Youth Choice Award for Best New Director
• Present the award at the Closing Ceremony on September 20

What You’ll Receive

• A full Festival Pass (access to all films, events, and parties)
• Recognition on the VLAFF website
• Opportunities to connect with filmmakers, artists, and community

Commitment

Selected jury members are expected to:

• Attend an orientation session
  August 27, 5:30–7:00 PM
• Participate in a Film Critique & Jury Deliberation workshop
  August 27, 7:00–9:00 PM
• Attend all screenings in the New Directors Competition (in person)
• Join virtual Q&As with filmmakers following screenings
• Participate in at least 4 filmmaker dialogues
• Attend a final in-person deliberation session
  September 20, 11:00 AM–1:00 PM
• Take part in at least one Youth Jury public activity at The Cinematheque
• Maintain confidentiality of films and jury discussions

A Note on Participation

This program is designed to help you fully experience the festival: watch powerful Latine cinema, build connections, and engage with your community. We encourage you to attend as many events as possible and invite others to join you. A limited number of complimentary tickets will be provided to share.

Eligibility

• Ages 18–30
• Based in Metro Vancouver

Important Dates

• Application deadline: Sunday, June 6, 2026 (5:00 PM PST)
• Interviews: June 8–9 (12:00–3:00 PM PST)
• Acceptance notifications: June 13 (evening)
• Confirmation deadline: June 20 (5:00 PM PST)
• Orientation & Workshop: August 27 (5:30–9:00 PM PST)
• Virtual Dialogues: September 11–19 (approx. 12:00–2:00 PM PST)
• Festival Dates: September 10–20, 2026

Note: Selected participants will be asked to provide a headshot and short bio for promotional purposes.

Questions?

Contact Ana Tonso, Youth Jury Coordinator at
youthjury@vlaff.org

Join us for a special FREE screening of CICLO, a beloved audience favourite that returns to the big screen 

 APRIL 15
 4PM
 Cineplex Scotiabank Theatre Vancouver
 FREE TICKETS

Dir. Andrea Martínez Crowther
Mexico/Canada, 2013
Spanish with English subtitles
133 min

Pachuca, 1956. Brothers Arturo and Gustavo Martínez leave their hometown in central Mexico with the desire to cross the continent on bicycles. Eighty-two days and 5,600 km later, they arrive in Toronto, not knowing that this journey will change the entire route of their lives. Ever since director Andrea Martínez Crowther can remember, stories of her father and uncle’s trip have formed part of her family’s folklore. Over half a century later, Arturo and Gustavo – now in their 70s – retrace that epic path, in an exploration of memory, the cycles of life and the unavoidable passage of time. 

“When I was a little girl, I thought it was pretty normal to have a Dad who had travelled from Mexico to Canada on bicycle. Doesn’t everyone have one of those?” – Andrea Martínez Crowther, interviewed by François Levesque, Apartment613

CICLO was named Audience Favourite at VLAFF 2013!

This film is part of National Canadian Film Day 2026, an annual one-day event celebrating Canadian cinema from coast-to-coast featuring thousands of independent screenings worldwide.

Andrea Martínez Crowther recently leapt out of her comfort zone as a feature film director in Mexico City to move to Toronto and sort of start from scratch. She has directed four feature films. The first, INSIGNIFICANT THINGS, was executive produced by Guillermo del Toro and participated in the Sundance Screenwriter’s Lab. It premiered at the San Sebastian Film Festival. She went on to direct the award-winning intimate documentary CICLO about her father’s bicycle journey from Mexico to Canada. After that came OBSERVAR LAS AVES about a writer who decides to say farewell to life through a movie, winning the People’s Choice Award at the Los Cabos Film Festival. Her most recent film, TARE, stars renowned Mexican actor Tenoch Huerta (Narcos, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever) and is in post-production. Andrea is currently developing the romantic comedy SMITTEN as well as THE SECRET LIFE OF PLANTS, her first venture in the world of Web Series -well, if you don’t count her self-produced web series LA HISTORIA DEL GALLO about her restaurant Gallo Güero, as a way of helping it survive the pandemic. (It didn’t but at least she has a series to show for it). Andrea is a member of the DGC and alumna of WIDC. Bio from WIDC.

The Vancouver Latin American Film Festival invites submissions of recent short films by emerging creators from:

• Latin American and Canadian film schools
• Films created outside of schools or institutions

We are looking for bold, urgent, personal, and formally adventurous short films made within the last three years(2023–2026). Short films must be by Latine directors, or films collaboratively and ethically engaging Latine communities.

Curated and presented by the 2026 cohort of VLAFF’s Emerging Latin Programmers, this screening will give student and emerging filmmakers a platform to share their work within Vancouver’s vibrant Latin American film and cultural community.

The selected works will be exhibited at The Cinematheque on June 23, 2026 as part of a special public event. Each selected filmmaker will receive a screening fee of $175CAD.

Who Should Apply

Latine student & emerging filmmakers or filmmakers working in collaboration with Latine communities

Submissions by Latine filmmakers can be on any subject.

Non-Latine filmmakers are also welcome to apply; however, their work must engage with Latin content and be created in ethical collaboration with Latine communities.

Submission Guidelines:

• Fiction, documentary, experimental, animation, hybrid
• Max runtime: 21 min
• Films completed between 2023–2026
• Selected films will require English subtitles 

No submission fee
Deadline: March 23, 2026
Submit here

Not sure if your project is eligible for this call? Email emergingprogrammers@vlaff.org

What We Mean by “Student” and “Emerging”

Student: Currently enrolled in a film/media program or graduated within the past 3 years.

Emerging: A filmmaker in the early stages of their short film practice who is actively developing their voice. This may include self-taught creators or those working outside institutions, and generally refers to artists who are not yet widely established, commercially represented, or consistently funded. We understand “emerging” as a relational and evolving category rather than a fixed career stage.

El Festival de Cine Latinoamericano de Vancouver abre convocatoria para cortometrajes recientes de cineastas de:

• Escuelas de cine latinoamericanas y canadienses.
• Cortos creados fuera de escuelas o instituciones por creadores emergentes.

Buscamos cortometrajes audaces, urgentes, personales, con un enfoque formalmente innovador, realizados en los últimos tres años (2023-2026). Los cortometrajes deben ser de directores latines, o por creadores emergentes que se comprometan éticamente con las comunidades latinas.

Curada y presentada por les Programadores Latines Emergentes del VLAFF 2026, esta proyección brindará a estudiantes y cineastas emergentes una plataforma para compartir su trabajo dentro de la vibrante comunidad cinematográfica y cultural latina de Vancouver.

Las obras seleccionadas se exhibirán en The Cinematheque el junio 23 de 2026 como parte de un evento público especial. Cada cineasta seleccionade recibirá una tarifa de proyección de 175 dólares canadienses.

¿Quiénes pueden participar?

Estudiantes latines y cineastas emergentes latines o cineastas que trabajen en colaboración con comunidades latinas.

Las propuestas de realizadores latines pueden ser sobre cualquier tema.

Lxs cineastas no latines también pueden postularse; sin embargo, su trabajo debe involucrar contenido latino y ser creado en colaboración ética con comunidades latinas.

Bases de inscripción:

• Ficción, documental, experimental, animación, híbrido
• Duración máxima: 21 min
• Corto realizados entre 2023 y 2026
• Los cortometrajes seleccionados deberán tener subtítulos en inglés.

No hay cuota de inscripción
Fecha límite: 23 de marzo de 2026
Postula aquí

¿No estás segurx de si tu proyecto encaja en esta convocatoria? Envía un correo a emergingprogrammers@vlaff.org

Qué entendemos por “Estudiante” y “Emergente”

Estudiante: Personas actualmente inscritas en un programa de cine o medios audiovisuales, o graduadxs en los últimos 3 años.

Emergente: Cineastas en las primeras etapas de su práctica en cortometraje, que estén desarrollando activamente su voz. Puede incluir creadorxs autodidactas o que trabajen fuera de instituciones, y generalmente se refiere a artistas que aún no están ampliamente consolidadxs, representadxs comercialmente o con financiamiento sostenido. Entendemos “emergente” como una categoría relacional y en evolución, más que como una etapa fija de carrera.

O Festival de Cinema Latino-Americano de Vancouver (VLAFF) convida ao envio de curtas-metragens recentes de cineastas:

• De escolas de cinema latino-americanas e canadenses.
• Filmes criados fora de escolas ou instituições por criadorxs emergentes.

Buscamos curtas-metragens audaciosos, urgentes, pessoais e formalmente ousados, realizados nos últimos três anos (2023–2026). Os curtas devem ser realizados por criadorxs latinxs ou por criadorxs emergentes que se comprometam eticamente com comunidades latinas.

Esta sessão será curada e apresentada pelo grupo de 2026 dxs Programadorxs Latinxs Emergentes do VLAFF, que oferece a estudantes e cineastas emergentes uma plataforma para compartilhar seu trabalho dentro da vibrante comunidade cinematográfica e cultural latino-americana de Vancouver.

As obras selecionadas serão exibidas na The Cinematheque no dia 23 de junho de 2026, como parte de um evento público especial. Cada cineasta selecionadx receberá uma taxa de exibição de 175 dólares canadenses.

Quem pode se inscrever?

Estudantes latinxs e cineastas emergentes latinxs ou cineastas que trabalhem em colaboração com comunidades latinas.

Os trabalhos enviados por cineastas latines podem abordar qualquer tema.

Cineastas não latines também podem se inscrever; no entanto, seus trabalhos devem abordar conteúdo latino e ser criados em colaboração ética com comunidades latinas.

Diretrizes para envio:

• Gêneros: ficção, documentário, experimental, animação, híbrido.
• Duração máxima: 21 minutos.
• Filmes concluídos entre 2023 e 2026.
• Os filmes selecionados deverão ter legendas em inglês.

Sem taxa de inscrição
Prazo final: 23 de março de 2026
Envie aquí

Você não ter certeza se seu projeto se enquadra nesta convocatória? envie um e-mail para emergingprogrammers@vlaff.org

O que entendemos por “Estudante” e “Emergente”

Estudante: Pessoas atualmente matriculadas em um curso de cinema/audiovisual ou formadxs nos últimos 3 anos.

Emergente: Cineastas nas primeiras etapas de sua prática em curta-metragem, que estejam desenvolvendo ativamente sua voz. Inclui realizadorxs autodidatas ou que atuem fora de instituições, e geralmente se refere a artistas que ainda não estão amplamente estabelecidxs, representadxs comercialmente ou com financiamento contínuo. Entendemos “emergente” como uma categoria relacional e em constante evolução, e não como uma etapa fixa de carreira.

The Vancouver Latin American Film Festival (VLAFF) is now accepting submissions for its 24th edition, taking place September 10–20, 2026 in Vancouver, Canada.

VLAFF showcases bold, diverse, and innovative cinema from Latin America and its diasporas, celebrating stories of identity, resistance, joy, culture, music, food, and community.

Final submission deadline: March 31, 2026
Early Bird deadline: February 15, 2026

All submissions must be made via FilmFreeway:
filmfreeway.com/vlaff

In Competition

New Directors Competition — First Features (Ópera Prima)

One of VLAFF’s most exciting sections, the New Directors Competition highlights first-time feature filmmakers whose debut works signal powerful new voices in Latin American cinema.

We welcome films that take creative risks, explore new cinematic languages, and bring urgent or intimate perspectives to the screen.

Eligibility

• First feature-length films (ópera prima)
• Latin American directors or films with Latin American content
• Fiction, animation, documentary, arthouse, hybrid
• 60 minutes and longer
• Production years: 2025–2026

Youth Choice Award for Best New Director
Each selected film receives a $300 CAD honorarium.

Short Film Competition

The Shorts in Competition section is the oldest competition at VLAFF and continues to be a launchpad for emerging and established filmmakers alike.

Each year, 15 finalist short films screen at the festival and compete for our Best Short Film Award.

Eligibility

• Fiction, animation, experimental, documentary, hybrid
• Maximum running time: 21 minutes
• Latin American content
• Production years: 2025–2026

Best Short Film Award
$750 CAD cash prize to the director.

Out of Competition

Feature Films

This section showcases outstanding feature-length films that expand cinematic conversations and resonate strongly with VLAFF audiences outside of the competitive framework.

Eligibility

• Feature-length films
• Latin American directors and/or Latin American content
• Fiction, animation, documentary, hybrid
• 60 minutes and longer
• Production years: 2025–2026

Indigenous Filmmakers from Latin America & Canada

Films from Turtle Island & Beyond

This section centers Indigenous filmmakers and collectives from across Turtle Island and throughout Latin America, highlighting stories rooted in sovereignty, land, memory, and community.

Eligibility

• Feature-length and short films
• Indigenous directors and filmmaking collectives
• Fiction, animation, experimental, documentary, hybrid
• Production years: 2025–2026

Canada Looks South — Latinx Canadian Filmmakers

Canada Looks South amplifies Latin-Canadian voices and Canadian filmmakers engaging with Latin American stories, cultures, and histories.

Latin American directors living in Vancouver are especially encouraged to submit.

Eligibility

• Feature-length and short films
• Latin-Canadian directors (permanent residents or citizens)
• Canadian directors with Latin American content
• Fiction, animation, documentary, hybrid
• Production years: 2023–2025

Thematic Sections

¡Así Sabe! — Food Films (Culinary Cinema)

A celebration of food as culture, memory, resistance, and joy. ¡Así Sabe! invites films that explore culinary traditions, kitchens, markets, and foodways across Latin America.

Eligibility

• Feature-length films
• Focus on food and culinary culture
• Fiction, animation, documentary, arthouse, hybrid
• Production years: 2025–2026

¡Así Suena! — Music Films

Now in its third year, ¡Así Suena! celebrates music on the big screen — from performance and rhythm to sound as identity and movement.

Eligibility

• Feature-length films
• Focus on music and sound
• Fiction, animation, documentary, arthouse, hybrid
• Production years: 2025–2026

¡Activismo! — Cinema of Social & Environmental Justice

This section features films that address historical struggles, social movements, political ideas, and environmental justice across Latin America.

Eligibility

• Feature-length films
• 60 minutes and longer
• Production years: 2025–2026

Queer Pix — Non-Competitive

A celebratory space for Queer short films that center Latin American perspectives, joy, desire, experimentation, and resistance.

Eligibility

• Short films by Queer directors
• Fiction, animation, experimental, documentary, hybrid
• Maximum running time: 21 minutes
• Production years: 2024–2026

Fee Waivers

A limited number of submission fee waivers are available for filmmakers for whom the fee represents a genuine barrier to participation.

Priority is given to filmmakers based in Venezuela, Argentina, and Cuba, as well as other contexts where submission fees pose economic challenges.

To request a waiver, contact programming@vlaff.org with a brief introduction to your project.

Share the Call

We invite you to share this call with your communities. We are seeking new voices, Afro-descendant and Indigenous filmmakers, experimental works, music and food films, Latinx Canadian perspectives, and stories of joy, resilience, and transformation.

THANK YOU! OBRIGADX! GRACIAS!

In 2025, 129 volunteers generously shared their time, energy, and care to support screenings, events, guests, and audiences at the 23rd Vancouver Latin American Film Festival. From front-of-house and box office support to hospitality and videography, their contributions made it possible for VLAFF to run smoothly and remain a welcoming space for filmmakers, artists, and festival goers.

We extend our deepest gratitude to every volunteer who was part of this year’s festival. Below, we are honoured to recognize the volunteers who opted to have their names shared publicly.

• Cristina Afonso
• Antonia Angueira
• Sara Aristizabal
• Maria Elena Avila
• Valeria Bautista
• Pablo Betancourt
• Eliezer Blanco
• Maria Blanco
• Yas Botelho
• Steve Bottomley
• Claudia Bulaievsky
• Ericka Chemko
• Constanza Chiang
• Maria Victoria Collazos Cortes
• Craig Davidson 
• Mary de Bruyn
• Manuela Diaz 
• Tracy Dixon 
• Emilia Dominguez
• Barbara Dos Santos da Silva 
• Mariana Echavarría Vega
• Isabella Fernandez
• Liliana Figueroa
• Silvana Fuentes
• Abhiroop Gill 
• Katherine Godfrey
• Isabel Gonzales 
• Sofia Gonzalez-Bonnett 
• Annabelle Handy 
• Denisse Iglesias
• Sonny Joyce
• Beatriz Jurkewicz
• Denise Labelle 
• Lucia Leon-Valdez 
• Jesus Lopez 
• Daniel (Dani) Loyola Molina
• Veronica Madore 
• lavender (lavanda) mendez
• Tom Nesbit 
• Paola Pinto Vidal
• Shiraz Ramji 
• Sharare Rezai 
• Daniela Rodriguez 
• Javier Romero 
• Solcamila Illary Ruiz Valdez 
• Barb Ryeburn 
• Nicolas Salamanca 
• Tierney Schutz 
• saki serizawa
• Richard Siegenthaler
• Ana Silva 
• Jazmin Torres
• Thais Torres Pires 
• Daniel Vasquez 
• Daniela Vásquez 
• Cora Whiting 
• Sharron Wilson 
• Graham Wong 
• Lois Zhang 

VLAFF would not be possible without this collective effort. Thank you for being part of our festival and for helping bring Latin American cinema, stories, and gatherings to life in the city! We can’t wait to see you again for VLAFF 2026, where we’ll continue celebrating film, music, and community together.

Thank you! ¡Gracias! Obrigadx!

The VLAFF Team

Photos by: Mariana Echavarría, Bruno Martin del Campo, and Frida Guill

From packed screenings to courtyard concerts, from unforgettable dance floors to workshops that sparked new ideas, VLAFF brought Latin American, Latin Canadian, and Indigenous stories to life across Vancouver!

VLAFF 2025 in review:

• 5,127 attendees across screenings, concerts, parties, workshops, and community gatherings
  
• 709 film submissions from 37 countries, with an Official Line Up featuring 150+ artists and 10 special guests
  
• Over 70 films presented from 15 countries in 9 languages, all with English subtitles
  
• 10 free concerts and courtyard events, plus 2 parties with live music and dance
  
• 68 local artists, musicians, drag performers, voguers, and DJs collaborated with us
  
• 129 volunteers powering the festival behind the scenes
  
• Supported by 17 sponsors, 20 community partners, 6 consulate partners, and 2 media partners
  
• For the second year, we hosted the hottest party of the summer with Vancouver Queer Film Festival: Fuego Fogo!

Our most-watched film of 2025

THE BEST MOTHER IN THE WORLD, a stunning Brazilian story by Anna Muylaert that touched hearts and marked an unforgettable start to the 23rd VLAFF.

We raised $20,444 CAD!

Your participation and financial support is critical to VLAFF’s success. GRACIAS, OBRIGADX, THANKS

Every contribution, at any level, matters.

All donations over $20 are eligible for a tax receipt (meaning you get money taken off your taxes!)

If you’re in a position to give, we invite you to support VLAFF today. You can donate online through CanadaHelps, or send a cheque to:

Vancouver Latin American Film Festival

420 – 111 W Hastings St

Vancouver, BC V6B 1H4

And if another method works better for you (cash, or otherwise) please reach out to info@vlaff.org. We’re happy to connect!

Thanks for an amazing 2025!

Photos by Bruno Martin del Campo