The Xilitla Film Fest aims to promote and showcase national and international cinema in all its expressions, genres, and contemporary formats.
Mexico’s most surreal destination proudly presents the fourth edition of its International Film Festival: Xilitla Film Fest 2026.
Located in the magical town of Xilitla, in the heart of the Sierra Gorda region of San Luis Potosí, surrounded by lush tropical landscapes and dreamlike scenery, this place captivated English artist and patron Edward James, who built here his legendary surrealist garden — a monument to boundless imagination.
In 2026, the festival will once again celebrate cinematic diversity through a wide range of genres, narratives, and audiovisual proposals, including documentary, fiction, fantasy, horror, magical realism, science fiction, erotic cinema, dance film, musical cinema, animation, experimental film, and new storytelling formats developed through artificial intelligence and emerging technologies.
The festival is organized by Centro James, Cervecería James, and the Edward James Museum, with the support of Centro de las Artes de San Luis Potosí, the Municipality of Xilitla, and the Tourism Department of the State of San Luis Potosí.
Festival activities will include:
Official competition and showcase screenings
Tributes and retrospectives
Professional training workshops
Conferences and filmmaker talks
Interdisciplinary and holistic activities
Spaces for dialogue between art, nature, and contemporary cinema
The call for entries will remain open from May 12 to July 31, 2026.
The festival will take place from December 2 to 6, 2026, featuring two main sections: Official Showcase and International Competition, alongside academic and industry activities focused on strengthening independent cinema and emerging filmmakers worldwide.
AWARDS & CATEGORIES
The Xilitla Film Fest will present the “James” Award to the winning films and projects in the official competition sections, recognizing innovative, daring, and artistically outstanding cinematic works.
The awarded categories are:
- Best Fiction Feature Film
- Best Fiction Short Film
- Best Documentary Feature Film
- Best Documentary Short Film
- Best AI-Generated Feature Film
- Best AI-Generated Short Film
- Best Animated Short Film
- Best Experimental Feature Film
- Best Dance Film
- Best Regional Project (documentary, fiction, music video, or experimental film)
- Best Video Performance
- The duration of the works must be between 2 and 40 minutes for short films and between 60 and 120 minutes for feature films.
- The technical sheet and the movie trailer must be submitted.
- The final exhibition formats will be exclusively in digital format, with Spanish subtitles (if available). Once selected, technical guidelines for exhibition will be provided.
- Works in any language will be accepted, as long as they are subtitled in Spanish.
Materials presented in Spanish must send the work with subtitles in Spanish (only if they have them), this with the objective of supporting the community of deaf people.
- The official selection will be communicated via email to the selected participants.
- Selected films cannot be publicly available online at any time before the festival.
- Works participating in the competition categories must have been produced between January 1, 2021, and the present year.
- Awards will be presented during the festival.
Films and short films will be selected by a jury composed of film and culture professionals, whose decision will be final. Any situation not covered will be resolved by the jury.
- Works must be submitted by their directors, producers, and/or distributors and will be subject to a fee.
- Accommodation and meals will be provided during the event for selected feature films premiering at the festival.
Works cannot be withdrawn from the competition once accepted.
- Selected films and short films may be included in other festival venues throughout the year, as well as online platforms, upon signing an authorization for this purpose.
- The festival may use trailers or excerpts from the works for promotional purposes on social media and online platforms.
- Once selected, participants must send a signed letter accepting the terms and conditions and an authorization letter for the screening of the work.
Best fiction feature film
短編映画と長編映画 >40' 140'<
標準料金17$ -8% 15.64$
提出期限
30 7月 26
保存する
1.36$
送信
Dedicated to fiction feature films with a minimum duration of 45 minutes. This category celebrates narrative cinema in all its forms, from intimate stories to cinematic epics, highlighting works with a strong artistic identity and a unique voice.
Best fiction short film
短編映画 >2' 35'<
標準料金15$ -8% 13.8$
提出期限
30 7月 26
保存する
1.2$
送信
An expert film jury will award a prize to the best fiction short film that lasts between 2 and 35 minutes. ¡Open Theme!
Experimental
短編映画 >2' 120'<
標準料金15$ -8% 13.8$
提出期限
30 7月 26
保存する
1.2$
送信
Category dedicated to audiovisual works that explore new forms of cinematic language, prioritizing aesthetic, narrative, sonic, and visual experimentation. Submissions are encouraged to challenge traditional structures and embrace artistic exploration, innovation, and creative freedom.
Best animated short film
短編映画 >1' 130'<
標準料金15$ -8% 13.8$
提出期限
30 7月 26
保存する
1.2$
送信
This category is open to animated short and feature films in any technique, from traditional animation and stop motion to 3D and experimental styles. We seek stories that stand out for their visual originality, narrative creativity, and innovative use of the animated language.
Best Dance Film
短編映画 >1' 15'<
標準料金15$ -8% 13.8$
提出期限
30 7月 26
保存する
1.2$
送信
Category dedicated to audiovisual works that explore movement, the body, and dance as cinematic language. Experimental, hybrid, and narrative proposals integrating choreography, performance, and visual exploration are eligible for submission.
Best documentary project
短編映画と長編映画 >45' 140'<
標準料金15$ -8% 13.8$
提出期限
30 7月 26
保存する
1.2$
送信
Dedicated to documentary feature films with a minimum duration of 60 minutes. We seek films that provide a deep and authentic perspective on diverse subjects, ranging from intimate portraits to social and cultural explorations, prioritizing narrative approaches that inspire reflection and dialogue.
Best Regional Project
短編映画と長編映画 >1' 129'<
標準料金14$ -8% 12.88$
提出期限
30 7月 26
保存する
1.12$
送信
Category dedicated to works created in communities, peripheral territories, and decentralized regions surrounding San Luis Potosí and the Huasteca region, as well as projects directed or produced by filmmakers from San Luis Potosí, highlighting cinematic voices outside major production centers.(fiction, documentary, experimental film, dance film, and music video).
Best AI-Generated Short Film
短編映画 >1' 46'<
標準料金15$ -8% 13.8$
提出期限
30 7月 26
保存する
1.2$
送信
Best AI-Generated Short Film
Category dedicated to short films that incorporate artificial intelligence tools into their creative, visual, sound, or narrative processes, with AI involvement ranging from 20% to 100% of the work. Fiction, documentary, animation, experimental, and hybrid audiovisual projects exploring new cinematic possibilities through emerging technologies are eligible for submission.
Best AI-Generated Feature Film
短編映画と長編映画 >45' 140'<
標準料金17$ -8% 15.64$
提出期限
30 7月 26
保存する
1.36$
送信
Best AI-Generated Feature Film
Category dedicated to feature films that incorporate artificial intelligence tools into their creative, visual, sound, or narrative processes, with AI involvement ranging from 20% to 100% of the work. Fiction, documentary, animation, experimental, and hybrid audiovisual projects exploring new cinematic possibilities through emerging technologies are eligible for submission.
Documentary Short Film
短編映画 >1' 40'<
標準料金15$ -8% 13.8$
提出期限
30 7月 26
保存する
1.2$
送信
Dedicated to documentary feature films. We seek films that provide a deep and authentic perspective on diverse subjects, ranging from intimate portraits to social and cultural explorations, prioritizing narrative approaches that inspire reflection and dialogue.
Festhome holds accountable fees festivals by holding the payment of the fees of most newer festivals until they have viewed the submissions, held their festivals and other methods.
-8%
15.64$
Festhome holds accountable fees festivals by holding the payment of the fees of most newer festivals until they have viewed the submissions, held their festivals and other methods. 