Festival de Cine de Bogotá (43)

Festival start: 20 September 2026      Festival end: 26 September 2026

XLIII BOGOTA FILM FESTIVAL

September 20th to 26th of 2026

THE FESTIVAL

The Bogota International Film Festival, organized by the Colombian-local organization Corporación Bogocine, was created in 1984 in order to recognize and reward the Colombian film production. For its second edition, the Festival brought together not only Colombian but other Andean countries cinema as well, and went on to honor productions from the Caribbean Islands, South America, Spain, France, Africa and the Pacific Coast on subsequent editions.

Currently, the Festival is recognized worldwide as a relevant platform for new directors (with no more than 3 released feature films) and debut feature films. Renowned filmmakers such as Pedro Almodovar, Bong Joon-Ho, Isabel Coixet, Alejandro González Iñárritu and Rodrigo García have been awarded for their respective early films throughout the Festival's history.

THE COMPETITION

The Festival rewards the best international debut feature film with the Pre-Columbian Circle Award in its Golden, Silver and Bronze spots, and the Pre-Columbian Golden Circle for Best Debut Film Director. Nationally, the Pre-Columbian Golden Circle is given respectively for best Colombian feature film and short film. The Festival also rewards prizes for documentary films, either Colombian or international in three different categories: best documentary film focused on social issues, best documentary film focused on environment and best documentary focused on Art.

SIDEBARS:
The Festival has non-competitive sections for animated films, sacred-themed feature films, international short films and films for children.

SPECIAL AWARD
A recognition can be given each year to a person or entity, for their contribution to the film industry nationally and/or internationally.

OTHER EVENTS
The Festival also invites directors with wider trajectories (more than 3 films released) for retrospective screenings and shows other parallel sections depending on each year's focuses and interests, such as Contemporary Cinema screenings, Special screenings from ally film festivals and Classic Film screenings.

International feature film awards:

· Golden Pre-Columbian Circle for Best Feature Film

· Silver Pre-Columbian Circle for Best Feature Film

· Bronze Pre-Columbian Circle for Best Feature Film

· Golden Pre-Columbian Circle for Best Director


National feature film awards:

· Gold Pre-Columbian Circle for Best Colombian Feature Film


National short film awards:

· Golden Pre-Columbian Circle for Best Colombian Short Film


National or international Documentary film awards:

· Golden Pre-Columbian Circle for Best Social Documentary Film

· Golden Pre-Columbian Circle (“Enrique Grau” Award) for Best Art Documentary Film

· Golden Pre-Columbian Circle for Best Environmental Documentary Film

43rd BOGOTA FILM FESTIVAL – BOGOCINE

September 20–26, 2026

BRIEF HISTORY

The Bogotá Film Festival, organized by the International Cinema Corporation, began in 1984 out of the need to reward the achievements of Colombian Cinema. For its second edition, the Festival compared national production with the cinematographies of the Andean countries and later continued with tributes to the cinemas of the Caribbean, South America, Spain, France, Africa, and the Pacific.

The Festival is recognized as a world festival specialized in feature films by new directors.

THE COMPETITION

At the international level, the Festival will award the Pre-Columbian Circle to the Best Film among the first three feature films by a director who has not yet made a fourth one. The prizes include:

Pre-Columbian Circle Gold for Best Film

Pre-Columbian Circle Silver for Best Film

Pre-Columbian Circle Bronze for Best Film

Pre-Columbian Circle Gold for Best Director among the first three films

At the national level, the Festival will grant:

Pre-Columbian Circle Gold for Best Colombian Film

Pre-Columbian Circle Gold for Best Social Documentary, Art Documentary, and Environmental Documentary

The Pre-Columbian Circle for Opera Prima cannot be shared.
Each film accepted for presentation at the Festival will receive a Diploma of Participation.

DISTINCTION

The Festival will also present a recognition to a person or entity that has distinguished itself in the Colombian and/or international field for its contributions to the moving image.

OTHER SCREENINGS

Films by directors with more than three productions will be invited out of competition. The Festival will organize contemporary cinema showcases reflecting the cinematography of a specific country, retrospectives of internationally recognized directors, specialized programs, and classic cinema screenings.

FILM REGULATIONS
Article I

The Bogotá Film Festival aims to highlight the best of world cinema, enhance Colombian production, stimulate the industry, and promote cinematic culture.

Article II

The 43rd Bogotá Film Festival will take place from September 20 to 26, 2026.

Article III

The Festival reserves the right to choose and invite the films it considers appropriate for both the competition and parallel showcases. A director who has not yet made a fourth film may be selected for competition.

Article IV

During the Festival period, no invited film may be screened outside official Festival theaters prior to its official presentation.

Article V

Films must be presented in their original version with Spanish subtitles.
For selection purposes, films must be submitted digitally by July 10, 2026.

Article VI

The Festival appoints the members of the Jury and its President. The Jury will consist of a President and a maximum of four (4) Colombian and foreign personalities qualified in cinema, with no links to participating productions. Voting is conducted by secret ballot.

Jury decisions will be made by absolute majority in the first rounds or by relative majority in subsequent rounds. The Festival Director and Secretary General may attend deliberations but have no voting rights.

No person with direct interests in the production or distribution of a film may serve on the Jury.

Article VII – PRE-COLOMBIAN CIRCLES

The Jury will mandatorily award:

Pre-Columbian Circle Gold for Best Film

Pre-Columbian Circle Silver for Best Film

Pre-Columbian Circle Bronze for Best Film

Pre-Columbian Circle Gold for Best Director

Pre-Columbian Circle Gold for Best Colombian Film

Article VIII

Award winners and their distribution companies agree to use the Pre-Columbian Circle laurels and the following text in promotion: “Bogota Film Festival 2026.”

Article IX

Documentation for each selected film must be submitted to the Secretary General before July 20, 2026, for use in the catalog and promotional materials.

Final screening copies in DCP format must be delivered to Festival offices by August 15, 2026.

If the screening copies are not delivered by the deadline, the films will not be eligible for projection.

Article X

All deadlines are mandatory.

Article XI

All costs related to shipping, return, and insurance of participating copies are the responsibility of the owner. The Festival covers only screening, translation, storage, and insurance of copies from the moment they are delivered until their return.

In case of loss or damage, Festival liability is limited to the value indicated on the registration form.

Article XII

The Festival Director has the authority to regulate all cases not foreseen in these rules in accordance with international regulations.

Article XIII

The Festival refrains from any form of political, moral, religious, or cultural censorship, granting free exhibition to the selected material.

Article XIV

Participation in the Festival implies full adherence to these regulations.

Article XV

Films in Official Selection may be screened up to three (3) times, including press screenings. Parallel programs may be screened up to five (5) times within Festival dates and venues.

Terms and Conditions

If this form is not properly completed, it WILL NOT be processed.

Remember that it is a requirement for the registration process to send a video or a link of your audiovisual product to the registration platform, with subtitles in Spanish and without watermarks, along with the registration form.

Please fill out the application in either Spanish or English. Send it as an attachment to the email secretaria.general@bogocine.com
, including the director’s headshot and a still frame from the film.

All shipment fees will be paid by the applicants.

Participation in the Festival implies acceptance of the present regulations.