The Alternativa Film Festival, part of a global non-profit film initiative aimed at supporting emerging filmmakers from the Global South, has named Colombian actress and producer Natalia Reyes to chair its upcoming jury in Medellin, Colombia. It also announced a lineup of approximately 30 feature films and shorts, including “Belen,” which won Argentina’s Best International Feature at the 98th Academy Awards, and “A Useful Ghost,” the acclaimed debut feature from Thai director Ratchapoum Boonbunchachochk.
The traveling festival began in Kazakhstan in Central Asia in 2023 and expanded to Indonesia in Southeast Asia in 2024.
In addition to screenings, talks, and public events from April 21 to 30, the festival will also host Industry Days, a parallel specialized program that brings together filmmakers, producers, and social impact leaders from Latin America and beyond. Industry Days will be held from April 28th to 29th, followed by the awards ceremony on April 30th.
In addition to being an actress, activist, and producer, Reyes also served as the youngest president of the Columbia Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Her international career began as a star in Terminator: New Fate (2019), produced by James Cameron and directed by Tim Miller.
She headlined Birds of Passage (2018), which opened the Cannes Directors Fortnight. Her other international screen credits include “Pickpockets” (2018), “Tomorrow Before After” (2023) and “Shadow Force” (2025).
Reyes made his debut as an executive producer alongside actor/producer Edgar Ramírez (“Emilia Perez”) while starring in “Nights in Caracas,” which premiered at the Venice Biennale and received positive reviews.
This year, she returns to screens in Victor García León’s Better Class, which premiered at the Malaga Film Festival. Juan Diego Botto (“The Room Next Door”) also stars.
Natalia Reyes, Credit: Crimson Crazed
Reyes said: “I have long admired the festival’s important commitment to amplifying underrepresented voices from around the world and the collaborations it fosters within the film industry and across cultures.”
“This year’s feature competition will showcase some of the most exciting new voices from Latin America and Asia, and I’m thrilled to be working with the festival to bring this collection of stories to the global stage. As an actress and producer, I resonate deeply with Alternativa’s mission and feel truly inspired to be a part of stories that contribute to purposeful and meaningful change.”
“Natalia Reyes is a pioneering creator, not only in Latin America but also on the wider world stage, who embodies Alternativa’s values through her significant contribution to Colombian cinema,” said Alternativa Director Liza Surganova. We’re delighted to be leading this year’s feature jury and are excited to share the incredible shortlisted films from a line-up of exceptionally talented filmmakers from the Global South. All of these films are deserving of a global award.” We look forward to celebrating their artistic excellence and potential to change society. ”
The 2026 edition expands the total prize pool to $120,000 (an increase of $20,000 from the previous year) and creates a new award category for feature films from the Latin American region, bringing the total number of awards to seven.
This year, a selection committee made up of curators, programmers, and influence experts from Latin America, Southeast Asia, and Central Asia reviewed a record 1,831 submissions, including 677 feature films and 1,154 short films, with 1,095 titles deemed eligible.
The committee shortlisted a total of 30 films in competition, including 15 feature films and 15 short films, with a further six films selected for the out-of-competition lineup.
Feature films in a variety of genres, from documentaries to thrillers to comedies, are selected from Latin America and Asia, while the short films category is exclusive to Latin America.
Official competition, feature film:
“9-month contract” Ketevan Vashagashvili, Georgia
“Becoming” Zhannat Alshanova, France, Kazakhstan, Netherlands, Lithuania, Sweden
“Belen”, Dolores Fonzi, Argentina
“Brigitte, Planet B” Santiago Posada, Colombia
“Cactus Pears” (“Sabar Bonda”), Rohan Parashuram Kanawade, India, UK, Canada
“La Hija Condor” (“La Hija Condor”), Alvaro Olmos Torico, Bolivia, Peru, Uruguay
“Cut Through the Rock” Sarah Karki. Mohammadreza Eini, Iran, USA, Netherlands, Qatar, Chile, Canada
“Gemstones” (“Piedras preciosas”), Simon Vélez, Colombia, Portugal
“Lost Land” (“Hàrà Watan”), Akio Fujimoto, Japan, France, Malaysia, Germany
“A Natureza das coisas invisveis”, Rafaela Camero, Brazil, Chile
“Only Heaven Knows” (“Dünüyö”), Nurjamal Karamoldoeva, Kyrgyzstan, USA
“Queer as Punk” Ewen Chen, Malaysia, Indonesia
“The Reserve” (“La reserva”), Pablo Perez Lombardini, Mexico, Qatar
“Runa Simi” Augusto Zegarra, Peru
“A Useful Ghost” (“Pee Chai, Dai Ka”), Ratchaphum Bumbun Chachok, Thailand, Singapore, Germany, France
