African filmmakers invited to compete for $120,000 at Alternativa Film Festival

African filmmakers can now submit their films for the 2027 Alternativa Film Festival, which is offering a total prize fund of $120,000 as the inDrive-supported initiative prepares to hold its first edition on the continent.

The festival opened submissions on October 29, 2026, and will accept entries free of charge until March 1, 2027.

According to the organisers, the fourth edition will feature seven award categories, including the Focus Award for feature films and two short-film awards reserved exclusively for African filmmakers.

The competition is open to fiction, documentary, animation and hybrid films completed after January 1, 2026.

While feature films with a runtime of at least 40 minutes are eligible from Africa, Asia and Latin America, the short-film categories, covering films of up to 40 minutes, are restricted to African filmmakers.

The organisers said the festival’s expansion into Africa was part of efforts to discover emerging cinematic voices, create opportunities for filmmakers and strengthen creative connections across the Global South.

Commenting on the open call, Head of Alternativa, Liza Surganova, said the African edition would provide an opportunity to showcase the continent’s diverse cultures and perspectives.

She said the organisers hoped to make the 2027 edition the festival’s biggest yet while introducing new initiatives for filmmakers and industry professionals.

Surganova urged filmmakers from Africa, Asia and Latin America to submit their works and participate in the programme.

Founder of the Alternativa Film Festival and Chief Executive Officer of inDrive, Arsen Tomsky, said the initiative was established to address inequalities in access to international audiences and help filmmakers from the Global South reach wider markets.

He said the festival’s distribution initiative was designed to challenge barriers that prevent films from underrepresented regions from gaining international exposure.

Alternativa has held previous editions in Almaty, Kazakhstan, in 2023; Yogyakarta, Indonesia, in 2024; and Medellín, Colombia, in 2026.

The Medellín edition attracted 1,831 submissions from 55 countries, reflecting the festival’s growing international reach.

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Beyond the annual festival, its non-profit distribution label, Alternativa Distribution, launched in 2026 to expand the international reach of impact-driven films. Six films from previous editions are currently in its catalogue.

The 2027 programme will also feature public screenings, discussions and other events focused on social issues explored in selected films.

It will include Industry Days, a free professional programme designed to connect filmmakers, producers, industry experts and social impact leaders through networking, knowledge-sharing and collaboration.

Further details on eligibility requirements, participating countries and award categories are available on the festival’s website, alternativa.film.