International Film Festival of Cartagena: The Oldest in Latin America

• Place: Cartagena, Bolívar
• Region: Caribbean
• Date: Every year in February or March
• Duration: one week.

The annual International Film Festival of Cartagena is the only festival in the region that specializes in Ibero-American movies. It has a top international jury and exhibits the best audio-visual work of Latin America. It also serves to promote Cartagena as an international tourist destination.

The festival strengthens the national and Ibero-American film industry and encourages the presentation of cultural expressions of Latin American identity through films. It is a true audio-visual showcase of Colombia and the countries in the region, a gift from Cartagena to the world.

The International Film Festival of Cartagena promotes the Ibero-American cinematography industry.

History of the Festival

The history of this event started in 1960, when the Teatro de Cartagena witnessed the first version of the festival. In 1976 the event began to focus on Latin American films and became the first event of its kind in Latin America.

Over the course of the years, and in the light of new technologies, the festival began to accept new categories like international videos and short films, inasmuch as they were considered valuable creative and cultural expressions.

Selection Criteria

Since the very beginning, the festival favored the selection of films that promoted subjects related to the cultural identity of Ibero-American countries, such as the social life and the everyday life. The purpose of this selection criterion was to promote brotherhood and the recognition of cultural and audio-visual identity in the region and to underline the right of countries to images and stories of their own.

The Festival in Numbers

• In 2007, close to 150 audio-visual works were exhibited: 40 full length feature films, 30 short films, and 80 international videos.
• Since 1984 the festival gives special awards to Colombian movie and television productions.
• In 2007 the number of categories receiving an award rose to nineteen.

We invite you to visit the festival’s official website of International Film Festival of Cartagena.