3rd Edition 2026

Auka!

The Valle de Guadalupe Film Festival® lives in the heart of our ancestral Kumeyaay land in Baja California, Mexico; – a land of sensuality, deep connection, and uncompromising spirit.

An IMDb qualifier festival, the Oficial Competition is international, indigenous and norteño, with additional screenings and communal gatherings throughout the year.

Founded in 2023 by filmmakers, Kumeyaay natives and locals of Valle de Guadalupe, the non-profit members Aurelia Ojeda Mélendrez, Angel Díaz Ojeda, Dylan Riis Verrechia, Yaquelin Díaz Ojeda and Arturo Arreola Cortez, held at Casa Kurrak, with the support of Tru Miller of Adobe Guadalupe wineries, and Martha Montes Castañeda National Advisor for the Kumiai Nation, our festival emanates from over fifteen years of celebrating the singular voices of our people, in film and community.

VGIFF exists to carry this spirit further – we curate films written and directed by auteur-filmmakers working in fiction and documentary formats, to explore and to share people’s personal stories, emotional experiences, social backgrounds, and artistic visions.

We welcome productions worldwide.

Official Competition

At the Kumeyaay New Year, on the autumn equinox of September 23rd, 2026, we celebrate a Cinema Harvest in Valle de Guadalupe, from San José de la Zorra to San Antonio de las Minas. During that time, the local population is invited to watch authentic features and short films from Mexican, indigenous and international filmmakers, in order to experience other perspectives and manners of life. From Friday 25th until Sunday 27th of September, the 3rd Edition will screen films of all genres, lengths and formats in Cine Valle de Guadalupe.

The Awards Ceremony for the films selected in the Official Competition will be on Saturday the 26th of September 2026 at Casa Kurrak.

Selection & Deadline

The deadline for submissions of the Official Competition’s 3rd Edition of Valle de Guadalupe Film Festival® is on Friday August 28th, 2026. The selection centers on the filmmakers’ cinematic genuine and singular expressions.

Our panel of Jurors are:
• Emmy-award winning directors (Sebastian Díaz Aguirre, Julia Gorbach),
• Directors Guild of America directors (Pete Chatmon DGA, Antonio Scarlata DGA),
• Mexican Society of Cinematography cinematographer (Alejandro Mejía AMC),
• BAFTA cinematographer voting member (Petra Korner ICG),
• Industry professional filmmakers (Eva Aridjis, Antonio Coello, J. Xavier Velasco),
• Award-winning documentarians (Armando Croda, Idil Ibrahim, Rodrigo Reyes),
• Festival programmers (Adriana Trujillo, Alessio Giorgetti),
• Audio engineer pro (Nikola Chapelle),
• Grammy artist (Pepe Mogt),
• Animal Politico and ViX distribution platform (Adrian Saravia),
• and High-profile sustainability officer (Karl Pettersen).

Our jurors are looking for character driven emotional experiences, movies that are the authentic expression of the individuals coming from all walks of life, and unique cinematographic language. We are not interested in movies that copy the soulless industry’s narratives. We also welcome filmmakers with disability to share their perspectives.

For the film projects selected we will feature their trailers on our platform and on our YouTube page for viewers to watch. A number of those films selected in the Official Competition will be screened at Casa Kurrak year round.

We thank the Filmmakers, the Winemakers of Valle de Guadalupe, Tipey Joa Native Warriors, Indigenous & Afromexicains Liaison Gregorio Montes Castañeda, the municipalities of El Porvenir and Francisco Zarco, El Porvenir Municipal Delegate Virginia García Talamantes, Ensenada City Council, Ensenada Mayor Claudia Agatón Muñiz, and Baja California Governor Marina del Pilar for their support to our community.

“A festival for and by the people on Kumeyaay land dedicated to the singular voices of auteur filmmaking”