3rd Edition FICVG

September 25-26-27, 2026

Auka!

FICVG - Valle de Guadalupe Film Festival® (aka Festival de Cine del Valle de Guadalupe®, Festival Internacional de Cine del Valle de Guadalupe®, Valle de Guadalupe International 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, and presented by Festival de Cine del Valle de Guadalupe A.C. (Native women-led cinematographic arts and cultural non-profit organization), the oficial competition is international with additional screenings and communal gatherings throughout the year.

Founded in 2023 by filmmakers, Kumeyaay natives and locals of Valle de Guadalupe, the NGO members Aurelia Ojeda Mélendrez, Angel Díaz Ojeda, Dylan Riis Verrechia, Arturo Arreola Cortez, Yaquelin Díaz Ojeda and Luna Ixel Zamudio, 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.

FICVG 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. Our mission is to discover, expose, and promote independent, indigenous and norteño filmmakers while drawing worldwide attention to Valle de Guadalupe, Baja California, as a center for cultural and cinematographic traditions and resilience.

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 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),
• British Academy Film Awards voting members (Petra Korner BAFTA, Rodrigo Reyes BAFTA),
• Industry professional filmmakers (Eva Aridjis, Antonio Coello, J. Xavier Velasco),
• Award-winning documentarians (Armando Croda, Idil Ibrahim),
• 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 Baja California governor Marina del Pilar, Ensenada mayor Claudia Agatón Muñiz, Ensenada City Council, El Porvenir municipal delegate Virginia García Talamantes, the municipalities of El Porvenir and Francisco Zarco, Indigenous & Afromexicains Liaison Gregorio Montes Castañeda, Tipey Joa Native Warriors, the winemakers of Valle de Guadalupe, and the filmmakers for their support to our community.

“A local festival on Kumeyaay Land dedicated to the singular voices of auteur filmmaking”