The International Film Festival of Pasto (FICPA), which celebrates its twentieth edition in October 2024, is a prominent competitive event that brings together the best of national and international cinema. With official categories covering a wide range of topics, from human rights to the environment, including animation and children's films, FICPA offers a unique platform for diversity and cinematic expression. Located in the picturesque city of Pasto, Colombia, globally recognized for its iconic Carnival of Blacks and Whites, the festival not only celebrates the art of cinema but also highlights the rich cultural heritage of the region. As the oldest event in southwestern Colombia, FICPA awards the coveted Sol de los Pastos (Sun of the Pastos) prize, establishing itself as a must-attend event on both the local and international cultural calendar.
The Festival awards a variety of prizes that reflect the rich culture and traditions of the region. In the official Sol de los Pastos category, a unique statuette representing the sun is presented, with a film frame at its center, allowing awardees to look through it. This wooden sculpture, adorned with tamo and Pasto varnish, a Colombian artisanal technique undergoing international recognition, is a piece without commercial value. Winning films receive this statuette, while non-winners are awarded with a diploma. In the Official Churo Cósmico Selection, films selected in each category receive a statuette or plaque representing a monkey with its tail coiled in a spiral, symbolizing the inward-outward movement and cosmic thinking of the indigenous communities of Pasto. In the official Cámaras de Barniz category, Sol de los Pastos statuettes are awarded in different sizes and colors. Additionally, the Festival provides some accommodation and meal slots for the selected participants, and Colombian productions have the opportunity to receive an automatic grant from the FDC of up to one million pesos for travel and accommodation expenses.
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Nelsonn Tequia
October 2021