The 23rd edition of the Vancouver Latin American Film Festival will take place from September 4 - 14, 2025.
VLAFF is a charitable organization with the mission to exhibit and promote Latin American cinema in Canada. We showcase the works of both emerging and established independent filmmakers and media artists in a range of formats from fiction to experimental to documentary to hybrid narrative. We are dedicated to making space and supporting the works of underrepresented filmmakers.
In September each year, we present our annual 11-day festival to highlight and celebrate the art of contemporary Latin American, Latin-Canadian, and Indigenous filmmaking.
In addition, in the winter months we host an online Work in Progress/Cine en construcción for films nearing the post-production stage by Indigenous and Afro-descendant filmmakers or filmmaking collectives from the Latin American region.
Please note: Submission fees are quoted in US dollars.
VLAFF Awards:
- Best Short Film Award (fiction, animation, and documentary shorts) - $750 (CAD)
- Youth Choice Award for Best New Director (first feature film, Ópera prima) selected by students from Canadian and Latin American film schools - $2000 (CAD)
- Critics' Prize for New Directors: Selected in a live deliberation by three film critics from Latin America.
- Best Latin-Canadian Short Film: (fiction, animation, and documentary shorts) $500 (CAD)
- Work in Progress Award for Black and Indigenous filmmakers ($1500 CAD, plus in-kind post-production awards)