Latin Américan Film Festival- Ottawa 2026

Come and enjoy the best of Latin American cinema at our festival! Exciting films, incredible talent and much more await you!

Welcome to the Latin American Film Festival! Join us at Saint Paul University for a cinematic journey through the vibrant culture and stories of Latin America. Immerse yourself in a diverse selection of films that showcase the rich heritage and creativity of the region. From gripping dramas to heartwarming comedies, there's something for everyone to enjoy. Don't miss this unique opportunity to experience the magic of Latin American cinema right here in your own city. Grab your popcorn and get ready for an unforgettable film festival experience!

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¡Bienvenidos al Festival de Cine Latinoamericano! Únase a nosotros en la Universidad Saint Paul para un viaje cinematográfico a través de la vibrante cultura y las historias de América Latina. Sumérjase en una variada selección de películas que muestran el rico patrimonio y la creatividad de la región. Desde dramas apasionantes a comedias conmovedoras, hay algo para todos los gustos. No se pierda esta oportunidad única de vivir la magia del cine latinoamericano en su propia ciudad. Coja sus palomitas y prepárese para vivir una experiencia cinematográfica inolvidable.

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Bem-vindo ao Festival de Cinema Latino-Americano! Junte-se a nós na Saint Paul University para uma viagem cinematográfica através da cultura vibrante e das histórias da América Latina. Mergulhe em uma seleção diversificada de filmes que mostram a rica herança e criatividade da região. De dramas emocionantes a comédias comoventes, há algo para todos os gostos. Não perca esta oportunidade única de experimentar a magia do cinema latino-americano aqui mesmo na sua cidade. Pegue suas pipocas e prepare-se para uma experiência inesquecível de festival de cinema!

Info: Moderated by Jeremy Atherton: Latin America and the Caribbean represent a huge window of opportunity for Canadian filmmakers who look towards crossing borders and broadening their horizons. In the panel "Opportunities in the Film Industry : Canada, Latin America & the Caribbean" experts will discuss some of the advantages that collaboration between Canada, Latin America and the Caribbean could bring to the film industry.

Info: Drama/ Comedy/ Thriller/All ages/ Spanish with subtitles: Viejos Malditos is the film that is moving audiences, offering a profound emotional journey that reminds us of the immense value of connection and care. The film celebrates our senior citizens and the importance of the respect they deserve, while also reflecting on the love we give to our companions, such as pets.

The story centers on Elias, an 80-year-old man who, facing sadness and loneliness, finds his life revitalized by the unexpected arrival of a cat, transforming his difficulties into opportunities for healing and connection.

Info: Biographical/Sports Drama/ Coming-of age/ All ages/ Spanish with subtitles: The inspiring journey of a boy from rural Costa Rica who must face life-changing obstacles to follow his dream of becoming a soccer player. The story, based on the life of Real Madrid’s goalkeeper Keylor Navas, follows his search for strength, spirituality and his resilience to get ahead in the competitive world of International elite soccer from his home country to one of the top teams in the world – an epic journey marked by persistence and faith.

Info: Drama/ Spanish/ Suggested +18: Based on the novel by Mario Monteforte Toledo, it tells the story of a forbidden love between a city doctor and a young Indigenous woman. Set around Lake Atitlán, it explores racial prejudices and social tensions. The story confronts powerful interests and reveals the cultural divide in Guatemala.

Info: Drama/ Comedy/ Sports/ All ages/ Spanish: When El Mono (Torres) dies, his three lifelong friends try to cope with the loss and secure the financial future of his young daughter. For Fernando (Peretti), Mauricio (Echarri), and El Ruso (Rago), the challenge will not be easy. They want to recoup a terrible but substantial investment El Mono made when he bought the contract of a promising soccer player whose career was cut short, By doing this, they will achieve the dual goal of providing financial support to his daughter and reconnecting with her—something El Mono's ex-wife (Dopazo) denies them—and, on the other hand, take her to the stadium to see Independiente, the club all four friends are fans of

Info: Documentary/Quechua-Spanish/ All ages: Fernando, a Peruvian single father, sits in an audio-recording room with his young son Dylan, recording voices together from Spanish into Quechua — their indigenous language. Fernando provides careful but spirited direction to Dylan, who nails the specific intonation. What seems as a playful game between a father and son is actually a treasured creative hobby for Fernando, who has dubbed online clips of many animated movies into Quechua. As a voice actor who’s always had an interest in crafting voices and dialects, Fernando uses his platform as a radio host in his native Cusco to create content in Quechua, enabling this language to thrive and not be forgotten. “Our language Quechua,” affirms Fernando, “is like life itself.”

All too quickly, Fernando’s online hobby of dubbing film clips goes viral — and it spurs him to pursue his most ambitious goal yet: fully dub Disney’s animated “The Lion King” into Quechua. The creative hobby now becomes a rea

Info: Documentary/ Spanish with subtitles/ all ages: Red Eyes is a documentary film about football and the passion it unleashes in a country, in their attempt to qualify for a World Cup.
While following the Chilean National Football Team for eight years, the traits and hues that shape our society appear reflected as much in defeat as in victory, attempting to uncover the mystery of football that makes it the world's most popular sport.

Info: Spanish with subtitles/All ages

Info: Drama/ Spanish with subtitles/ All ages: In the late 1980s, in Panama City, Rommel—a young dreamer nicknamed “Cabezón”—must take care of his sister Jackeline and find a job to please and support his mother, Mélida, an overprotective woman who sells fried food on the streets of El Chorrillo.

Despite the hardships, Rommel longs to give his family a better life and secretly pursues opportunities in football behind his mother’s back. He competes to win the Mini Liga of Plaza Amador, unaware of the consequences this will have on his life—his actions will ultimately transform him into “El Panzer.”

Info: Drama/ Spanish with subtitles/ all ages: In a village erased from the maps, where there isn’t even electricity, a teenage girl dreams of becoming a boxer. When she learns that her uncle will fight for the world title and the event will be broadcast live on television, she and her community will do everything possible to watch the fight, while struggling against being forgotten.

Info: Drama/ Spanish with subtitles/ All ages: While most of the inhabitants of Monte Virgen struggle to collect their coffee, the forest ranger Julio discovers that a group of illegal loggers is destroying the Reserve. Determined to stop them, she looks for the support of a community that will soon turn its back on her. Alone on her quest, she will gradually lose the things she loves most except one thing: her dignity.

Info: Drama/Suggested 16+/Portuguese with subtitles: Film about the Bahian singer dives into the moment when shy Gracinha becomes Gal Costa, during the violent, innovative and mind-blowing years that helped shape Brazil's greatest singer.

Info: Drama/ Sapnish with subtitles/all ages: Thirty-nine is far too young—whether it is the age at which you die or the age at which you lose your best friend. At Elena’s wake, family, friends, and strangers gather. Adela cannot shake the feeling that everything is artificial, almost unreal. The dim lighting, the floral arrangements, the crucifix hanging behind the coffin—none of it has anything to do with the Elena she loved.
Overwhelmed by the present and facing a future marked by absence, Adela drifts into a memory: an autumn from ten years earlier, where a younger, vibrant, and witty Elena awaits her at a beach house, ready to read detective novels and ride bicycles.

Info: Musical/ Biographical drama, Spanish with subtitles/ Suggested 18+: An exploration of the controversial life of Benny Moré—a brilliant and contentious figure, the most renowned composer and performer in the history of Cuban popular music: adored by his audience and transformed into a myth after his death.

Made in 2005 and released the following year, the film stands out for its professionalism and rigor in recreating the cultural atmosphere of the 1940s and 1950s, as well as for performing the miracle of bringing back the psychological image, voice, gestures, and personality of a myth—one of the most popular and extraordinary artists of Cuban popular music.

Info: Documentary/ Biographical/All ages/ Spanish: Este documental narra la inspiradora historia de Marileidy Paulino, medallista olímpica dominicana. Desde sus huldes orígenes en Don Gregorio, Nizao, hasta alcanzar la gloria en los Juegos Olímpicos de París 2024. El filme retrata con sensibilidad y orgllo su camino lleno de sacrificios, disciplina y superación. A través de testimonios, imágenes inéditas y momentos íntimos, Sueños Dorados Revela no solo a la alteta, sino también a la mujer resiliente que ha inspirado a toda una nación.

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Host or Publisher GRULA-Embassies of Latin America in Canada