FESAALP (Festival de Cine Latinoamericano de La Plata) is devoted to independent regional, Argentine and Latin American cinema and is organised by Opera Prima Producciones in La Plata, Argentina. The festival traces its origins to 2006 and to its first screenings at the Centro Cultural Malvinas. All screenings are free, at venues including the Cine Municipal Select Espacio INCAA, the Teatro UNLP and the Pasaje Dardo Rocha.
The official competitions cover Latin American short films and Latin American and Argentine features, alongside La Plata Filma, a regional competition for works made in the city or by local filmmakers, and Aullidos, a section for genre cinema. Other strands include human rights, retrospectives, a guest country and community-made films, together with talks, workshops and seminars. The 21st edition runs from 21 to 26 November 2026.
Awards and prizes
Each official competition is decided by a jury of filmmakers, critics, teachers, writers and other figures from Latin American culture; jury decisions are final and prizes cannot be left vacant.
Winning films receive a statuette and a diploma, and every selected film receives a certificate of participation. The festival's prizes focus on distribution, training and equipment: the festival aims to screen the winning works at other festivals and on television, and to arrange courses, supplies and equipment for the winners.
Festival rules
The 21st edition (2026) accepts works by Latin American filmmakers aged 18 or over, produced after 1 January 2025 and not shown at earlier editions of the festival; up to three works per author.
Sections: Official Short Film Competition (up to 25 minutes; fiction, documentary, animation, one-minute video, music video and fantastic genre); Official Competition of Latin American Feature Films and Official Competition of Argentine Feature Films (over 60 minutes; fiction, documentary, experimental, animation); La Plata Filma (short, medium-length and feature films made in La Plata or by local filmmakers); Cine desde los Barrios (works made in cultural, community or educational spaces).
Entry is free: filmmakers complete the forms on the festival website and then send a private screening link by email. The 2026 call was open from 1 June to 3 August 2026. Films not in Spanish must have burned-in Spanish subtitles. Selected works are screened in person at the festival's venues.
