Calgary's First Latin American Film Festival Arrives May 29
Three Canadian premieres from Mexico, Venezuela, and Colombia anchor an inaugural weekend celebrating cinema from the region.
Calgary's about to discover Latin American cinema in a serious way. The inaugural Calgary Latin American Film Festival launches May 29 and runs through May 31, bringing three Canadian premieres to screens across the city—all of them grounded in powerful storytelling about what's happening in their home countries right now.
The lineup tells you everything about what the festival is trying to do. There's Colibri, a Colombian drama about a young couple confronting their past as they prepare for parenthood. Children of Las Brisas, a Venezuelan documentary, follows three kids from Valencia over a decade as they pursue becoming professional musicians in the National Orchestra System—a system that's become legendary for pulling kids out of difficult circumstances and into art. And Guardado, Hermano (Brother, Kept), a Mexican thriller, features a small-town man with autism confronting a serial killer after his brother's death.
These aren't light watches, but they're the kind of cinema that sticks with you. Latin American filmmakers have a reputation for tackling serious subjects—social justice, inequality, human rights, environmental collapse. This festival is built on that foundation.
Founder and executive coordinator Josue Ramirez, who arrived in Calgary from Venezuela in 2005, spent years thinking about how to bring this kind of cinema to the city. He hosted a single screening in 2023 and got such a strong response that he knew the city was ready for a full festival. Now he's partnering with the Venezuelan Canadian Association, Colombian Friends, and Casa Mexican to make it happen.
The plan is to make this annual. Ramirez is already fielding inquiries from Latin American filmmakers about next year's program. By 2027, they're talking about expanding to include short film programs—one for Alberta post-secondary students, one for Canadian and international filmmakers.
Screenings happen at Canyon Meadows Cinemas (opening ceremony, May 29 at 6 p.m.), Globe Cinema (May 30 at 7 p.m.), and Plaza Theatre (closing May 31 at 5 p.m.). This is the kind of cultural programming that makes a city feel like it's paying attention to the world.
Get the full schedule at calgarylatinfilmfest.ca.