Photo: Courtesy of Prensa Latina

Low-Budget Cinema Festival Prepares to Light Up Screens in Gibara

The 21st Gibara International “Cine Pobre” (Low-Budget Cinema) Film Festival (FicGibara 2027) will begin accepting submissions from around the world. Starting this Thursday, November 6th, through January 5th. The festival seeks productions created with limited budgets that nonetheless offer full creative freedom and high artistic quality.

This celebration of cinema will take place from April 13th to 17th, 2027. Once again, FicGibara will transform the heart of Gibara into an open-air cinema. Featuring multicultural and academic spaces, all powered by alternative energy sources.

Also the event continues to uphold the philosophy of the “Cine Pobre” Manifesto. Launched in 2001 by the renowned Cuban filmmaker Humberto Solás (1941–2008). The festival is organized by the Ministry of Culture, the Cuban Institute of Cinematographic Art and Industry (ICAIC), and the local governments of Holguin and Gibara.

This edition will also see the return of the “Cine Pobre” Factory—now in its third iteration. A vital hub supporting audiovisual production in the eastern provinces (Las Tunas, Holguin, Santiago de Cuba, Guantanamo, and Granma) as well as Camagüey.

Moreover the guidelines for the “Cine Pobre” Factory and the Humberto Solás “Cinema in Progress” (Cine en Construcción) Award will be released soon, according to the official call for entries.

It was announced that works submitted for competition. Including feature-length and short fiction films, documentaries, animation, and experimental audiovisual projects. It must be presented in their original language with Spanish subtitles. Additionally, they must have been completed between 2025 and the closing date of the call for entries.

A jury composed of prominent national and international figures from the fields of cinema, audiovisual media, and the arts. Whose decision shall be final, will present the Lucía Awards, the festival’s primary honors, alongside various other awards and special mentions.

Registration must be completed using the online form. Accompanied by the payment of the required fees for both domestic and international participants; incomplete submissions will not be accepted.

With a history spanning over two decades, the city of Gibara, in the province of Holguin. It has established itself as a hub for cinema that is socially engaged, diverse, and profoundly human. An achievement rooted in the spirit of the “Poor Cinema” (Cine Pobre) Manifesto. Embraced both by the people of Gibara and the international community.

With information from Prensa Latina

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