Cuba's First National Film Exhibition and Competition will run from November 20 to December 29, 2025. This long-awaited event allows national cinema—state-run, cooperative, or independent—to connect with island audiences. Dedicated to the centenary of Alfredo Guevara, it aims to highlight works impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Alexis Triana Hernández, president of the Cuban Institute of Cinematographic Art and Industry (ICAIC), announced the event at a press conference. With 65 years of history and several international festivals, ICAIC had not organized one dedicated solely to national cinema. "This is the seed. We believe that Cuba deserves it," Triana Hernández stated.
The event will accept works of any length in documentary, animation, and fiction categories, featuring a competitive contest and collateral exhibitions. For this edition, eligible works are those produced or released between January 2024 and October 2025; future editions will have annual calls. It includes a student showcase and one for national productions from 2019 to 2023, to spotlight films limited by COVID-19 lockdowns.
The jury, comprising national film award winners and renowned filmmakers, will present Titón Awards for best director, production director, cinematography, sound design, art direction, editing, screenplay, and performance (male and female). Despite current challenges, organizers aim for national reach, extending to eastern provinces hit by Hurricane Melissa.
Screenings begin Saturday with Arturo Santana's film 5 Love Stories and a Desperate Bolero at the Yara cinema. The filmmaker called the exhibition "another daring venture; we hope that the public will go to the cinema and see it from our perspective, with our metaphors and vicissitudes." Filmmaker registration remains open.