• To commemorate the tenth anniversary of its Independent Film Series, the Ensenada International Film Festival (FICens) is opening a strategic space for emerging filmmakers from Northwest Mexico.

Ensenada, Baja California, February 26th, 2026 – The call for entries for the Official Selection of the Ensenada International Film Festival 2026, its fifth edition, was officially launched during a press conference held this Thursday at the Ensenada’s Proturismo offices.

The announcement included the participation of the Baja Film Commissioner, Javier Espinoza Medina; the director and programmer of the Ensenada International Film Festival, Caleb Triana Romero; and Dr. Marco Antonio Carrillo, director of Ensenada’s Proturismo, as well as festival partners and strategic collaborators.

During the presentation, it was highlighted that this fifth edition consolidates the festival as one of the leading film exhibition platforms in northwestern Mexico, strengthening its commitment to audience development and the promotion of new talent.

10 Years of the Independent Film Series

As part of the tenth anniversary of the Independent Film Series and as a tribute to the work of its founders, Dr. Juan Manuel Beltrán and Feliz Loera Romo, FICens will add a special category to its call for entries: the Independent Film Series Week. This curated, non-competitive program aims to promote local artists and emerging talent. This section will feature independent works with strong narratives or relevant technical aspects, selected by the programming committee, thus consolidating a decade of work dedicated to creating real spaces for independent filmmaking.

The call for entries will be open from February 26th to April 26th, 2026, and includes the following competition categories:

  • Baja en Corto, for short films made in Baja California.
  • Northwest Shorts, for short films made in Baja California Sur, Sonora, Sinaloa, and Chihuahua.
  • National Feature Film, for Mexican productions with a minimum running time of 60 minutes.
  • International Feature Film, for foreign productions with a minimum running time of 60 minutes.

Caleb Triana Romero, Director and Programmer of FICENS, mentioned that in previous editions, the Ensenada International Film Festival has assembled an Official Selection of approximately 40 productions, screened during four days of activities that include film screenings, meetings with filmmakers, and dialogue sessions with the audience. He emphasized that this fifth edition of the festival will be held from November 19th to the 22nd, 2026, in the city of Ensenada. The selected films are not only part of the main event, but also of the national and state tour, "The Best of FICENS," expanding their reach and strengthening their visibility beyond the host city.

For her part, Adriana López Gallegos, Director of Communications and Public Relations, highlighted that the Organizing Committee is currently strengthening its alliances with partners and sponsors to shape an event that will offer attendees a world-class film festival. She noted that they are developing parallel projects to the Festival, such as the PitchLab and the Victor Soto Ferrel Film Criticism Competition, as well as the activities that will be part of the third edition of the Ensenada Film Market.

To consult the complete guidelines and register, those interested can access the festival's FilmFreeway platform..