The 14th edition of the Los Cabos International Film and Creativity Festival will take place December 9–13 under the concept Beyond the Screen, featuring a tribute to Dolores Heredia and new platforms designed to support filmmaking talent.
The Los Cabos International Film Festival begins with a new chapter. In 2026, the event is expanding its identity to become the Los Cabos International Film and Creativity Festival (FICCLosCabos), a platform that will keep cinema at its core while broadening the conversation to include music, digital art, animation, community, and the region itself.
This new vision was presented during a press conference held August 27 at Hotel El Ganzo, where the first announcements for the 14th edition were unveiled. The festival is scheduled for December 9–13, 2026, at several venues throughout San José del Cabo and Puerto Los Cabos.
Paola Desentis, director of the festival, explained that Beyond the Screen is no longer simply a communications concept; it has become the framework supporting the event’s evolution.
The model is structured around five dimensions: a cultural platform rooted in Los Cabos; programs that support the film industry; programming with a global perspective; a creative community that remains active throughout the year; and the convergence of cinema with other contemporary industries and forms of expression.
The intention is for FICCLosCabos to go beyond welcoming international figures and productions, becoming a meeting point that connects their knowledge and experience with local filmmakers, artists, and creators in need of opportunities for exhibition, education, and professional growth.
Dolores Heredia: A Tribute with Baja California Sur Roots
One of the most significant announcements was the tribute the festival will pay to Dolores Heredia, an actress born in La Paz, Baja California Sur, and one of the most respected performers in Mexican and Ibero-American cinema.
With more than 50 feature films and an extensive career in film and television, Heredia also served as president of the Mexican Academy of Cinematographic Arts and Sciences from 2015 to 2017. The recognition celebrates not only her talent in front of the camera, but also her commitment to strengthening and representing Mexico’s filmmaking community.
For the festival, honoring Heredia means recognizing a woman who has carried the name of Baja California Sur beyond its borders while building a career deeply connected to Mexican cinema.
Platforms That Support Filmmaking
La Baja Inspira and the Gabriel Figueroa Film Fund will continue to serve as two of the festival’s leading industry platforms.
This year, La Baja Inspira has shifted its focus exclusively to documentaries exploring biodiversity and nature, historical memory and the social sciences, as well as sustainable economic development and land use.
During the presentation, organizers announced that the call for entries received 34 projects. Their quality was highlighted by Juan Patricio Riveroll, Academic Extension Coordinator at ESCINE and a member of the selection committee. Five titles will be chosen for the final selection.
The festival is also working on a partnership with the Cineteca Nacional to expand the circulation of these stories and introduce new audiences to the peninsula’s natural, cultural, and social wealth.
The Gabriel Figueroa Film Fund, meanwhile, will support films in post-production through specialized services, mentorships, and international networks of collaboration. Beyond technical assistance, the platform seeks to provide legitimacy and open doors for Mexican productions to continue their journey through international festivals and markets.
A Lab for New Stories
Among this year’s main additions is the inaugural Writing Lab, which will take place December 6–12 at Hotel El Ganzo.
The program will help filmmakers from Baja California Sur strengthen their screenplays and projects through individual mentorships, writing sessions, and meetings with industry professionals.
Carlos Cuarón, Fernando Frías, Alejandra Márquez Abella, and Gibrán Portela will participate as mentors, bringing extensive experience in directing, playwriting, and screenwriting.
The initiative reflects one of the central ideas behind this year’s festival: supporting cinema means more than screening films. It also means nurturing stories from their earliest stages and giving creators the tools to move their projects forward.
New Voices in Front of and Behind the Camera
The first preview of the program includes The Next Wave, a panel dedicated to ten emerging Latin American filmmakers whose work has appeared at festivals including Sundance, Cannes, Berlin, and South by Southwest.
Carlos López Estrada will moderate the conversation, which will be held Saturday, December 12, at Cinépolis San José del Cabo. Participants will include Natalia León, Mariana Mendívil, Diego Gaxiola, Karla Condado, Leo Aguirre, Amandine Thomas, Gerardo Coello Escalante, Federico Luis, Eduardo Braun Costa, and Gabriela Ortega.
On Thursday, December 10, Flora Farms will also host the Girls At Films #BeyondTheScreen brunch, bringing together women from the film and acting communities, specialized media, and industry professionals to discuss representation, leadership, and new approaches to creating stories. Argentine actress Griselda Siciliani will be the special guest.
The complete program will also feature a strong selection of animation, musical events, digital art, special screenings, and gatherings to be announced over the coming months.
Cinema as a Destination Experience
The festival’s transformation also strengthens Los Cabos’ position as a cultural and creative destination.
Armando García, Chairman of the Board of the Los Cabos Hotel Association, noted that the festival also represents an opportunity to encourage visitors to extend their stay in the region. He emphasized that a film event of this nature helps demonstrate that Los Cabos offers not only sun and beaches, but also an experience enriched by its culture and the distinctive qualities that define the destination.
Rodrigo Esponda, Managing Director of the Los Cabos Tourism Board (FITURCA), emphasized that events of this kind attract visitors, generate demand for specialized services, and provide significant media exposure for the destination. At the same time, they reveal a side of Los Cabos that extends beyond sun and sand, allowing visitors to connect with its identity, community, and artistic expression.
The FICC Campus will encompass a collection of distinctive venues, including Cinépolis San José del Cabo, Hotel El Ganzo, Sage, Jetty, Zadún, CRANIA, and Suelo Sur, along with other regional locations and partners.
FICCLosCabos 2026 therefore aspires to become much more than a five-day event. Its new structure seeks to keep the conversation alive throughout the year, connect the local community with the industry, and make Baja California Sur a central character in the stories born, developed, and ultimately screened in Los Cabos.
