LAS AMERICAS FILM FEST
From 8-31 May 2026, the second edition of the Las Américas Film Festival returns to Filmhuis Den Haag. The festival is a collaboration between Las Américas Film Festival and Filmhuis Den Haag, born from a shared passion for cinema and a commitment to amplifying underrepresented voices.
Centred around this year’s theme, “Origins / Origines,” the programme explores identity, memory, and belonging through a rich selection of contemporary films, classics, and short film programmes from across Latin America and the Caribbean. With a special focus on Indigenous perspectives, the festival invites audiences to reflect on the connections between people, cultures, and generations.
Alongside the film programme, the festival expands beyond the screen with a vibrant series of events and gatherings. The festival opens with a Pachamama ceremony (8 May, 18:15-18:45), followed by an opening night celebration with food by Quila and a DJ set (8 May, 21:15-23:00). Throughout the month, visitors can take part in Q&As and conversations with filmmakers, join dance workshops such as Brazilian Forró (9 May, 12:00-13:00) and Colombian Cumbia (10 May, 12:00-13:00), explore flavours during a Latin cocktail workshop (10 May, 17:15-18:45), or experience spoken word and poetry performances in Words of Origin (9 May, 17:30-18:30). The programme also includes a Language Café (24 May, 14:00-15:30) and Club Zorra, a queer Latinx DJ night (15 May, 22:00-01:00, COC Haaglanden). Together, these events create a dynamic and welcoming space for exchange, celebration, and community.
Rooted in accessibility and inclusivity, the festival brings together diverse audiences and stories, celebrating voices, cultures, and connections that make cinema a shared and vibrant experience.
Film Program
Bacurau
Juliano Dornelles & Kleber Mendonça Filho (Brazil, 2019)
Bold, genre-blending thriller in which a remote Brazilian village fights back against outside forces in a surreal, violent struggle for survival and identity.
Bowels of Hell
Gustavo Vinagre & Gurcius Gewdner (Brasil, 2026)
A gender reveal party spirals into bodily chaos, confronting grief, identity, and the absurd limits of the human condition through unapologetic scatological spectacle.
Esta Isla
Cristian Carretero & Lorraine Jones Molina (Puerto Rico, 2025)
A desperate Puerto Rican teen on the run after a deadly deal goes wrong must confront his choices as he and a runaway heiress are hunted through the mountains, where survival, guilt, and the hope of redemption hang in the balance.
Eu Vou Ter Saudades de Você
Daniel Ribeiro (Brasil, 2026)
A transgender couple’s seven-year relationship is tested when moving in together exposes their differences, and new desires threaten to reshape their future and sense of self.
Gatillero
Cristian Tapia Marchiori (Argentina, 2025)
Caught between a drug cartel out for his blood and a community determined to reclaim its neighbourhood, hitman Galgo fights to live through a pitiless night.
Indigenous Shorts
Various filmmakers
The Indigenous Shorts Programme presents a powerful selection of 5 short films highlighting Indigenous stories from Brazil, Suriname, Canada, and the Netherlands.
Pelo Malo
Mariana Rondón (Venezuela, 2013)
Obsessed by his appearance, handsome nine-year-old Junior has only one wish: turn his lavish curls into long, straight hair.
Querido Trópico
Ana Endara Mislov (Panama & Colombia, 2024)
In Panama City, a Colombian immigrant working as a domestic helper who harbors a secret forms a strong and unexpected bond with a wealthy and determined businesswoman who is battling progressive senile dementia.
Shorts Competition
Various Filmmakers
The Shorts Competition presents a vibrant selection of 6 short films from Cuba, the Netherlands, Paraguay, Colombia, Brazil, Peru, and Suriname.
Sugar Island
Johanne Gómez Terrero (Dominican Republic, 2024)
A coming-of-age tale in which an unwanted pregnancy and a mystical serpent guide a teenage girl in a sugarcane community toward self-discovery, as she awakens to her inner strength and a multi-dimensional understanding of reality.
The Condor Daughter
Álvaro Olmos (Uruguay, Bolivia & Peru, 2025)
In the Bolivian Andes, a young woman inherits the sacred art of midwifery but dreams of conquering the city with her voice, in this breathtaking story of tradition, ambition, and carving your own destiny.
Vainilla
Mayra Hermosillo (Mexico, 2025)
In late 1980s Mexico, eight-year-old Roberta watches her family of seven women fight to save their home from mounting debt, a struggle that reshapes how she sees herself and those around her.
Events
Bolivian Pachamama ceremony
MAY 8 | Filmhuis Den Haag
A traditional Pachamama (Mother Earth) ceremony by the Bolivian embassy to open and bless the festival.
Opening drinks
MAY 8 | Studio A, Filmhuis Den Haag
Celebrate the festival opening with food by Quila, drinks at the bar, and party music by DJ Meras.
FORRO Dance Workshop
MAY 9 | Studio B, Filmhuis Den Haag
An introductory Forró dance workshop with an extra twist, open to all levels.
Words of Origin: Poetry & Spoken Word
MAY 9 | Studio A, Filmhuis Den Haag
An evening of multilingual poetry and spoken word performances celebrating diverse voices.
Colombian Cumbia Dance Workshop
MAY 10 | Studio B, Filmhuis Den Haag
Learn the basics of traditional Colombian cumbia dance in this introductory workshop.
Latin Cocktails Workshop by QUILA
MAY 10 | Studio B, Filmhuis Den Haag
Discover Latin flavours as you learn to make cocktails like mezcalitas and caipirinhas (non-alcoholic possible).
Club Zorra - Queer Latinx DJ Party
MAY 15 | COC Haaglanden
A vibrant queer Latinx DJ night by FAEM at COC Haaglanden with music, dance, and community.
Las Américas Language Café
MAY 24 | Studio B, Filmhuis Den Haag
A relaxed space to connect and practice languages such as Spanish, Portuguese, and more.