Ecuadorian cinema expands through international festivals and local documentary workshops

Ecuadorian cinema is expanding its international and domestic presence through new film projects and training initiatives. The feature film ‘Nunkui’, directed by Verenice Benítez, will compete at the Bariloche Film Festival in Argentina in September 2026. Filmed in the Ecuadorian Amazon, the production is a co-production between Ecuador, Chile, and Germany. It features members of the Shuar nationality and explores themes of indigenous worldview and the threats posed by mining activities to Amazonian territories.

Domestically, Riobamba will host the fourth edition of KunturñawiLab, a documentary film laboratory, from September 2 to 8, 2026. Organized by several institutions including the Municipality of Riobamba and the Institute of Cinema and Audiovisual Creation (ICCA), the program aims to produce three short documentaries based on the historical memory and local characters of Riobamba's neighborhoods. The resulting works are scheduled to premiere during the Kunturñawi XV Festival.