The 20th edition of the Gibara International Poor Cinema Festival will be held from July 14 to 18, 2026, in that coastal Holguín city, in a context that, according to its organizing committee, will turn the event into a stage for resilience through the seventh art.

Sergio Benvenuto Solás, president of the Organizing Committee, explained in exclusive statements to ACN that the event had initially been postponed, but it was ultimately decided to hold it in the summer with the aim of ensuring broad participation from university students and young people.

He pointed out that this is a project with significant community connections and that it is timely to contribute to the education of children, adolescents, and young people, since beyond the film showcase, the festival constitutes a multicultural event.

Benvenuto Solás emphasized the resilient character of this edition, noting that although attendance will be lower and foreign participation will be reduced, the festival was conceived based on risk assessment and the adaptation of its concept to current circumstances.

In this regard, he announced that outdoor screenings will be enhanced by placing three screens at three different locations in the city, and that a battery system will be available for moments when electricity is difficult to obtain around the clock.

The director affirmed that the event will illuminate the nights of the Villa Blanca de los Cangrejos, and although it will not feature the usual large concerts, the festival will maintain its usual standards and levels in its film programming.

He emphasized that Gibara will function as a city of spotlights, three of which will be dedicated to the seventh art, and that at night, the festival will become a space of joy, quality, and light.

He also commented that, as in every edition, there will be theater, music, dance, and a space for forums and exchanges, though these offerings will be adjusted to the country's current conditions.

The usual categories include fiction features and shorts, documentaries, animation, and experimental cinema, with the main awards being the Lucía Prizes.

The Gibara International Poor Cinema Festival was created in April 2003 by renowned Cuban filmmaker Humberto Solás, conceived as a platform aimed at promoting creativity and low-budget productions, and has since become one of the most highly regarded film gatherings in Latin America.