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‘Romería,’ ‘The Blood Countess,’ ‘Resurrection’ Set for Costa Rica Film Festival as Event Focuses on Afro-Caribbean Cinema and Female Filmmakers
The Costa Rica Film Festival (CRFF) returns for its 14th edition, running in San José from 23 July to 1 August, with a programme that highlights Afro-Caribbean cinema and female filmmakers. Under the theme "Cinema That Unites Us," the event opens with Allan Deberton's Berlin-winning "Gugu's World" and introduces a dedicated Afro-Caribbean section aimed at giving greater visibility to Afro-descendant communities and their stories.
The festival's line-up includes acclaimed titles such as Carla Simón's "Romería," Bi Gan's "Resurrection," Diego Céspedes's "The Mysterious Gaze of the Flamingo," Ulrike Ottinger's Isabelle Huppert-led "The Blood Countess" and Lucrecia Martel's "Landmarks." Its main competitive strand, the Central American and Caribbean Feature Film Competition, showcases Costa Rican work from Hernán Jiménez, Kim Torres and Wainer Méndez Solano alongside entries from Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Panamá and Puerto Rico. On 26 July the festival will also host a Meeting of Female Filmmakers from Central America and the Caribbean, reflecting director Patricia Velásquez's push—following her tenure as the event's first female head—to make the festival a more inclusive, community-focused gathering.
In short
- Costa Rica Film Festival's 14th edition runs 23 July–1 August in San José
- New Afro-Caribbean section added to spotlight Afro-descendant stories
- Line-up includes "Romería," "Resurrection" and "The Blood Countess"
- Festival hosts a Meeting of Female Filmmakers on 26 July
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Dedicated programming for Afro-Caribbean and female filmmakers directly addresses systemic underrepresentation in mainstream film spaces, ensuring that historically marginalised creators achieve visibility and recognition they deserve. Merit-based curation alone has demonstrably failed to surface diverse voices, making targeted programming a necessary corrective measure. Such initiatives build community, create tangible career opportunities, and signal that these filmmakers' contributions matter to the industry.
The case against
Organising festivals primarily around identity categories risks fragmenting cinema into separate tracks rather than celebrating it as a unified artistic medium. Whilst diversity is important, films should be valued foremost for artistic merit and creative vision, and identity-focused curation risks suggesting that audiences need work segregated by makers' demographics. Merit-based or thematic programming may more effectively draw audiences across identity lines and allow films to achieve genuine universal resonance independent of makers' backgrounds.
Explained simply
The Costa Rica Film Festival is a film event held in San José that brings together cinema from Central America and the Caribbean. The festival's leadership, under its first female director Patricia Velásquez, is positioning it as a more inclusive and community-focused gathering.
This edition is emphasising Afro-Caribbean cinema and work by female directors. The festival aims to give greater visibility to the stories of Afro-descendant communities and ensure that women filmmakers have a prominent place in the programme.
The event includes both a competitive section for feature films from the region and selections of acclaimed international titles. The festival will also host a meeting of female filmmakers from Central America and the Caribbean, furthering its commitment to building a more representative event.
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