The BAOBAB is a fascinating tree. It reminds us of an old man who has an eye on everything around him; who sees everything; knows everything; and resists all the blows of destiny and nature. In Africa, to say that a man is solid, that he has experience and wisdom, we say that he is a baobab.  Therefore, it is only natural that we have chosen this tree, with its special place in the African cosmovision, to be the official symbol of the Quibdó Africa Film Festival. Under the shadow of the Baobab sits the Griot (the storyteller in African traditions). This makes the Baobab "the tree of spoken words", a central place in the social life of the village.  It was when we tried to define and put into words the spiritual link between Africa and its diaspora that the idea of the Baobab was born. Mysticism is, for Africans and Afro-descendants, that invisible thread of our faith, the one that will make the borders between us disappear; the wire that allows reality to meet fiction. For African and Afro-descendant filmmakers, the QAFF is a meeting place where Quibdó invites us to rethink our memory and what we want to transmit and leave to future generations.

 

IDEA  AND CONCEPTION 

The idea of the Baobab was born from trying to find this link between Africa and its diaspora, something that unites us spiritually. Mysticism is for Africans and Afro-descendants, that invisible thread of our faith, which will eliminate the boundaries between us, where reality meets fiction. For African and Afro-descendant filmmakers, QAFF is a date when QUIBDÓ invites us to rethink our narrative. 
The design was made by one of Colombia's most talented artists, Paola Lucumí, Afro-Colombian visual artists, who has given life to this symbol of African culture.

The Baobab has great cultural, social and artistic value. This symbolic tree is a perfect reference for a cinematic narrative.

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International Competition – QAFF 2025

Official Awards – 7th Edition of the Quibdó África Film Festival

The Quibdó África Film Festival celebrates Afro-descendant narratives that challenge the aesthetic, historical, and cultural boundaries of cinema. In its seventh edition, the international competition honors the most outstanding works across various categories, recognizing artistic, technical, and political excellence in the participating productions.

 

MAIN AWARDS

 - Baobab Grand Prize for Best Fiction Feature Film
The festival’s highest recognition. This award honors a work that combines narrative excellence, aesthetic originality, and afrodisruptive innovation, engaging with the memories and futures of the Afro-descendant world.

 - Best Director Award (Fiction Feature)
Awarded to bold and creative direction that demonstrates a strong cinematic vision and contributes a unique perspective to the international landscape of Afro cinema.

 - Jury Prize for Best Documentary (Feature or Short)
Granted to documentaries that unveil silenced or underrepresented realities, handled with ethical commitment, powerful storytelling, and artistic integrity.

 - Best Experimental Film Award (Short or Feature)
Recognizes works that defy cinematic conventions with poetic, sensory, or hybrid approaches that expand the audiovisual language of Afro-descendant cinema.

 - Best Animated Film Award (Short or Feature)
Dedicated to animations that reimagine visual storytelling from an afrocentric, culturally innovative perspective.

 

TECHNICAL AND ARTISTIC AWARDS

 - Best Cinematography Award (Feature, short, fiction or documentary)
Honors the visual work that aesthetically enhances the Afro-diasporic experience in its symbolic and territorial dimensions.

 - Best Screenplay Award (Feature, short, fiction or documentary)
Celebrates screenwriting that combines literary depth with a critical exploration of social, historical, or identity-based themes.

 - Best Original Soundtrack Award
Recognizes compositions that elevate the narrative, evoke memory, and reinforce an afrodisruptive sound identity.

 

SHORT FILM AWARDS

 - Jury Prize for Best Fiction Short Film
Awarded to a standout short film for its originality, narrative strength, and artistic commitment.

  - Audience Award for Best Latin American Short Film
Chosen by public vote. Includes a post-production sound package and the creation of an original soundtrack.

 

National Competition – QAFF 2025

Celebrating Afro-Colombian Talent

 - Cántico Producciones Award
For the best Colombian short film. Includes the creation of an original soundtrack and professional audio post-production.

 - Zarpar Producciones Films Award
A comprehensive one-year mentorship (development, production, and distribution) for the best selected Colombian short film.

 - Arnoldo Palacios “The Stars Are Black” Award
A literary-cinematic award that honors an Afro-Colombian work with high aesthetic, political, or testimonial value.

  - Colombian Film Heritage Award
Awarded to the best production (fiction or documentary) that uses archival material in a creative and critical way, contributing to the audiovisual memory of Afro-descendant communities.

 

Special Awards & Industry Prizes – QAFF 2025

 - Zarpar Producciones Films Award
Awarded to the best Colombian short film, this prize offers a comprehensive mentorship program in development, production, and distribution. The support is delivered over one year through a hybrid format (virtual and in-person) and is valued at approximately $1,500 USD. This award is a tribute to the legacy of renowned Colombian writer Arnoldo Palacios and celebrates films that authentically portray Afro-Colombian experiences, highlighting the richness and diversity of their culture.

 - Cántico Producciones Award
Bestowed upon an outstanding Colombian short film, this prize includes the composition of an original score for the filmmaker’s next work, as well as professional audio post-production services. Valued at $6,000 USD, this award empowers the next story through the transformative power of sound and music rooted in Afrocentric sensibility.

 - Colombian Film Heritage Award – Best Use of Archival Material
Aligned with the mission of QAFF to recover silenced narratives and reimagine history through cinema, this award honors the best audiovisual work (documentary or fiction) that incorporates archival footage in a creative, poetic, or critical way. It celebrates films that contribute to the preservation and reinterpretation of Afro-descendant memory. The award includes an in-kind prize from the Colombian Film Heritage Foundation: a licensing package of archival material valued at $2,500 USD.

 

Sections in Competition – QAFF 2025

We invite filmmakers and producers from around the world to participate in the official competition of the Quibdó África Film Festival. Eligible genres include Fiction, Documentary, Animation, Experimental, and works of high artistic or technical merit. While the competition centers Afro-descendant creators, it also welcomes filmmakers from diverse backgrounds who offer original perspectives on African and Afro-diasporic realities.

Short films may also compete for the Distribution Award, designed for films currently lacking international distribution or sales representation. Since 2020, an esteemed jury of actors, directors, producers, and journalists has honored excellence through these awards.

Alongside the prestigious Baobab Grand Prize, the festival offers cash and in-kind prizes across categories, celebrating the vibrancy and narrative power of African and Afro-descendant cinema worldwide.

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