The Havana Film Festival New York (HFFNY) 2026 returns to the city with an intense week of Latin American cinema that promises strong emotions, powerful stories, and a vibrant celebration of culture. The festival will take place from May 1 to 7 in New York, bringing together productions that explore identity, resilience and dreams through the big screen.
This year’s edition opens with a bang on Friday, May 1 at the DGA Theater with the New York Premiere of It Would Be Night in Caracas, a political thriller directed by Mariana Rondón and Marité Ugás. The story takes place in a Caracas on the verge of collapse in 2017, where Adelaida returns home after the death of her mother and finds a city dominated by violence and militias. In the midst of chaos, she must reinvent herself to survive, facing extreme decisions that force her to change her identity and escape. The function will have an opening ceremony and Q&A with the directors, elevating the beginning of the festival with an emotional and political charge that sets the tone of the edition.
The closing will come on Thursday, May 7 at the Quad Cinema with the Havana Star Prize ceremony and the screening of My Cuban Dream, a documentary directed by Christian Dehugo that celebrates the legacy of the Lizt Alfonso Dance Cuba company. The film traces the lives of young dancers in Havana who, through dance, find discipline, passion and a way to transform their reality. Between rehearsals, scenarios and intimate moments, the film portrays how art becomes a force of hope and belonging that transcends generations.
During the final night, the winners of the Havana Star Prize will also be announced, with 20 films in competition in fiction and documentary categories. The festival, which since 2010 has recognized the best of Latin American cinema in New York, once again positions itself as a meeting point between cultures, stories and new voices in contemporary cinema.
With an opening full of tension and a closing full of rhythm and emotion, HFFNY 2026 promises an unforgettable edition that connects Caracas, Havana and New York through the power of cinema.
More information at https://www.hffny.com.
