Under the slogan “Luchas Hermanas” (Sister Struggles), the Community Radio and Film Festival “El Lugar Que Habitamos” (The Place We Inhabit) has officially launched its call for entries for the 2026 edition. Created by Ojo de Agua Comunicación, an organisation with nearly three decades of experience defending the rights of Indigenous peoples, this biennial celebration has established itself in Oaxaca as a gathering that builds bridges of media resistance, connecting local realities with global issues. Currently, the festival is seeking audio and audiovisual productions, and if you work in community radio or film, this call for entries may be for you.
A Call for Self-Representation and Justice
This year’s edition invites filmmakers, radio broadcasters, and collectives from any region to submit works that reflect community, Indigenous, or Afro-descendant processes, prioritising self-representation as a political tool. The festival defines itself as a space for encounter and celebration that rejects the competitive logic; Therefore, it does not offer economic incentives or prizes, instead focusing on collective work, reciprocity, and support.
Luis Alonso Salvador, community communicator and general coordinator of the festival, shares some insights into the importance of this third edition and some of the profiles this call for submissions is aimed at:
“The pretext that brings us together this year is to talk about sister struggles, as a tribute and a gathering for those who fight in different parts of the world; we conceive of the festival as a place of solidarity to continue resisting projects and conditions that, far from making our lives easier, often even take them away.”
“We hope, for example, that many of the people who run community radio stations will participate. It’s important to keep in mind that many of their processes are self-managed and based on solidarity. We would like to celebrate their efforts with them, and we would like to broaden the reach of their work and build bridges with other filmmakers who address similar themes from similar perspectives.”
This year, the festival invites us to look at internationally relevant issues, such as the genocide in Palestine, the dispossession of the Sami people and the gentrification of neighbourhoods and indigenous communities, while also considering local struggles such as the defence of water and hope from the perspective of children, among others.
Guidelines and Categories for Participation
Those interested have until May 30, 2026, to submit their work. Productions completed between January 1, 2025, and the closing date of the call for entries are eligible. A new technological feature this year is the inclusion of materials created with cell phones, drones, or artificial intelligence, provided they are used as tools for denouncing abuses or protecting the land.
The works will be divided into six strategic categories:
- Gender and Dissidence: Stories of resilience and proposals against patriarchal power
- Land and Territory: Environmental defence, autonomy, and food sovereignty
- Art and Culture: Preservation of Indigenous languages and ancestral crafts
- Living with Dignity: Human rights, migration, and social justice
- From Childhood and Youth: Materials made by and for new generations
- Memory and Archives: Reclaiming family and community history
The selected works will be exhibited from November 13 to 21, 2026, at various venues in the city and communities of Oaxaca, before embarking on a tour of Central America, all as part of the activities of the 2026 Community Radio and Film Festival “El Lugar que Habitamos” (The Place We Inhabit).
See the complete guidelines, participation requirements, and registration form at www.ellugarquehabitamos.org .
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