Expats & Nomads Argentina

Mar del Plata Film Festival 2026: 5 to 15 November

By Lachlan Williams · October 6, 2026 · 8 min read

Entrance of the 37th Mar del Plata Film Festival in November 2022 (file photo). (Photo: Ministerio de Cultura de la Nación, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons)

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ARGENTINA · FILM FESTIVAL

Key Facts

—The festival Founded in 1954, it is what FIAPF, the global film producers’ federation, calls Latin America’s only competitive festival.
—The dates The 41st Mar del Plata Film Festival runs from Thursday 5 November to Sunday 15 November 2026.
—Where films screen Advance packs are valid at Paseo Aldrey and Cine Ambassador; the full 2026 venue list is still to come.
—How to get tickets Packs sell until Thursday 15 October on the festival website through Miboletería; general sales open on Tuesday 27 October.
—What packs cost Five tickets cost 15,000 pesos (US$9.87) and ten tickets cost 25,000 pesos (US$16.46).
—For US visitors No visa is needed for stays of up to 90 days, and Buenos Aires is about five hours away by road.
—The catch Competition titles arrive with the full programme around 19 to 20 October; single-ticket prices are not yet published.

The Mar del Plata Film Festival runs from Thursday 5 November to Sunday 15 November 2026 on Argentina’s Atlantic coast. For US visitors, advance ticket packs bring new world cinema for under US$2 a film, about five hours from Buenos Aires.

The 41st edition opens with Wild Horse Nine, Martin McDonagh’s new film with John Malkovich, Sam Rockwell and Steve Buscemi. It closes with Borges and Me, in which Luis Gnecco plays the Argentine writer Jorge Luis Borges.

What the Festival Is and Why It Matters

Argentina first staged the Mar del Plata Film Festival in 1954, and it became a competition with juries and prizes in 1959. Today it is organised by INCAA, the National Institute of Cinema and Audiovisual Arts, Argentina’s state film agency.

FIAPF, the International Federation of Film Producers Associations, calls it the only competitive festival it recognises in Latin America. Its list of accredited festivals also includes Cannes, Berlin, Venice and Toronto.

The 2025 edition drew 49,212 admissions, according to FIAPF. The federation also counted 172 films in the official sections and 3,200 industry professionals.

For 2026, a new board brings INCAA together with the city, its tourism agency and private business. Agustín Neme, the local mayor, said the city wants it to be a great festival again.

For a wider look at the country’s arts scene, see Argentina’s culture: the key figures to know in 2026.

Programme Highlights Announced So Far

The opening film, Wild Horse Nine, comes from the director of The Banshees of Inisherin and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. John Malkovich, Sam Rockwell and Steve Buscemi play three CIA agents who can no longer separate the mission from paranoia.

The festival says the film arrives after screenings at Venice, Telluride and Toronto. Closing night belongs to Borges and Me by Marc Turtletaub, with Fionn Whitehead, Alan Cumming and Peter Mullan alongside Gnecco.

Based on Jay Parini’s memoir, it follows Borges on a journey through the Scottish Highlands. The screening marks 40 years since the writer’s death.

Three Astor Piazzolla lifetime achievement awards go to actress Natalia Oreiro, director Alejandro Agresti and composer Emilio Kauderer. Kauderer wrote the music for The Secret in Their Eyes, the Oscar-winning Argentine film.

A tribute marks 80 years since Héctor Babenco’s birth; he left Mar del Plata young and made his name in Brazil. Four of his films screen, including Pixote and My Hindu Friend with Willem Dafoe.

Corazón iluminado, partly shot in Mar del Plata, is also in the tribute. A panel on his legacy will include members of his family.

From Wednesday 11 to Friday 13 November, a section called Cine Inmersivo shows virtual-reality films and experiences at Paseo Aldrey. The festival says the space is open to the general public.

Tickets, Packs and Accreditation

Until Thursday 15 October, the festival sells packs of five tickets for 15,000 pesos (US$9.87) and ten for 25,000 pesos (US$16.46). That works out at 3,000 pesos (US$1.97) or 2,500 pesos (US$1.65) per film.

Dollar figures here use Argentina’s official wholesale rate of about 1,519 pesos per US dollar as of Tuesday 6 October 2026. Prices in pesos can change, so check the festival site before you pay.

Buyers register on Miboletería, the festival’s ticket platform, and receive codes. From Tuesday 20 to Monday 26 October, pack holders get a priority window to swap those codes for seats.

General sales open on Tuesday 27 October, and leftover pack codes stay valid after that. Packs only cover screenings at Paseo Aldrey and Cine Ambassador, subject to seat availability.

Single tickets are not on sale yet, and the festival’s ticket page lists no prices.

In June, INCAA president Carlos Pirovano said single tickets would cost 5,000 pesos (US$3.29), Mi8 reported. He also promised cheaper accreditation and special prices for retirees and students, the Mar del Plata news site added.

Press and industry accreditation runs through its own page on the festival site, which says the details are still being prepared.

The Venues in Mar del Plata

Paseo Aldrey, at Sarmiento 2685, and Cine Ambassador, at Córdoba 1673, are the two 2026 venues named so far. Paseo Aldrey also hosts the virtual-reality space.

In 2025 the festival also used the Teatro Auditorium, Villa Victoria, the city’s own Teatro Colón and the Casino Central. The Teatro Auditorium stands at Avenida Peralta Ramos 2280, on the same avenue as the Casino Central.

Organisers have not yet published the full 2026 venue list. Co-artistic director Jorge Stamadianos expects the complete programme around 19 to 20 October, he told Radio Brisas.

How to Get There From Buenos Aires

Mar del Plata sits on the Atlantic coast in the southeast of Buenos Aires province. The city’s tourism office lists four ways to get there from the capital.

Trains run by Trenes Argentinos, the state rail operator, leave Plaza Constitución station in Buenos Aires every day. The trip takes about six hours on the semi-direct service and about six and a half on the regular one.

Trains arrive at Mar del Plata station, Avenida Pedro Luro 4600, which also serves long-distance buses. Train tickets for travel until 30 November are already on sale.

Long-distance buses from the Retiro terminal in Buenos Aires take about five hours. Flights from Buenos Aires take about 45 minutes and land at Astor Piazzolla International Airport.

By car, the Autovía 2 motorway links Buenos Aires with Mar del Plata in about five hours. Book early, since Stamadianos says many people come from outside the city for the films.

Red-brick and stone facade of the Hotel Provincial with arched arcades on the Mar del Plata seafront under a clear blue sky — The Hotel Provincial on the Mar del Plata seafront (file photo, 2016). (Photo: Diego Diez, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons)

Tips for US and Foreign Visitors

US citizens need no visa for visits of 90 days or less, according to the State Department. The passport must be valid on entry and have one blank page.

The State Department rates Argentina at Level 1, its lowest advisory level, which means exercise normal precautions. Keep the usual city sense with phones and bags in crowded places.

Prices are set in pesos, and Argentina has grown noticeably pricier in dollar terms, one economist warned this month. Budget for a city break rather than a bargain trip.

Check each film’s language and subtitle details once the catalogue is published. Redeem pack codes early in the Tuesday 20 to Monday 26 October window, as seats are limited.

The Mar del Plata Film Festival holds its presentation gala in Buenos Aires on Monday 19 October. The Palacio Libertad cultural centre hosts it, and a public concert of Kauderer’s film scores closes the night.

For other plans in the capital this month, see what to do in Buenos Aires in October 2026.

What Is Not Confirmed Yet

The festival has not yet named its competition films or its juries. Single-ticket prices, screening times and the full venue list are also still to come.

Accreditation details for press and industry have not been published. Organisers have not said how tickets for the opening and closing nights will be sold.

Check the Mar del Plata Film Festival’s official site before you book, and buy only through the ticket links it publishes.

Key Dates Before the Festival

Thursday 15 October is the last day to buy advance packs. The presentation gala follows in Buenos Aires on Monday 19 October.

Pack holders choose seats from Tuesday 20 to Monday 26 October, and general sales start on Tuesday 27 October. The Mar del Plata Film Festival itself runs from Thursday 5 November to Sunday 15 November.

More: Argentina news in English, every day from The Rio Times.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is the Mar del Plata Film Festival 2026?

The 41st Mar del Plata Film Festival runs from Thursday 5 November to Sunday 15 November 2026. The full programme is expected around 19 to 20 October.

How much do tickets cost?

Advance packs cost 15,000 pesos (US$9.87) for five tickets and 25,000 pesos (US$16.46) for ten, on sale until Thursday 15 October. Single-ticket prices for the Mar del Plata Film Festival have not been published yet.

How do I get to Mar del Plata from Buenos Aires?

Daily trains from Plaza Constitución take six to six and a half hours, and buses from Retiro take about five. Flights take about 45 minutes, and the drive on the Autovía 2 takes about five hours.

This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief