Breaking Barriers: Colombians in the British Film Industry. Screening and Festival Conversations

The London Colombian Film Festival, with the support of the Colombian Embassy in the UK and the Anglo-Colombian Society, invites you to an exclusive evening celebrating the impact, resilience, and artistry of Colombian cinema. Hosted at the University of Westminster, this special event pairs a landmark retrospective screening of the masterpiece La Mansión de Araucaima (1986) with inspiring conversations featuring industry pioneers and contemporary trailblazers from the UK and international film landscapes.

Event Details

• Date: Thursday, 16th July 2026
• Time: 6:00 pm – 9:30 pm (Doors open at 6:00 pm, film starts promptly at 6:30 pm)
• Venue: University of Westminster, Regent Street Campus, London W1B 2HW 
• Language: English (Film in Spanish with English subtitles)
• Age Restriction: Strictly 18+

⚠️ Important Notice: Seats are strictly limited for this exclusive screening and panel event. Please book your tickets in advance to guarantee entry.

Programme Schedule

• 18:00 – Doors open & registration 
• 18:30 – Screening: La Mansión de Araucaima (85 mins)
• Q&A In Conversation: Alina Hleap
• Panel 1: VFX & Global Productions with Hernán Barros
•  Panel 2: Identity & Representation with Diana Bermúdez & Tara Hoyos
•  Panel 3: Movement, Intimacy & Cross-Border Storytelling with Andrea Peláez 

About the Film: La Mansión de Araucaima (1986)

Step into the humid, psychological labyrinth of La Mansión de Araucaima, a foundational masterpiece of Colombian cinema directed by the legendary Carlos Mayolo.

Synopsis

Carlos Mayolo’s 1986 film, La Mansión de Araucaima, is a foundational Colombian masterpiece about a decaying tropical estate whose eccentric, tense equilibrium is upended by a young model. The film defines "Tropical Gothic," a groundbreaking genre pioneered by "The Cali Group" (Carlos Mayolo, Luis Ospina, and Andrés Caicedo) that fuses Western horror tropes with the sweltering landscapes and socio-political trauma of postcolonial Colombia.

La Mansión de Araucaima Trailer

Meet Our Special Guests & Panelists

Alina Hleap (Special Guest)

Alina Hleap, a producer with over 30 years of experience and a background in award-winning films like El Rey Yo Soy Otro, and La Sargento Matacho, directs the SAPCINE project incubator and serves as the National Representative of Producers for the CNACC. Her career began with notable work on La Mansión de Araucaima after graduating from Universidad del Valle. 

Hernán Barros (VFX Panelist)

 Hernán Barros is a London-based Colombian Compositing Artist with over 15 years of international VFX experience. A member of The Jungle Book’s Academy Award-winning team, he has contributed to blockbusters including Harry Potter saga, Gravity, The Irishman, and Fast X while working with studios like MPC and Framestore, specialising in the seamless integration of live action and computer-generated imagery. 

Diana Bermúdez (Identity & Representation Panelist)

Diana Bermúdez is a British-Colombian screen and voice actress of Indigenous descent recognised for her role in Marvel’s Moon Knight and appearances in Silo, The Ark, and Baldur's Gate 3. As a passionate advocate for Latin American representation and indigenous rights, she holds the distinction of being the first Colombian-born actress in a Marvel production.

Tara Hoyos-Martinez (Identity & Representation Panelist)

Tara is an actress, writer, and director who made history as the first Latina to win Miss Universe Great Britain. Her screen acting includes Ghosted, The Mallorca Files, and FBI: International. She recently made her directorial debut with the short film Kind Regards and is joining the West End UK tour of Paranormal Activity

Andrea Peláez (Movement & Production Panelist)

Andrea Peláez is an award-winning choreographer, movement director, and intimacy coordinator working across Colombia and the UK. Her screen credits include Disney, Marvel, and Netflix's One Hundred Years of Solitude. She is also the co-founder of LAIPA UK and Co-Artistic Director of the UNESCO Award-winning Salida Productions

About the London Colombian Film Festival

The Caliwood Retrospective and the Breaking Barriers conference serve as a vital cornerstone of the first edition of the London Colombian Film Festival. The festival aims to move past superficial global headlines, redirecting the international spotlight onto the rich magic, deep talent, and artistic dreams at the core of Colombian identity.

Join us for an unforgettable night of cinema, culture, and empowering conversation!

Short Description: The Retrospective & Festival Context

The Caliwood Retrospective serves as a vital cornerstone of the first edition of the London Colombian Film Festival. In alignment with the festival's overarching mission, this retrospective aims to move past the superficial global headlines of violence and drugs, redirecting the spotlight onto the rich magic, deep talent, and artistic dreams at the core of Colombian identity.

Central to this celebration is honoring Cali as an indispensable, powerhouse hub for the Colombian film industry. During the 1970s and 1980s, the radical collective known as "The Cali Group" (spearheaded by pioneers Carlos Mayolo, Luis Ospina, and Andrés Caicedo) revolutionized national art by anchoring it in an uninhibited, urban, and intensely localized perspective. They introduced the groundbreaking "Tropical Gothic" genre, a style that cleverly fused traditional Western gothic horror tropes (decay, ghosts, the macabre) with the sweltering landscapes and deep socio-political trauma of postcolonial Colombia.

By showcasing La Mansión de Araucaima, the festival proudly charts the historic maturity and aesthetic sophistication of Colombia’s cinematic industry. It provides international audiences a unique window into how Colombian filmmakers masterfully subverted global genres to construct a complex, distinct cinematic language of their own, proving that the history of Colombian film is as bold, resilient, and profound as its contemporary counterparts.

Join us at Genesis Cinema for a rare opportunity to experience an uninhibited cult classic of Latin American cinema on the big screen!

The London Colombian Film Festival is organised by COL FILMS LIMITED.

Entry is strictly for ages 18+. Management reserves the right to refuse entry.