Santo Domingo.– The Universidad APEC (UNAPEC), Lantica Studios, and the Caribbean Film Training Association (ECC-RD) announced the signing of a collaboration agreement aimed at strengthening academic training in cinema and its connection with the industry.
The alliance was presented as one of the most relevant moments during the closing of the Clufest 2026 festival, and its main objective is to link university education with the real demands of the audiovisual sector, facilitating that students develop skills aligned with international standards.
According to academic authorities, this agreement will allow future film professionals to access practical experiences, specialized training, and opportunities for insertion into the industry, in a context where Dominican cinema continues to expand.
Within the framework of this alliance, Universidad APEC held the awards and closing ceremony of the First Latin Short Film Festival Unapec (Clufest 2026), an event that brought together students from the Dominican Republic and several Latin American countries.
The Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Communication, Alicia Álvarez, highlighted in her welcome speech that the festival transcended the academic sphere, becoming a platform for young creators to project their vision of the world through cinema.
After thanking students, teachers, and allies, Álvarez officially closed the event and invited participation in the next edition scheduled for 2027.
From his side, the rector of Unapec, Erick Pérez Vega, valued the growth of local cinema and praised the talent of the participants. Likewise, he highlighted the complexity of the selection process, noting that it was difficult to choose the finalists from among more than 60 proposals received.
During the ceremony, the best productions in the inter-university and Unapec categories were awarded, recognizing areas such as direction, script, editing, sound, and production design.
The festival featured the participation of students from universities such as Intec, UASD, Unibe, PUCMM and Chavón, as well as international institutions such as the University of Lima, the University of Costa Rica and the Atlantic University College of Puerto Rico.
The activity brought together prominent figures from the national film sector, including representatives from the Cinemateca Dominicana, Adocine, and APEC Cultural.
Under the slogan “Latin Soul Cinema“, Clufest 2026 closed reaffirming its commitment to the development of young talent and the promotion of regional cinema.
