Unwelcomed—a powerful and timely documentary exploring migration and identity—has been officially selected for the Sheffield Doc Festival. This milestone follows the film’s Emerging Filmmaker Award win at HotDocs and its upcoming selection at Sydney DocFest, marking Unwelcomed as one of the most exciting documentaries on the circuit right now.
An epic journey over the Andes and into Chile structures this eye-opening documentary, which walks alongside the people at the heart of the Venezuelan migrant crisis. Winner of a major award at Hot Docs 2025. Directors Sebastián González Mendez and Amílcar Infante walk alongside these refugees – some of the millions fleeing their home country in what has become one of the largest ongoing migration crises in the world. In 2021, an unprecedented number of Venezuelans flocked south to Chile – many on foot. It’s a perilous journey of thousands of kilometres, across the arid, icy Andes and the Atacama Desert. This influx sparked a violent reaction among some in Iquique, in northern Chile, with migrants’ belongings set on fire. Porting between the protest’s epicentre and a birds-eye-view of the beautiful but hostile terrain, Unwelcomed is anchored in the grief, determination, and spirituality of the migrants.
In recent years, Chile witnessed a violent anti-immigrant protest, sparked by an unprecedented influx of Venezuelan migrants fleeing one of the world’s largest migration crises. Nearly 8 million have left their country, many enduring long treks to the Andean Highlands and Atacama Desert—only to face hostility. Determined to defend their way of life, locals responded with violence, as police stood by. Through striking visuals and firsthand accounts, this story reveals a stark truth: hope is met with fear, and the right to a new beginning is under threat.
🎬 Sheffield Screening
Fri, Jun 20th, 15:45 @ Curzon – Screen 1
Sun, Jun 22nd, 18:15 @ The Light – Screen 6
BOOK Here & More Info Unwelcomed – https://www.jambikadocs.com/films/unwelcomed
