The two Latin American film festivals that were carried out in Viña del Mar in 1967 and 1969 were connected by their themes: the bonds between films and politics. The exhibited films come from movements known as the «new cinema», which was opposed to the commercial films screened in movie theaters all around the continents. Most of them were trying to represent the social and politic reality in their countries. In parallel to the films screening, the invited filmmakers debated about themes that were relevant to context of the continent in those years (social inequality, cultural dependence, dictatorial regimes, police violence) as well as the aesthetics, cultural and political proposals in which every country based its cinematogrphic experiences. Thus, the following article will analyze the most important films and theoretical proposals that characterised those screening, as well as the invited Latin American filmmakersLos dos festivales de cine latinoamericano celebrados en Viña del Mar en 1967 y 1969, tuvieron como tema principal las relaciones entre cine y política. Las películas presentadas provenían de movimientos caracterizados como «nuevo cine», en oposición al que dominaba las pantallas del continente. La mayoría de ellas buscaban representar la realidad social y política de sus países. En paralelo a la exhibición de los filmes, los cineastas invitados debatían sobre los grandes temas que agitaban al continente en esos años (inequidad social, dependencia cultural, regímenes dictatoriales, violencia política) y las propuestas estéticas, culturales y políticas en que cada país y movimiento basaba sus experiencias cinematográficas. El presente artículo analiza los filmes y propuestas teóricas más importantes que caracterizaron tanto las muestras como los encuentros de cineastas latinoamericanos