Historias en Kilómetros (HEK) is a Colombian non-profit, community-based film laboratory that empowers historically invisibilized communities across the Global South to tell their own stories through cinema. Operating in Latin America, Africa, and Asia, HEK works with Afro-Colombian, Indigenous, ex-combatant, refugee, women-led, youth-led, and LGBTIQ communities. HEK trains, produces, and distributes community films through a unique South-to-South collaboration model. Its work is grounded in three interconnected labs:
Training Lab: A nine-month, free program combining in-person workshops and weekly virtual sessions guided by professional filmmakers who donate their time. Communities need no prior experience—only a commitment to represent their own narratives. Each team produces several short films and builds capacity to train future filmmakers locally.
Production Lab: Graduates collaborate on new projects and take part in professional productions, expanding their creative and professional horizons.
Distribution Lab: HEK begins with community premieres, then brings the films to global festivals, markets, and social impact forums. Every two years, HEK convenes its international network at the HEK International Community Film Festival (FICCHEK).
