The 27th Guadalajara Film Festival runs from Friday, March 2 to Saturday, March 10.
The United Kingdom takes the honor of guest country this year, bringing around 20 official selections to the event. Billed as one of Latin America’s most important film industry events, the festival also serves as a market for independent filmmakers to ink distribution deals all over Latin America. Venues throughout the city will play an array of feature, documentary and short films, with official festival selections competing in Mexican and Latin American film categories.
Though the festival committee has yet to release a full schedule of events and show times, details of some of the biggest draws have seeped out.
Special events include the presentation of the international honorary Mayahuel Prize to British director Mike Leigh, who will be in attendance, along with a retrospective of his works. U.S. actor Andy Garcia will receive the Latin American honor and will give an acting master class on Saturday, March 3 from 2:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Expo Guadalajara, open to the public.
This year the festival will also premiere the Maguey Prize for films promoting the unique challenges that accompany sexual diversity. This first edition of the prize was created in collaboration with several lesbian/gay/bisexual/transsexual (LGBT) film festivals and similar awards from other cities, including San Francisco, Berlin, Madrid and Vancouver. Twelve feature films will compete for the prize, with an additional eight films screened as special functions. Films are screened at the Teatro Diana (Av. 16 de Septiembre 710, tel: 3614 7072) Monday, March 5 through Friday, March 8, at 2 p.m., 4 p.m. ad 6 pm. daily. For a full schedule go to www.teatrodiana.com/premiomaguey.
Additionally, 19 acclaimed movies from other international festivals will be screened, ten movies from Ecuador will receive special attention thanks to the Mexican Cinematographic Institute (IMCINE), and 26 classic to modern melodramas will give an overview of that genre.
Seven films will play at the Teatro Diana for charity gala events, wherein celebrities and special guests appear on the red carpet and money from the elevated ticket prices goes toward different charities. Selections include “Juan de los muertos” on Friday, March 2, “A propos de Nice” on Sunday, March 4, “¿Alguien ha visto a Lupita?” on Monday, March 5, “Memorias de mis putas tristes” on Tuesday, March 6, “Fecha de caducidad” on Wednesday, March 7, the Meryl Streep vehicle, “The Iron Lady,” on Thursday, March 8 and “Ipsani” on Friday, March 9. All gala films cost 100 pesos and start at 9 p.m. except for “A propos de Nice,” which starts at 9:30 p.m.
More information and a more complete schedule in next week’s Reporter. In the meantime, the festival website at ficg.mx (available in English) has more information about the films to be exhibited, venues and updates.