Seven Canadian films will comprise the first annual Canadian Film Series in Mexico. Guadalajara is one of 14 cities participating in this event, which showcases films screened in the Toronto International Film Festival.
Screenings in the metro area are scheduled from Friday, March 29 to Thursday, April 4 at the Cinépolis Sala de Arte in the Galerias Mall (Avenida Vallarta and Rafael Sanzio).
Nueva Era Films, Cinépolis and Canada Telefilm have organized this first edition. Exploring various topics and genres, the selection represents a kaleidoscope of cinematic styles.
Patricia Rozema is one of the most internationally renowned Canadian directors featured at the festival. In 1987, she won the Youth Award at the Cannes Film Festival for “I Have Heard.” Since then, she has gone on to create “Mouthpiece,” to be screened at the festival. In the film, after the death of the protagonist’s mother, a woman is torn between following her dreams or adhering to her deceased parent’s expectations.
Miranda de Pencier is another well-known director who gained notoriety for her films “Prohibited” and “It Feels Like Love.” Her most recent film, “The Grizzlies,” will be shown in Guadalajara.
A comedic drama, this work tells the story of a gym teacher helping young people get in touch with their emotions in a community known for its high suicide rate. In the process, the youngsters find purpose and pride.
Other films include “Clara” by Akash Sherman, a science fiction tale about two characters on completely different planets; “The Disappearance of Fireflies” by Sébastien Pilote, a teenage coming of age story; and the “Giant Little Ones” by Keith Behrman, a portrayal of two adolescents searching for their sexual identity.
Also on the agenda is “Cardinals” by Grayson Moore and Aidan Shipley, which is a suspenseful drama about a woman building her life after serving time in prison. Last but not least is a French-language drama about children dealing with the tumultuous breakup of their parents called “I Promise” by Luc Picard.
To find out screening times at the Galerias Mall, go to semanadecinecanadiense.com and click on “cartelera.” Choose the film of your choice, and Guadalajara in the pull down menu. Each film is screened around five times over the course of the six-day series.
Other cities where the films will be screened include Mexico City, Monterrey, Puebla, Querétaro, Aguascalientes, Cuernavaca, Durango, San Miguel de Allende, Tijuana, Zacatecas, Campeche, Tulancingo and Toluca.