Celebrities from Mexico’s entertainment industries will swarm into Guadalajara this weekend, as the city hosts the Ariel Awards (Mexico’s equivalent to the Academy Awards), marking the first time the event has been held outside Mexico City in its 65-year history.
The Degollado Theater is the venue for the Saturday, September 9, 7:30 p.m. awards show, which will see gongs handed out in 24 filmmaking categories.
The choice of Jalisco is viewed as a sign of recognition by the Mexican Academy of Cinematographic Arts and Sciences (Amacc) of the growing importance of this state as a filmmaking hub.
Amacc President Leticia Huijara said a priority of hers is to recognize the “diversity of voices and views of our industry” and “all the good cinema that is made outside of Mexico City.”
Film buffs should note that four of the five movies nominated for Best Film this year can be seen free of charge on Netflix or Prime Video in Mexico. These are:
• “Bardo, Falsa Crónica de unas Cuantas Verdades” (Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths), directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu. A renowned Mexican journalist and documentary filmmaker returns home and works through an existential crisis as he grapples with his identity, familial relationships and the folly of his memories. Available on Netflix with English subtitles.
• “El norte sobre el vacío” (Northern Skies Over Empty Space), directed by Alejandra Márquez Abella. Rosa works on the ranch of her boss Don Reynaldo, whose hunter image turns out to be a lie. When some men come to the ranch, Don Reynaldo fears for his life, his father’s inheritance and the lives of his relatives. Available on Prime Video with English subtitles.
• “Huesera” (The Bone Woman), directed by Michelle Garza. Valeria’s joy at becoming a first-time mother is quickly taken away when she’s cursed by a sinister entity. As danger closes in, she’s forced deeper into a chilling world of dark magic that threatens to consume her. Available on Prime Video with English subtitles.
• “La caída” (Dive), directed by Lucía Puenzo. Veteran high-board diver Mariel has one last chance at the Olympics, but when sordid revelations come to the surface, she must ask herself if winning is still the ultimate dream. Available on Prime Video with English subtitles.
• “La Civil” directed by Teodora Mihai. A mother searches for her daughter after she’s abducted by a cartel in northern Mexico. As the authorities fail to offer support in the search, she takes matters into her own hands and turns from housewife to avenging activist.
In another first for the Amacc, all but one of the movies in the best film category are directed by women. Four female directors are nominated in the Best Director category, with Oscar winner González Iñárritu (“The Revenant” and “Birdman”) being the only exception.
You can watch the Arieles on free-to-air Canal 22, or a stream on the Amacc Facebook page.