What the Morelia Film Festival lacks in size, it certainly makes up for in celebrity.
Far more intimate than its Guadalajara counterpart held each March, the movie shebang in the capital of Michoacan nonetheless seems able to attract high-profile industry names.
Directors such as Quentin Tarantino, Steven Soderbergh, Tommy Lee Jones and Alejandro Gonzalez Iñárritu have opened previous editions of the festival.
This year, acclaimed director Alfonso Cuaron will breeze into the festival to present his latest film "Gravity," starring Sandra Bullock and George Clooney.
"Gravity" will inaugurate the festival on Friday, October 18, as well as open at 3D, 2D and IMAX cinemas around the country on the same day.
In "Gravity" Bullock and Clooney play astronauts aboard a space shuttle who find themselves adrift in space after disaster strikes. Packed with stunning visual effects, the film has won rave reviews and is already being touted as a shoo-in in several Oscar categories, including best direction and best actress.
Also attending the Morelia Film Festival will be U.S. director Robert Rodriguez ("Spy Kids," "Desperado," "Once Upon a Time in Mexico," "Sin City"), who will present his most recent film "Machete Kills" with Antonio Banderas, Demian Bichir and Cuba Gooding Jr. The festival will also screen a selection of work by Chilean cult filmmaker Alejandro Jodorowsky, who will be this year's guest of honor.
For complete information on the festival (in English), visit http://moreliafilmfest.com/en.