There are several film festivals that take place in Mexico throughout the year. Some of these festivals are internationally recognized, and a few are small, local festivals.
Mexico City's International Contemporary Film Festival
Mexico City, D.F.February 24 to March 7, 2010
Activities included in this annual festival include screenings, competitions, and round-table discussions at cinemas and venues throughout the city. Films shown in the categories fiction, documentary, retrospectives on themes/directors, Mexican cinema, European cinema (a different country focus each year) and shorts.
Website: FICCO Film Festival
Guadalajara International Film Festival
Guadalajara, JaliscoMarch 12 to 20, 2010
Established in 1986, Guadalajara hosts this, the oldest and most important film festival in Mexico. Offering an excellent selection of Mexican and Latin American films of the year, the festival includes feature-length films, shorts, documentaries and children’s films. There are also training-focused programs designed to support and foster youth that come to the festival, offering them the chance to share experience and knowledge with film-industry professionals.
Web Site: Guadalajara Film Festival
Short Expression Film Festival - Expresion en Corto
San Miguel de Allende and Guanajuato, GuanajuatoJuly 23 to August 1, 2010
Expresión en Corto has been running since 1997 as a state-sponsored, non-profit, film festival with a focus on short films, videos and documentaries. More than 400 films are screened each day in many different venues. All shows and activities are free admission. A different country is honored each year, presenting a showcase of the best of that country's film - past and present.
Web Site: Expresion en Corto
Baja California International Film Festival
Tijuana and Ensenada, Baja CaliforniaEnd of September to beginning of October
This festival has been held yearly since 2004. Its aim is to focus attention on films of quality in order to contribute to the progress of the motion picture arts and to encourage the development of the film industry in Mexico (particularly in Baja California), and throughout the world. The festival is open to the general public, but it also serves as an important platform for filmmakers to make professional contacts.
Website: Baja California Film Fest
Morelia International Film Festival
Morelia, MichoacanOctober 3 to 11, 2009
This film festival's goal is to promote the talents of Mexican cinema and provide a forum for international exhibition. There are both theater and open-air screenings of films and the public is invited to attend conferences, round tables and exhibitions where they can meet film industry personalities.
Website: FICM
Riviera Maya Underground Film Festival
Playa del Carmen, Quintana RooOctober 15 to 19, 2009
Ths film festival is a competition and a show of edgy and compelling independent short films and documentaries from filmmakers around the world. Films screened belong to one of four categories: Documentary, Animation, Experimental and Fiction. Throughout the festival, there are also workshops and conferences on cinematography and filmmaking offered. All activities are free.
Website: RMUFF
Cancun Film Fest
Cancun and the Mayan RivieraNovember 9 to 15, 2009
Featuring original productions by both new and renowned filmmakers, the Cancun Film Fest is now in its third year. Movies presented at the festival include feature films, documentaries and short films, directed by such internationally famous directors as Jose Padilho from Brazil, Jaime Rosales from Spain, Celine Sciamma and Philip Claudel from France and many others.
Web Site: Cancun Film Fest
Vallarta Film Festival
Vallarta, NayaritDecember 2 to 6, 2009
This film festival presents the best of independent cinema with special events and movie industry panels, bringing together a mixture of celebrities, film buffs, film students and entertainment industry professionals.
Website: Vallarta Film Festival
