Cinema lovers, rejoice! The 14th annual edition of the Morelia International Film Festival (FICM) will take place from October 21-30, welcoming filmmakers and cinema lovers from all over the world to one of Mexico’s most prominent and prestigious cinematographic events.
The Festival
The FICM was founded in 2003 by Daniela Michel with the mission to “promote new talents in Mexican cinema to increase the offering of quality cinema, and to contribute to the cultural and tourist activities in the state of Michoacán.” The festival has four sections in the competition: the Michoacán Section (for filmmakers who reside in the state of Michoacán), the Mexican Short Film, the Mexican Documentary, and the Mexican Feature Film. The festival also includes a Michoacán Short Film Screenplay Contest that is open to scriptwriters born or residing in the state, and an Online Mexican Short Film Selection; these films are available online, for free, and the Award is granted by the audience.
This year, the FICM has received a total of 106 submissions – the largest number in the history of the festival – from filmmakers from different parts of the country.
The Films
During the FICM, you can expect to see a great variety of different films: national, international, acclaimed classics, and never-before-seen. Below is a list of some of the films you can expect to enjoy during the festival week:
The FICM will be screening some films from the Critic’s Week of the Cannes Film Festival 2016, including Mimosas, by Oliver Laxe (Spain), winner of the Cannes Critic’s Week Award. The FICM will also be presenting the premiere of more than 40 films; such as the Mexican premiere of Un cuento de circo & A Love Song, by Demián Bichir; El Patriarca, by Raúl Martínez and El Hotel, by Carlos Marcovich. International movie releases include: American Honey, by Andrea Arnold; The Birth of a Nation, by Nate Parker, winner of the Grand Jury Prize in the Sundance Film Festival; and I, Daniel Blake, by Ken Loach, winner of the Cannes Film Festival’s Golden Palm.
Special Guests
Throughout its history, the FICM has welcomed A-list celebrities and some of the most prominent names in the film industry, people like Alejandro González Iñárritu, Guillermo del Toro, Jennifer Lawrence, and Tommy Lee Jones. This year, the festival welcomes special guests Willem Dafoe, Giada Colagrande, and Audrey Tautou.
Clotilde Courau
Michoacán Tribute
Every year, the festival pays tribute to an important figure of Mexican cinema from the state of Michoacán. This year, the festival will honor the renowned actress Consuelo Frank with a special screening of her film La familia Dressel, directed by Fernando de Fuentes.
Prize
This year, Stella Artois will join the festivities as an event sponsor of the Stella Artois Award for the Best Mexican Feature Film, which will consist of a $500,000 MXN award for the winner. Winners in the other categories will be considered eligible for Oscar nomination.
For more information about the event, such as places to stay, ticketing, or a complete list of the program, please visit: http://moreliafilmfest.com/en/
