GIFF wraps another edition filled with unforgettable moments
The twenty-second edition of GIFF was a success in its two locations. We enjoyed the best of world cinema with a large Official Selection with national and international feature films and short films of the highest quality in genres such as documentary, experimental cinema, animation and fiction. 223 films screened and 120 of them in competition, from 47 countries, showed that Guanajuato is the quintessential home of film culture in our country
We also celebrated 100 years of Filipino cinema with a careful selection of the best of cinema in this Asian country. We celebrated classical and contemporary filmmakers who have shaped the cultural identity of their nation and continue to be a source of inspiration for emerging Filipino filmmakers.
We highlight the presence of the great Filipino filmmaker Kidlat Tahimik. Recognized by his peers as the patriarch of Filipino independent cinema, this prominent auteur received an international tribute and shared his experiences in a pleasant talk that enriched the cultural heritage of all who attended.
Among those from our country, legendary Mexican actor José Carlos Ruiz received a well-deserved tribute to his outstanding career. A professional of his trade that has earned the recognition and affection of the audience through rigor, discipline, perseverance and intelligence, always making clear that he’s driven by his passion for cinema to continue working to the end of his days.
The Women in Film and Television organization recognized the contributions of Mexican actress Queta Lavat and the remarkable career of negatives restorer Guadalupe Ramírez, who with her work has exalted our national film industry.
All of them received the UNAM Film Library Medal, made with the silver nitrate of the films they have helped forge, and which is given to the most important personalities of world cinema.
In San Miguel de Allende, renowned American director Gus Van Sant received the Silver Cross in honor of a career that has created an unmistakable style focused on eccentric characters and worlds formed with great mastery. He also offered a Master Class in which he reviewed his career and took a look at his creative process.
In Guanajuato, the great filmmaker Terry Gilliam also received an international tribute for his remarkable career, which has raised freedom and creative imagination as banners. His cinema, as opposed to all kinds of conventions, expands the limits of our reality through art and forms a mold for all the dissatisfied people of this world. At his Master Class, Terry Gilliam called for the use of imagination and humor to travel through life and oppose a materialistic reality that can often be oppressive – values to which his magnificent films are undoubtedly attached.
The Music + Cinema concerts made us dance, giving a joyful touch to this international film festival. In addition to offering a space to strengthen important creative and labor ties, GIFF offered spaces for reflection with conferences, special presentations for all types of audiences, workshops, courses and a wide variety of events that gave rise to the concerns of art enthusiasts. that – among many other things – include industry and technology.
The Identity and Belonging contest celebrated a decade of telling the stories that young people from Guanajuato live. In this edition of the festival was made up of El Llano, Faroles, León es como lo pintan, Mi herencia, Pólvora and Toci. The young university students showed an enormous capacity and talent to tell the stories that belong to us all. Their efforts are an example and a note of hope for the country’s culture.
The XI University Rally featured 6 teams from 6 different states of Mexico. From an exhaustive preparation over months, the filmmakers filmed their short films for 48 hours using unique location offered by a Human Heritage city as a backdrop for their stories.
The range of experiences and emotions that GIFF XXII inspires in all who participate in it is incalculable and from now on it will be part of our lives and our memories. It is for all this and much more that the Guanajuato International Film Festival thanks our sponsors, guests, organizers, participants and the general public, who made this new edition a celebration of the best that Guanajuato has to offer in the beautiful streets and screens of these two World Heritage cities. Más Cine Por Favor!
