By Carola Rico
Director of the Guanajuato Film Festival (GIFF) Sarah Hoch announced at the first GIFF 2022 virtual press conference that the activities of this great event will return to their original dates, from July 22 to 31.
Ms Hoch highlighted that GIFF is celebrating its 25th anniversary of promoting cinema and filmmakers. She commented that on the occasion of GIFF’s silver anniversary, it is proud to be a core film event in Mexico. It stands out because of its promotion and production of Mexican cinema and its international alliances and residencies, as well as for being at the forefront of cinema via virtual and new technologies. All of this has remained in home office activities even in the times of the pandemic. Hoch realizes that filmmaking in Mexico has continued despite the pandemic.
She announced the call for entries in the categories of feature film, documentary, short film, and virtual reality. Hoch stated that the competition will run until the first of April, and stressed that there is no registration fee for national projects.
She added that journalist, author, and filmmaker Diego Enrique Osorno is moving to Berlin soon. He will write his scripts, edit his films, and seek financing from there. She also mentioned the filmmakers who will participate in the Rotterdam producers’ laboratory: María Fernanda Galindo and Abril López Carrillo.
Adriana Camarena, director of the Institute of Culture of Guanajuato, spoke about how the 25 years of the festival have become a living heritage of Guanajuato. During this time, productions in the state have increased, and it has been a launchpad for the new generations, a dynamic festival that has been able to adapt and find new paths in the face of adversity.
Finally, Secretary of Tourism of Guanajuato Juan José Álvarez Brunel congratulated the festival for its 25 years of life. He said that GIFF has shown its ability to create large-format projects that tell great stories, and that the tireless work led by Sarah Hoch remains a benchmark for cinema.
Through their social networks, organizers announced that GIFF will be held in three cities in Guanajuato State: San Miguel de Allende, Leon, and Irapuato.
CALL GUANAJUATO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL (GIFF) 2022
For the realization of its XXV edition, the GIFF summons Mexican and world filmmakers to send their films from today until April 1 in the categories of feature film, short film and virtual reality.
The call is available on the FilmFreeway.com platform. It should be noted that the GIFF is an Oscar nominee.
In order to continue promoting Mexican cinema, registration is free for national filmmakers.
The competition categories are: Mexican Fiction Feature Film, International Fiction Feature Film, Mexican Documentary Feature Film and International Documentary Feature Film.
In Short Film, the categories of International Fiction, Mexican Fiction, International Animation, Mexican Animation, Mexican Documentary, International Documentary, International Experimental, Mexico Experimental, Virtual Reality and Guanajuato Short Film are considered for productions from the region.
During its last edition, the GIFF received 3,274 films from 132 countries, including 926 Mexican ones. During the festival, 188 films were screened, 160 films online, 145 in Official Competition, and the rest were screened in special shows out of competition: Midnight Madness, Children in Action and Cinema Among the Dead.
