Hola México Film Festival‘s 12th Annual Virtual Edition will take place September 11-20 in association with Pantaya and during Hispanic Heritage Month. The opening film will be Chicuarotes by renowned Mexican actor, director and producer Gael Garcia Bernal. The festival offers movie lovers the opportunity to see the best of Mexican cinema in the comfort of their home, for an incredibly affordable price!
The 12th annual edition of the largest Mexican film festival outside of Mexico, Hola Mexico Film Festival, will make its virtual debut September 11-20 exclusively through the premium Spanish-language broadcast service PANTAYA, a partnership between Lionsgate and Hemisphere Media Group, Inc. The festival hopes to continue to offer audiences the opportunity to enjoy the best of the cinema that has recently come out of Mexico and which has served as a reminder of how much Mexican cinema has evolved over the past two decades. The festival will feature 20 films starting with Chicuarotes.
“Because of the pandemic, we want to ensure that our industry and filmmaking community continue to connect and develop their careers, although it is not possible to do so safely in person,” said Samuel Douek, Founder & Director of Hola Mexico Film Festival. “Pantaya is an innovator in the Latino film and streaming industry. As such, we look forward to partnering with them this year to ensure that Mexican cinema continues to grow.
“We are pleased to partner with Hola Mexico Film Festival this year to provide a new virtual experience and promote contemporary Mexican films,” said Paul Presburger, Pantaya’s CEO. “Although we cannot meet in person, it is very important for us to stay connected socially and spiritually. Film has always been very strong in Mexico and has grown a lot in recent years. We look forward to contributing to its continued growth.”
The festival will also include Q&A sessions with filmmakers and virtual red carpets and will attempt to mirror a physical online festival as much as possible!
The opening film Chicuarotes focuses on the story of “el cagalera” and “el moloteco,” a couple of young people struggling to break out of the poverty that plagues their community. To achieve that, they go through a routine as public transportation clowns. However, they realize that they don’t earn enough even for their basic needs. The story takes a radical turn when they decide to assault the passengers. The 2019 Mexican dramatic film was screened in the “Contemporary World Cinema” section at the “Toronto International Film Festival,” “Cannes Film Festival” in 2019 and was selected to compete at the “Shanghai International Film Festival.”
For the first time, to see the festival you only need to be a subscriber or subscribe using this link and and password for now $1.00 HMFF2020. With this economic initiative, festival organizers hope to create more access to films this year, hoping to inspire new generations of filmmakers.
Hola México Film Festival is comprised of the following sections: Mexico Now, Documentary, Hola Niños, The Other Mexico and Nocturno. Mexico Now presents the best of Mexican cinema released in recent years, covering all genres. Documentary includes the best documentary films made by Mexican filmmakers. Hola Niños presents Mexican animation films for children. The Other Mexico highlights the experiences of Mexicans who are rarely portrayed on screen, presenting perceptive narratives that challenge the status quo. The Night section presents Mexican films that are purely horror or bizarre.
Mexico Now: “Asphyxia” Director, Kenia Marquez, “Amores Modernos”, Director Matias Meyer, “Clases De Historia” Director Marcelino Islas Hernandez, “Chicuarotes” Director Gael Garcia Bernal, “Los Paisajes” Director, Rodrigo Cervantes, “Blanco De Verano” Director Rodrigo Ruiz Patterson, “El Deseo De Ana” Director Emilio Santoyo
Documentary: “Retreat” Director Daniela Alatorre, “Shooting” Director Rodrigo Hernandez, “The Guardian of Memory” Director Marcela Arteaga, “Radio Silence” Director Juliana Fanjul, “Once Upon a Time” Director Juan Carlos Rulfo, “Yermo” Director Everardo Gonzalez, “Midday Cowboy” Director Diego Enrique Osorno, “Oblates, The Flight That Curved The Night” Director Acelo Ruiz Villanueva.
Night: “Club Internacional Aguerridos” Director Leandro Córdovs, “Desde Tu Infierno” Director Alexis Pérez Montero. The Other Mexico: “At ‘Anii’ Director Antonino Isordia Llamazares and “Tio Yim” Director Luna Maran
Hello Children: “A Disguise for Nicolas” Director Ximena Beltran
Hola Mexico Film Festival is proud to unveil its official artwork created by Mexico City muralist Mauricio Groenewold Gonzalez. The art is a dedication to all Mexicans in the form of a skull in the style of Jose Guadalupe Posada. The artwork is a dedication to all Mexicans in the form of a skull in the style of Jose Guadalupe Posada and consists of several Mexican icon characters that are heading to heaven, representing his continuous struggle to always pursue his dreams. On top is the film director, as well as a cell phone showing his growing importance in the media and society. The art also includes popcorn, the classic movie snack and the traditional Mexican dance of the old men, to show the evolution of Mexican dramatic arts.
With the support of some of the world’s leading film organizations, Hola Mexico Film Festival’s prestigious mentorship program, ‘Tomorrow’s Filmmakers Today’ (TFT), connects Los Angeles-based Latino filmmakers to resources and industry leaders to help develop a new community of creative Latino filmmakers. The primary goal of the program is to help grow the presence of Latinos in the global film industry by being a bridge that cultivates and develops their inclusion, support the development of Latino content, and foster meaningful collaborations between its participants and top industry leaders in Los Angeles, Mexico and Latin America.
This year’s TFT will be a live online program for TFT alumni. TFT alumni could submit an application with a short film. The selection committee of Hola Mexico Film Festival will choose 20 short films to be screened during the festival. The 20 participants will also participate in the 6-day online program, have access to all films and events of the festival and serve as judges for the Tomorrow’s Filmmakers Today Film Choice Award. For more information on the TFT, visit https://www.holamexicoff.com/tomorrows-filmmakers/.
The festival will feature an awards ceremony. Awards will include best director, best short film and best film selected by the audience.