Introduction to Tekenchu: The Nahual Ritual
Tekenchu: El ritual de los nahuales, a new horror film from Mexico directed by Carlos Matienzo Serment and represented internationally by AltaTensión Films, has been officially selected for the competition at the prestigious Rotterdam International Film Festival (IFFR). This marks its world premiere, highlighting the growing influence of Mexican fantastic cinema.
Setting and Plot
Set in the dense forests of San Luis Potosí, the story follows Gabriel, an injured outlaw rescued by two curanderas in a village ruled by fear. As a federal agent investigates brutal child murders—all victims found toothless—an ancient force emerges from the darkness: Tekenchu, a being half-man, half-beast, who not only observes but enforces justice. In these lands where the sacred and wild intertwine, justice does not come from man; it comes from the forest.
Relevance and Recognition
The selection in Rotterdam underscores the festival’s interest in works that push genre film boundaries and incorporate local mythologies, cultural identity, and territory through a contemporary lens. With an atmospheric, sensory, and deeply rooted approach to indigenous traditions, Tekenchu: El ritual de los nahuales is poised to be one of the most promising voices in the revitalized Mexican fantastic cinema.
Festival History and Director’s Statement
Prior to its Rotterdam debut, the film garnered attention at significant industry platforms: it was selected in Blood Window WIP in Uruguay, standing out among developing projects, and later presented as a work-in-progress at the Marché du Film in Cannes, within the Blood Window Showcase 2025, organized in collaboration with the Fantastic Pavilion, one of the most influential genre platforms internationally.
“It’s an immense honor to present my debut film at Rotterdam. The story arises from a dialogue between Mexican mythology and universal fears. Finding a space in such an influential festival confirms that these stories resonate globally,” said Carlos Matienzo Serment, the film’s director.
Rotterdam International Film Festival Participation
Tekenchu’s participation in the IFFR includes its world premiere, two additional screenings, and a special press international function. All showings will feature the director and some of the cast, who will conduct Q&A sessions following each screening.
About Tekenchu: The Nahual Ritual
A folk horror tale born from the Nahual mythology, where nature shows no mercy and ancestral spirits claim what is rightfully theirs. Blending psychological horror, rituals, nocturnal atmospheres, and bodily transformations, the film establishes itself as a crucial piece of the emerging Mexican fantastic cinema.
Key Questions and Answers
- What is Tekenchu: El ritual de los nahuales? It’s a new Mexican horror film directed by Carlos Matienzo Serment, selected for its world premiere at the Rotterdam International Film Festival.
- Where and when does the story take place? The film is set in the dense forests of San Luis Potosí, Mexico.
- What is the plot about? The story follows an injured outlaw, Gabriel, rescued by two curanderas in a village ruled by fear. A federal agent investigates brutal child murders, while an ancient force, Tekenchu, enforces justice from the forest.
- Why is this film significant? Tekenchu represents the growing influence of Mexican fantastic cinema, incorporating local mythologies and indigenous traditions.
- What recognition has the film received? It was selected for the competition at the Rotterdam International Film Festival and has been showcased in other prominent industry platforms.
