Overview of the 40th International Film Festival in Guadalajara
The 40th International Film Festival in Guadalajara (FICG) concluded this weekend, attracting nearly 30,000 attendees to various venues across the country. The festival, known as the oldest of its kind in Mexico, featured Portugal as the Guest of Honor and showcased 128 films from around the globe.
Mexican Documentary Wins Top Honors
The Mexican documentary “Llamarse Olimpia,” directed by Indira Cato, triumphed in the Mezcal Award for Best Mexican Film category. This victory underscores the growing strength and significant contributions of the Mexican documentary genre in terms of aesthetics, narrative, and social impact within the national audiovisual landscape.
Cato’s film outperformed others directed by notable filmmakers such as Alejandro Zuno, Juan Manuel Cravioto, Victoria Franco, and J. Xavier Velasco.
Powerful Messages for Palestine
During the closing ceremony, Israeli filmmaker Udi Aloni, serving as a jury member for the Best Performance Award, delivered an impassioned message in Spanish:
“As a juror at this festival, I am moved by films that restore faith in cinema that respects the working class and shared humanity. As a Jewish filmmaker, I must say that the only way for me to live my Jewish identity is with total solidarity towards the Palestinian people, who face genocide. As artists, we have a duty to clearly state: save Palestinian children, stop the genocide; we must stop the genocide.”
Additionally, Mexican filmmaker Abraham Escobedo-Salas, recipient of the International Federation of Cinematographic Press Award for his film “En el fin del mundo,” waved a Palestinian flag and stated:
“Together, we must encourage the public and press to continue discussing Palestine in a coherent and ethical manner. Over 200 journalists have been killed for their reporting, with cameras. There are people inside who are documenting events as they unfold, and it is our civic and human responsibility to maintain pressure.”
Ibero-American Film Awards
The Brazilian film “O último azul,” directed by Gabriel Mascaro, won the Best Ibero-American Fiction Feature award. The film tells the story of Tereza, a septuagenarian woman who defies her government-imposed relocation to a distant retirement home, choosing instead to live independently.
Meanwhile, the Best Ibero-American Documentary award went to Albert Serra’s “Tardes de soledad,” which offers an intimate portrait of bullfighter Andrés Roca Rey. The film explores the torero’s personal challenge and respect for tradition, creating fleeting beauty through the confrontation between human rationality and wild animal brutality.
Honoring Maria de Medeiros
The festival paid tribute to Portuguese actress and singer Maria de Medeiros, who shared her deep connection to Mexico.
“Mexico is a great nation of culture, art, and cinema, serving as a reference. With so many remarkable Mexican directors contributing their extraordinary creativity to world cinema, it’s touching that Mexican cinema looks towards Portuguese films. Our cultures engage in dialogue, and festivals like this foster further development,” de Medeiros expressed.
The festival concluded with the screening of “Llamarse Olimpia,” the Mezcal Award-winning Mexican film.
Future of FICG
FICG director Estrella Araiza announced that the 2026 festival will advance its usual dates to April due to the FIFA World Cup.
