GIFF: 25 Years of Projecting in Mexico the Best of Worldwide Cinema

Published May 14, 2022

By Jonathan Sánchez

For a quarter of a century, the Guanajuato International Film Festival (GIFF) has presented national and international short and feature films that might otherwise not reach a mass audience in Mexico. In 1998, the Expression in Short Film festival was held for the first time in Guanajuato. It was created from the need to make short films more accessible because all filmmakers start their careers making short films, and these are not seen as much as they should be. They also wanted to give greater diffusion of Mexican cinema and show productions that are not usually seen in the country. This eventually led to a change in 2010, whereby they included documentaries and animated and fiction feature films, to offer a more complete experience. This all led to the Guanajuato International Film Festival.

Sarah Hoch leads a dedicated team that provides good exposure of national and international productions in Mexico. Her festival has grown steadily and has become a must-see annual event for moviegoers, the film industry, and tourists. The festival covers both outdoor and indoor movies, red carpet events, concerts, master classes, conferences, exhibitions, workshops, talks, contests to promote young talents, and other activities. All of these are free and many take place throughout the year, because the culture of cinema does not rest.

For 25 years, GIFF has been present in Mexico, screening feature films and short films from various countries, some of which are also presented at the most prestigious film festivals in the world.  Nina Rodríguez, director of Programming, has been working for 16 years in this capacity and much of what is accomplished is due to her efforts. Many of the featured titles presented have been recognized by the most important awards. In fact, the Guanajuato festival has been and is nominated for an Oscar, Goya, and BAFTA.

Another plus of the event is the opportunity to enjoy the beauty of its venues: León, San Miguel de Allende, Irapuato, and Guanajuato City. In addition, every yearly event has brought in interesting guests from Mexico and other nations—many are renowned filmmakers, and others are young talents who stand out later.

In 2000, Alejandro G. Iñárritu began his cinematic journey and debuted his film “Amores Perros” in Cannes. It had its Mexican premiere and the film was a great international success. In 2010, then newcomer Michael Rowe’s “Leap Year” had its Mexican premiere after winning the Camera d’Or at Cannes. In 2021, Richard Ayoade’s “Submarine” premiered exclusively before screening at the Toronto, Sundance, and Berlin film festivals. That same year, the Oscar winner for “Nomadland,” Chloé Zhao, premiered her short film “Daughters.” Victoria Mahoney’s “Yelling to the Sky” was released in 2011. She has continued to grow as a director, now being the first woman to direct a Star Wars installment.

“Searching for Sugar Man” had its Mexican premiere in Guanajuato in 2012 and later won the Oscar for Documentary. Benh Zeitlin’s “Beasts of the Southern Wild,” which won Best International First Feature Film, also had its Mexican premiere and at the same Oscar ceremony took four nominations. Today Ryan Coogler is known for directing “Black Panther,” but in 2013 he made his way with “Fruitvale Station,” which opened in San Miguel and won Best International First Feature Film. That same year, the Mexican Amat Escalante presented “Heli” at the inaugural function in Guanajuato City after winning in Cannes. He began his filmmaking career very young and participated in the festival.The experience helped him to train and eventually reach international recognition. “Mustang” won a Mention for International Fiction Feature Film in 2015, after which it was nominated for an Oscar and a Golden Globe, in addition to winning a Goya.

Ryüsuke Hamaguchi’s “Happy Hour” won Best International Fiction Feature Film in 2016, and at the most recent Oscars, the director’s new film, “Drive My Car,” had four nominations and won Best Foreign Film. In 2018, “L’insulte” was released after being nominated for an Oscar for Foreign Film. That year also featured the premiere of “Las Heiresses” as the opening film in Guanajuato City after triumphing at the Berlin Film Festival. In that edition, Niños en Acción had the short, “One Small Step,” nominated for an Oscar for Animated Short Film. Finally, this time the closing film was “Blindspotting,” by Carlos López Estrada, a young Mexican director who premiered his debut film in this country after causing a sensation at Sundance. He was subsequently nominated for the Directors Guild Awards, and in the most recent edition of the Oscars was nominated for a Film Animated by “Raya and the Last Dragon,” which he co-directed.

The Official Selection of 2019 presented the premiere of “For Sama,” which won Best International Documentary Feature Film and months later was nominated for an Oscar for Documentary and won in the same category at the BAFTAs. In 2020, months after winning in the Generation K-plus section of the Berlin Festival, the Mexican film “Los Lobos” by Samuel Kishi (first presented in Guanajuato), opened the Guanajuato event in the drive-in format and won Best Feature Film of Fiction Mexico. Also in 2020, “Learning to Skateboard in a Warzone (if you’re a girl),” which had won the Oscar for Documentary Short Film, premiered in Mexico at a special screening.

The 2021 edition had “Affairs of the Art,” mentioned for Animated Short Film, and was later nominated for an Oscar. The Belgian film “Un Monde” won Best International Fiction Feature Film in its Mexican premiere, after being recognized at Cannes. The icing on the cake was seeing “Summer of Soul,” the most recent Oscar winner for Documentary, on the big screen.

The aforementioned titles are a clear example of the remarkable and extensive programming that focuses on the creativity of new talents; those who stand out for questioning and challenging the cinematographic format. Since its inception, GIFF has established itself as an inclusive event and has maintained its focus on the new adventurers of image. They are visionaries who coexist with established filmmakers.

The Guanajuato International Film Festival is an essential space for those seeking to tell stories on the big screen. It is a promoter of culture and entertainment, and it is an important launching pad for world cinema, including those made in Mexico. Today, more than ever, we want more movies please!