GIFF Arrives in San Miguel de Allende

Published September 19m 2021

by Jesús Aguado

With the arrival of the Guanajuato International Film Festival (GIFF) in San Miguel de Allende, residents will have the opportunity to participate as an extra in one of the six shorts that university students will shoot in the city.

In San Miguel, the Festival will take place on September 21, 22, and 23. All sanitary protocols will be followed, including reduced capacity in the Jardín, Los Senderos, Angela Peralta Theater, Santa Ana, and Cinemex. The main venue will be Jardin Principal, where actress María Rojo and playwright Maria Novaro will be honored. Maria Rojo will give the keynote address.

In San Miguel, the festival will begin at 12pm on Sept 21. Whereas it previously started in the City of Guanajuato, it will now start with a university rally in SMA. Previously selected film students from six universities countrywide will come to film short films and produce them in 48 hours. They will then screen them in the Jardin on Sept 23.

At 7pm on the the 21, the red carpet will be rolled out in the Jardin Principal for guests, sponsors, and members of the festival. The Mexican film Noche de Fuego will be screened. This is Director Tatiana Huezo’s first work of fiction. It won an Honorable Mention in the Un Certain Regard category at the last Cannes Film Festival. It’s a realistic portrait of violence in Mexico through the story of a girl who has to disguise herself as a boy to live safely. In addition, a tribute will be presented to the co-founder of the festival, Ernesto Herrera.

The Jardin will be fenced off and will have chairs for 500 people. Attendees must follow health protocols and wear a mask.

On Sept 22, the festival will continue with screenings at the Santa Ana Theater, Senderos, Angela Peralta Theater, and Cinemex. There will be a Women in Cinema tribute in the afternoon.

On the 23rd, Maria Rojo will give the keynote address at noon in the Jardin Principal. Beatriz Novaro. an award-winning Mexican writer, screenwriter, playwright and poet, will also be honored. Her works stand out because she writes memorable stories that navigate between acts of love and rebellion. She is one of the most important screenwriting personalities in Mexico. Both honorees will share their experiences in talks.

For the complete schedule, venues, and more, go to giff.mx