40th Guadalajara Film Festival Opens With Mexico’s First Stop-Motion Animated Feature ‘I Am Frankelda’ as It Launches New Genre Sidebar

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As a movie critic, I am thrilled to be part of the celebration as the Guadalajara International Film Festival (FICG) marks its impressive 40th edition. This year, Mexico takes center stage with an historic debut – the nation’s first-ever stop-motion animated feature film, “I Am Frankelda” (“Soy Frankelda”). I can hardly wait to see it open this esteemed festival!

From June 6-14, the highly respected film festival in the country debuts a fresh genre segment showcasing five films, including Pablo Stoll’s zombie comedy “Summer Hit” (“El tema del verano”) and Emilio Portes’ “Don’t Leave the Kids Alone.” This exclusive sidebar, available only to select attendees, will mark the 10th competitive category of the festival.

Festival director Estrella Araiza stated, ‘Organizing a festival in Mexico has always been challenging due to many people not fully grasping the effort involved. However, what truly counts is that for four decades, despite turbulent times, shifting administrations, and resistance from within and without, we’ve managed to keep the festival going. What we’ve come to understand is that this festival should endure for another hundred years.’

As a passionate cinephile, I’d say that “I Am Frankelda,” written and directed by the gifted duo Roy and Arturo Ambriz, is a captivating journey I recently had the pleasure of experiencing at Annecy. This enthralling tale revolves around 19th-century Mexican writer Frankelda, who grapples with the challenges of bringing her haunting narratives to light. Remarkably, her literary creations spring to life, plunging her into a battle alongside the tormented Prince Herneval to thwart sinister forces threatening to disrupt our very reality.

One of the standout events during the festivities is a collection of offerings showcasing our special guest country, Portugal. Leading this presentation is Maria de Medeiros, known for her role in “Pulp Fiction,” who will premiere her directorial debut from 2000, titled “April Captains.

Competitive Ibero-American photos feature “Deaf” by Spanish director Eva Libertad (Berlinale title), “The Best Mother in the World” by Brazil’s Anna Muylaert, and “Tiguere” by Dominican Republic’s José María Cabral.

The Ibero-American photos competing include “Deaf” from Spain, “The Best Mother in the World” from Brazil, and “Tiguere” from the Dominican Republic.

The renowned Spanish director, J. A. Bayona (“Society of the Snow”), will receive a tribute showcasing his career highlights, featuring an open-air screening of his acclaimed horror film, “The Orphanage,” at the historic Belén Pantheon in the city.

The festival awards its Honorary Silver Mayahuel to the actress, Dolores Heredia (known for “Pedro Paramo” and “Vantage Point”), as she commemorates almost four decades in the entertainment industry.

In this event, Monica Lozano, producer of “Instructions Not Included”, receives the Industry Mayahuel tribute. At the same time, Daniela Vega, star of “A Fantastic Woman”, is honored with the Premio Maguey Queer Award. Additionally, Denisse Guerrero, a renowned Mexican electropop artist, will be bestowed with the Premio Maguey Trayectoria, which recognizes her lifetime achievements.

As a movie critic, I’m thrilled to delve into the bustling landscape curated by Ximena Urrutia. This vibrant sector teems with numerous activities: massive Co-production Meetings, the Guadalajara Construye pitch program for pictures in post-production, the Episodio 0 section dedicated to series in development, the FICGGames Playtest zone for video games, a doculab, the Talents networking platform, and lastly, its bustling market. Each of these elements adds a unique flavor to the festival, making it a rich tapestry of cinematic delights.

This year, Urrutia announced something exciting that holds personal significance: the Schools’ Hub. As an alumnus of Centro de Capacitación Cinematográfica (CCC) in Mexico, Urrutia understands the challenges of graduating from film school without a clear direction or knowledge on how to start a project. To address this issue, they established this platform, which primarily focuses on Mexico this year and unites many of the nation’s crucial film schools, including prominent institutions like CCC along with several smaller ones as well.

As stated by Urrutia, approximately 10 carefully selected students from each participating school are expected to join the festival, with more than 100 confirmations already received.

She explained that we’ll guide them step by step through our programs, showing them how to apply, what the application process involves, and the structure a project should have to be taken seriously. Furthermore, they will get to use our virtual market, particularly our successful one-on-one meeting platform. This platform has been thriving for several years now. Last year, we facilitated approximately 2,700 professional one-on-one meetings, she highlighted.

According to Araiza: “What truly matters to us is ensuring that we remain a haven where aspiring filmmakers can thrive. A platform that supports the launch of new careers, a destination for learning and exploring cinema – not just for movie enthusiasts, but also for those who harbor dreams of making a living in the world of film.

Ibero-American Fiction Films Competition

 “The Best Mother in the World,” Anna Muylaert (Brazil)

“A Procura de Martina,” Márcia Faria (Brazil, Uruguay)

“The Wild Years” (“Los años salvajes”), Andrés Nazarala (Chile)

“Cuerpo celeste,” Nayra Ilic García (Chile, Italy)

“This Island” (“Esta isla”), Lorraine Jones Molina, Cristian Carretero (Puerto Rico)

“Molt Lluny,” Gerard Oms (Spain, Netherlands)

“Bitter Gold” (“Oro amargo”), Juan Olea (Chile, Mexico, Uruguay, Germany)

“The Blue Trail” (“O último azul”), Gabriel Mascaro (Brazil, Mexico, Netherlands, Chile)

“The Cottage” (“La Quinta”), Silvina Schnicer (Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Spain)

“Dreaming of Lions” (“Sonhar com Leões”), Paolo Marinou-Blanco (Portugal, Brazil, Spain)

“Deaf” (“Sorda”), Eva Libertad (Spain)

“Tiger” (“Tiguere”), José Maria Cabral (Dominican Republic)

Ibero-American Documentaries in Competition

“Savanna and the Mountain” (“A Savana e a Montanham”), Paulo Carneiro (Portugal, Uruguay)

“The Twilight of the Crickets” (“El atardecer de los grillos”), Gonzalo Almeida (Argentina)

“Cais,” Safira Moreira (Brazil)

“Copan,” Carine Wallauer (Brazil, France)

“Croma,” Manuel Abramovich (Argentina, Germany, Austria)

“The Flamenco Guitar of Yerai Cortés,” Antón Álvarez (Spain)

“Light Memories” (“Eco de luz”), Misha Vallejo Prut (Ecuador, Germany)

“Black Gold” (“Ouro negro”), Takashi Sugimoto (Portugal)

“Paradise” (“Paraíso”), Ana Riper (Brazil)

“Runa Simi,” Augusto Zegarra Pineda-Arce (Peru)

“Afternoons of Solitude” (“Tardes de soledad”), Albert Serra (Spain, France, Portugal)

Premio Mezcal, Mexican Films in Competition

Fiction

“Rock, Weed and Wheels” (“Autos, mota y rocanrol”) José Manuel Cravioto (Mexico)

“Café Chairel,” Fernando Barreda Luna (Mexico)

“Crocodiles” (“Cocodrilos”), J. Xavier Velasco (Mexico, U.S.)

“Twelve Moons” (“Doce lunas”), Victoria Franco (Mexico)

“Newborn” (“Un mundo para mí”),  Alejandro Zuno (Mexico)

Documentaries

“At the End of the World,” Abraham Escobedo-Salas (Mexico, Belgium)

“Boca Vieja,” Yovegami Ascona Mora (Mexico)

“Isleño,” César Talamantes (Mexico)

I watched as drops gleamed under the lightning flashes, and with each breath I sighed, my thoughts always returning to you.”
(Miraba cómo las gotas brillaban bajo los relámpagos y cada vez que respiraba suspiraba, mis pensamientos siempre regresando a ti.)

“To be Named Olympia” (“Llamarse Olimpia”), Indira Cato (Mexico)

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2025-06-06 19:48