GIFF, an organic festival that makes, shows and launches filmmaking.
Presenting the very first SeriesLab, which brings together international leaders in content creation and strategies for developing TV series, GIFF sets a trend for the industry.
- Kirk Ellis, winner of 2 Emmys, a Golden Globe and a WGA award for his miniseries John Adams will be present at GIFF’s Series Lab.
- GIFF presents world and Latin American premieres, such as Love & Mercy, Dir. Bill Pohland, Life, Dir. Anton Corbijn, Black Dog, Red Dog, Dir. James Franco (+others).
- Premiere actor Eric del Castillo, will receive the Silver Cross in San Miguel Allende for his long artistic career.
MEXICO CITY, JULY 6, 2015. The Guanajuato International Film Festival revealed to a press conference its official schedule for its 18th edition, which will take place in San Miguel Allende and Guanajuato City on July 17-26, with Turkey as its Guest Country of Honor.
This festival is world renowned for its commitment to innovation, creativity and support to filmmaking, which is proven by the large number of allied festivals and institutions, such as Cannes’ La Cinefundation, Torino Film Lab, Idependante Film Project, Writer’s Guild of America, Cinemart, all focused on international film development and innovation.
OFFICIAL SELECTION
This relationship with prestigious institutions allows, among other things, to call on an extraordinary number of filmmakers all over the world. This year, there are more than 3,000 films from 118 countries. There are 225 films in the Official Selection, which promises an outstanding cinematic banquet which most will not be able to enjoy again.
GALA EVENTS
There are three Gala Events in this year’s GIFF schedule: Love & Mercy, Dir. Bill Pohland (USA), Life, Dir. Anton Corbijn (Canada, Germany, Australia), Black Dog, Red Dog, Dir.: James Franco, Anastasia Frank, Pedro Gomez Millan, Zachary Kerschberg, Brian Lannin, Leonora Lonsdale, Jon Matthews, Charles Rogers, Isabella Wing-Davey. Adriana Cepeda, (USA).
FIRST SERIES LAB IN MEXICO
With the introduction in Mexico of SeriesLab, web ring together world leaders in content creation and TV development strategies, GIFF sets and industry trend.
Among other renowned producers present will be Kirk Ellis, two-time Emmy winner, Golden Globe and WGA winner for his miniseries John Adams, developed for HBO.
This space will provide conferences dedicated to top showrunners, directors, writers, talents and most importantly, international television, cable and web networks like HBO, SONY, MTV, NBC, DREAMWORKS, FOX, WARNER BROS., among others.
ALWAYS A STEP AHEAD
EPICENTER, GIFF HACK, THINK TANK, “GEEK WEEK”: Epicenter GIFF is a Mexican platform created by GIFF to find tools and mechanisms that benefit filmmaking while offering an avant-garde experience. “With Epicenter GIFF we seek to create film with a narrative where people cease to be spectators and become participants in films through a virtual reality, for which we take advantage of new technologies and call on Young programmers and creative code writers from all over the country”, says Sarah Hoch, director of GIFF.
Those who attend the 18th edition of GIFF en San Miguel Allende will encounter an out-of-this-world experience.
Other activities in which GIFF will seek to keep strengthening the film industry in Mexico are: Think Tank 2015, Co-production Day, XII International Pitching Market, Incubator sessions and we will meet the winners of the XIV National Screenwriting Contest.
SPECIAL PROGRAM: MEXICOMORPHOSIS In celebrating 100 years since the publication of The Metamorphosis, GIFF presents a special showing of films inspired by the work of Franz Kafka, starting with Orson Welles’ The Trial and Michael Haneke’s The Castle, up to the recent Chinese film K. by Erdenibulag Darhad and Emyr Ap Richard.
Within the Mexicomorphosis documentary showcase, we will show a series of films that have in some way motivated social change or have led to a change, which include: Cartel Land, Everyday Rebellion and All of Me.
Our program is completed by a series of master conferences that seek to start a conversation and motivate reflection on our country’s situations. To this end, we present Cátedra Kafka headed by journalist Sergio Sarmiento, a conference named Ayotzinapa, Not a Moment of Silence, presented by Amnesty International and headed by Epigmenio Ibarra. We also present our panel Apology or Combatting Crime in Cinema, featuring Amat Escalante, Luis Mandoki, Carlos Bolado, Gerardo Naranjo and moderated by journalist Columba Vertíz.
NATIONAL TRIBUTE
In this 18th edition, GIFF will pay tribute to our premier actor Eric del Castillo, a Guanajuato native who has made more than 400 feature films.
WOMEN IN FILM AND TELEVISION
We will be paying tribute to actress Jacqueline Andere and director of Filmoteca UNAM Guadalupe Ferrer, as our Women in Film and Television in Guanajuato.
TURKEY, GUEST COUNTRY OF HONOR
Through their film institutions and special deliveries, Turkey will exhibited a selection of highlights from their film industry, both historical and contemporary, to celebrate their recent film centennial. We will host a Gala event for “Sivas”, awarded at the Valencia Film Festival, with the presence of director Kaan Müjdeci, as well as 2014 Palm D’Or winner “Winter Sleep” with the presence of actress Melisa Sözen. The public will have the opportunity to enjoy Glimpses from the Ottoman Empire, a silent film showcase with live music by Turkish group Baba Zula.
BILATERAL FORUM: Dialogue and co-production between Turkey and Mexico
An anual encounter co-organized by IMCINE and GIFF, with the goal of creating a space to expose and talk about the current situation in the television industries of Mexico and Turkey and the possibilities of co-producing cinema.
7TH UNIVERSITY RALLY
Guanajuato City will be filled with talented students in the seventh edition of the University Rally, 48 hours of production in which about a hundred youngsters will produce, shoot and edit their Project in a race against time. This year, the teams are coming from Nayarit, Coahuila, Querétaro, Jalisco, Puebla and Mexico City, as well as a team from Turkey. What’s new this year is that these short films will be scored by nine musical groups: Apolo, Sierra León, Camilo VII, Ayer Amarillo, Sotomayor, Capo, Rey Apache, Belafonte Sensacional and María Robot.
FILM + MUSIC
GIFF will feature a nurtured musical selection for the ears of the festival’s audience to be pleased as well as the eyes. Our selection includes 13 concerts with bands like Turkey’s Baba Zula, Rebel Cats, Le Big Sur, Sonido Gallo Negro, Belafonte Sensacional and Marissa Mur, just to name a few.
UNIVERSITY DOCUMENTARY IDENTITY AND BELONGING
For the sixth time, the stories of Guanajuato will be told through the voices of its youth. The six University Documentaries will launch the activities in the state’s capital, which will see the premieres of: Guantes y Navajas (Universidad Iberoamericana León), La Música desde un Rincón (Univ. Tecnológica del Suroeste de Guanajuato), Trayecto de las Luces (Univ. de León), El Guardián (Univ. de Guanajuato), Sin Polvo (Univ. de Celaya) y Bajo las Brasas (Univ. de La Salle Bajío).
KIDS IN ACTION GALA
The youngest ones will have a Children’s Gala Event with Shaun the Sheep, where the kids of San Miguel Allende and Guanajuato City can walk the Red Carpet.
LOCATIONS
GIFF returns to the streets, squares, cemeteries, subterranean tunnels and main theaters of its two host cities. This time it will have a larger presence in the capital’s center with several important activities in the University of Guanajuato.
San Miguel de Allende
Main Garden, Bellas Artes / Ignacio Martínez “El Nigromante” Cultural Center, Culture House, Ángela Peralta Theater, Santa Ana Theater, Cinemex, Celaya Exit’s Municipal Cemetery.
Guanajuato City
General Auditorium in the University of Guanajuato, the Juárez Theater, the Principal Theater, the Steps of the University of Guanajuato, Cinemas Guanajuato, Cervantes Theater, Alhóndiga de Granaditas, Cinemex, the tunnels and the Guanajuato Municipal Cemetery.
GIFF, an organic festival that makes, shows and launches filmmaking.
The 18th edition of GIFF will take place on July 17-26. 2015.
For our full schedule, visit: www.giff.mx
#GIFF2015
