Inaugural Baja International Film Festival unveils slate

Prizes of up to $10,000 will go to the each of the best feature and short entries in the international and Mexican fictional and documentary features categories.

The festival will include the Mexico-US Film Forum on Nov 16 when industry experts will discuss investment and funding and the challenges faced by Mexican films in the US. During a screening of Miradas Multiples (La Máquina Loca) backers will officially launch a fund to support Mexican filmmakers and projects.

“We are proud to showcase a diverse and compelling film programme, ranging from special screenings of industry films to independent passion projects, all carefully selected by our programming committees to showcase the best in Mexican, US and international film,” said festival director Sean Cross.

“It was important for us to find a balance between our Mexican and international programming, to truly represent Mexico’s new wave of innovative filmmakers, while also highlighting the groundbreaking films being produced in the US and across the world,” said Mexican narrative features programmer Eva Sangiorgi.

“We have an incredible line-up and are excited to share this year’s programme with our attendees for the first annual Baja International Film Festival.”

International Narrative Features Competition:

7 Cajas, dirs. Juan Carlos Maneglia and Tana Schembori;

Faith, Love And Whiskey, dir Kristina Nikolova;

No, dir Pablo Larrain, starring Gael Garcia Bernal (pictured);

The Sky In Bloom, dir Tor Mian; and

While We Were Here, dir Kat Coiro.

International Narrative Special Presentations:

6 Month Rule, dir Blayne Weaver

For Lovers Only, dir Michael Polish

Mariachi Gringo, dir Tom Gustafson

Rise Of The Guardians, dir Peter Ramsay

Supporting Characters, dir Daniel Schechter

Thanks for Sharing, dir Stuart Blumberg

Mexican Narrative Features Competition:

Fogo, dir Yulene Olaizola;

Las Lágrimas, dir Pablo Delgado Sánchez;

Los Mejores Temas, dir Nicolás Pereda;

Rezeta, dir Luis Fernando Frías; and

Un Mundo Secreto, dir Gabriel Mariño.

Mexican Narrative Special Presentations:

Cabeza De Vaca, dir Nicolas Echevarria;

Después De Lucia, dir Michel Franco;

Hecho En México, dir Duncan Bridgeman;

De Tripas Corazón, dir Antonio Urrutia;      

Miradas Múltiples (La Máquina Loca), dir Emilio Maillé; and

Niño Fidencio (El Taumaturgo Del Espizazo), dir Nicolás Echevarría.

International Documentary Competition:

Blood Relative, dir Nimisha Mukerji;

First Position, dir Bess Kargman;

GuateMaya - The Unification Of Wisdom, dir Cassidy Rast; and

Nothing Like Chocolate, dir Kum-Kum Bhavnani.

Mexican Documentary Competition:

Buscando A Larisa, dir Andrés Pardo;

Cuates De Australia, dir Everardo González;

El Alcalde, dirs Carlos F Rossini, Emiliano Altuna, and Diego E Osorno;

Inori, dir Pedro González Rubio; and

La Revolución De Los Alcatraces, dir Luciana Kaplan.

International Shorts Competition:

Address Is Approximate, dir Tom Jenkins

Amaqqut Nunaat, dir Neil Christopher

And If Tomorrow…, dir Joe Iacovino;

Blackout, dir Francisco Lupini;

De Que Se Rien Las Hienas, dir Javier Veiga;

El Cocodrilo (The Crocodile), dir Steve Acevedo;

Grounded, dir Kevin Margo;

Hello Caller, dir Andrew Putschoegl;

Immobile, dir Helio Mira;

Julio Solis, A Move Shake Story, dir Alexandria Bombach;

La Mirada Perdida, dir Damián Dionisio;

Lichen, dir Kevin Lim;

Little Kaiju, dir Jonathan Baker;

Luminaris, dir Juan Pablo Zaramella;

Lunch Date, dir Sasha Collington;

Mentiroso, dir Will Shipley;

Mexican Cuisine, dir Fran Guijarro;

Neighbors, dir Rachel Goldberg;

Nostos, dirs Alessandro D’Ambrosi and Santa de Santis;         

Q, dir Felipe Vara de Rey;

Rascacielos, dir Mariana Torres;

Resen, dir Eti Tsicko;

Side Effects, dir Traven Rice;

Single Player, dir Paweł Soja;

The End, dir Ted Marcus;

The Gnome Garden, dir Elena Hattersley;

The Most Girl Part Of You, dir Mark Cummins;

The Price, dirs Zeke Pinheiro and James St.Vincent;

The Verbal Circuits, dir Elena Hattersley; and

Tu Ez Moi, dirs Melissa Papel and Clarisse Gorokhoff.

Mexican Shorts Competition:

Dentro, dir Emiliano Rocha Minter;

Dentro De Uno, dir Salvador Aguirre;

Dos De Tres, dir Paulina Rosas;

Ecuación, dir Gerardo Enrique Rodríguez Herrera;

Ismael, dir Sebastian Hofmann;

La Habitación, dir Raúl Sebastián Quintanilla;

La Noria, dir Karla Castañeda;

Las Manos Limpias, dir Carlos Armella;

Lucy Contra Los Límites De La Voz, dir Mónica Herrera;

Perro Azul, dir Federico Zuvire;

Un Ojo, dir Lorenza Manrique; and

Yuban, Yaasib Vázquez Colmenares.

Environmental Films:

Azul Intangible, dir Eréndira Valle Padilla;

Planet Ocean, dirs Yann Arthus-Bertrand and Michael Pitiot;

Open Pit, dir Gianni Converso; and

Pad Yatra: A Green Odyssey, dir Wendy J N Lee.

The best international and Mexican features will each win $10,000 while the best international and Mexican documentaries will collect $5,000 apiece and the best international and Mexican shorts will each earn $2,500.

The festival will take place at the new 72,000 sq-ft Los Cabos Convention Center.

Navarro is the festival president and supporters include Juan Gallardo, Alfonso Pasquel and Pablo Sanchez Navarro. Scott and Sean Cross serve as the festival’s artistic directors alongside Jorge Sanchez Sosa, former director of the Guadalajara Film Festival. Nancy Collet, former AFI director of programming, serves as festival senior international films programmer.