BAJA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL, LOS CABOS PREPARES ITS SECOND EDITION BY STRENGTHENING ITS INDUSTRY AREA
Baja International Film Festival, Los Cabos will be held November 13-16, 2013 to create a bridge between the film industries of Mexico, the U.S. and Canada.
BIFF explores reflective, daring and inspiring film proposals, and brings them to the audience, in order to consolidate a platform for cultural exchange, trade and tourism in a wonderful setting, bringing together leading professionals from the international film industry.
The program includes the animated film Foosball, by Academy Award winner Juan José Campanella, as the opening film and premiere in Mexico, as well as the world premiere special presentation of Cafe Tacvba’s new documentary: The Object Formerly Known as a Record, the Movie, by Gregory Allen, and a tribute to Gael García Bernal with The Science of Sleep by Michel Gondry.
BIFF presents the world premieres of El charro misterioso by José Manuel Cravioto and Volando bajo by Beto Gómez, Bering. Balance and Resistance, by Lourdes Grobet, Natural Philosophy of Love, by Sebastián Hiriart and LuTo, by Katina Medina Mora.
The Mexican Premieres include Fading Gigolo by John Turturro, Dallas Buyers Club by Jean-Marc Vallée, Only Lovers Left Alive by Jim Jarmusch, Wakolda by Lucia Puenzo, We are the Best! by Lukas Moodysson, Tom at the Farm by Xavier Dolan, Blackfish by Gabriela Cowperthwaite, among others.
Besides the presence of internationally renowned guests such as Charlie Sheen, BIFF has the privilege of hosting iconic filmmaker Peter Greenaway, who will talk to attendees about his latest film, Eisenstein in Guanajuato, which deals with the life of the Russian filmmaker in Mexico during the shooting of his unfinished project Viva Mexico.
In terms of programming, the Official Selection is divided into two sections, Los Cabos Competition for Mexican, U.S. and Canadian films, and Mexico First, for first and second films by Mexican filmmakers.
Moreover, in its commitment to strengthening different segments of the Mexican film industry, BIFF launches from its training platform the Sales Agents Training Workshop, to promote, for the first time in Mexico, a professionalization initiative in this area. Tutors will be renowned and respected industry professionals with an outstanding performance in marketing and international sales, including Nicholas Kaiser (Memento Films), Brigitte Suarez (The Match Factory), Cristina Garza (Mundial), Emi Norris (Independent media consultant), Diana Karklin (Rise & Shine) and Agathe Valentin (Les Films du Losange).
Additionally, three Industry Panels have been designed which will include roundtable discussions and meetings of U.S. and Canadian producers in order to identify projects in Mexico susceptible to co-production, as well as a roundtable dedicated to digital platforms.
The Industry area will promote projects in development and post-production stages, recognizing their quality. Therefore, BIFF has established a program that includes the Work In Progress Mexico and the Gabriel Figueroa Film Fund competitors, offering support and prizes, both cash and in kind, in partnership with leading companies in the film industry such as Moviecity, Labodigital, Splendor Omnia - Mantarraya and Casete.
This year BIFF, in collaboration with its partners, will give away $283,350 USD (two hundred eighty three thousand three hundred and fifty thousand U.S. dollars) in prizes in its various competition categories.
Also, as part of the festival, other parallel awards will be given: the Casete Award, for digital distribution, the Bengala Award, for film stories, and the BajaFilmFest DocsForum Award in support of the best Work In Progress in 8DocsDF.
OFFICIAL COMPETITION
Films from Mexico, the U.S. and Canada (fiction or documentary):
1. Alphée of the Stars, by Hugo Latulippe (Canada) - Latin-American premiere
2. The Dirties, by Matthew Johnson (Canada/U.S.) - Mexican premiere
3. Hide your Smiling Faces, by Daniel Patrick Carbone (U.S.) - Mexican premiere
4. I Used to be Darker, by Matthew Porterfield (U.S.) - Mexican premiere
5. Long Lost Hours, by Aarón Fernández (Mexico/France/Spain).
6. Short Term 12, by Destin Cretton (U.S.). Mexican premiere
7. Sarah Prefers to Run, by Chloé Robichaud (Canada) - Mexican premiere
8. Who is Dayani Cristal?, by Marc Silver (Mexico/UK) - Mexican premiere
The members of the jury will be Peter Scarlet (U.S.), Philippe Falardeau (Canada) and Ana de la Reguera (Mexico).
Awards: "The Protagonist" sculpture by Gabriel Macotela and a cash prize of $15,000 USD (fifteen thousand U.S. dollars), given by BIFF.
MEXICO FIRST
First and second films by Mexican filmmakers (fiction or documentary):
- Heights, by Gabriel Nuncio.
- Bering. Balance and Resistance, by Lourdes Grobet - World premiere
- Natural Philoposhy of Love, by Sebastián Hiriart -World premiere
- The Life After, by David Pablos.
- The Amazing Catfish, by Claudia Sainte-Luce.
- LuTo, by Katina Medina Mora -World premiere
The members of the jury will be Luis Puenzo (Argentina), Daniel Giménez Cacho (Mexico) and Rémi Bonhomme (France).
Awards: "The Protagonist" sculpture by Gabriel Macotela and a cash prize of $15,000 USD (fifteen thousand U.S. dollars), given by BIFF, plus a parallel prize granted by Moviecity, which consists in the acquisition of broadcasting rights of one of the competing films in its Latin American channels, with a value of $40,000 USD (forty thousand U.S. dollars).
WORK IN PROGRESS MEXICO
This commitment to support the completion of Mexican films in post-production stage, in addition to giving away a cash prize to conclude the film, offers paytv purchasing rights by Moviecity, and a parallel prize for postproduction services by Omnia Splendor-Mantarraya, as well as a showcase for these productions to be presented to leading representatives of national and international film festivals:
- Asteroide, by Marcelo Tobar.
- Edén, by Elise Durant.
- El comienzo del tiempo, by Bernardo Arellano.
- El regreso del muerto, by Gustavo Gamou.
- Los bañistas, by Max Zunino.
- Mexicanos de Bronce, by Julio Fernández Talamantes.
The members of the jury will be Genna Terranova (U.S.), Nadia Dresti (Switzerland) and Mauricio Durán (Mexico).
Cash prize: $10,000 USD (ten thousand U.S. dollars) awarded by BIFF.
WIP Moviecity Prize: $30,000 USD (thirty thousand U.S. dollars) for paytv rights.
WIP-Splendor Omnia-Mantarraya: $25,000 USD (twenty five thousand U.S. dollars) in color and audio correction services.
GABRIEL FIGUEROA FILM FUND
In its second edition, BIFF creates a financial support fund for projects in their first stage of development, by which seven Mexican projects will benefit with $5,000 USD (five thousand U.S. dollars) each. Also, in collaboration with Labodigital, this fund provides resources for films in post-production stage, benefitting two projects at their final stage with services worth $51,620 USD (fifty-one thousand six hundred and twenty U.S. dollars).
The Gabriel Figueroa Film Fund aims to carry out a joint effort to promote new Mexican talent. We are confident that this support will open the doors to film stories with unique artistic visions and great quality.
In Los Cabos, one of the most beautiful places in our country, we want to make this annual event a friendly and useful meeting with leading members of the national and international film industry.
This space is built by you, for you, and together we will grow.
Everybody is welcome!
Come see what the neighbors are doing.
Mexico, the U.S. and Canada showcase their best films to the world.
Screenings November 13-17
Cinemex Puerto Paraíso
Beginning at 11:00 a.m.
Tickets for sale at the box office
Galas Cinemex Puerto Paraíso
Time: 4:30 p.m.
Free Tickets
(available through radio promotions,
universities, social networks, etc.)
Subject to availability
Galas Pabellón Cultural de la República
November 13-16
Red Carpet: 7:00 p.m.
Inside Theatre / by invitation
Outdoor Theatre / Free Tickets
(available through radio promotions,
universities, social networks, etc.)
Contact
Claudia Del Castillo
Alberto Cohen
[email protected]
Tel. +( 52 ) 55 2966 6953
Tel. +( 52 ) 55 3265 8382
Newsroom
Located in Puerto Paraíso
Next to Cinemex.
