The Film Verdict: Mexico at Annecy

Mexico at Annecy Mexican Shorts in Competition

THE SIREN

VERDICT: Iranian director Sepideh Farsi opens a revelatory and very chilling window on a city under siege by a foreign power in her powerful, animated coming-ofager, ‘The Siren’.

Deborah Young, February 16, 2023

have only made this letter longer because I have not had the time to make it shorter,” said French physicist and philosopher Blaise Pascal, who knew what he was talking about. Making a short film, especially an animated short, requires a lot of work, commitment, capacity for synthesis and, yes, talent. The Mexican directors competing at the Annecy International Animation Festival have all this and more invested in their shorts. They all tell stories, all the narratives are moving, and they grab your attention from the very first frame.

Their depth goes far beyond the tools used to build the images. A

policeman urgently asking for help; a friar who doubts the role of his church; a grandmother and her granddaughter sharing sensations through time; a child facing a terrible fate; the presence of plastic in our blood; the consequences of a nuclear attack- all these topics reach the viewer through paper, charcoal, puppets, collages, and animation in 2D and 3D. It would be very difficult to find actors who could convey so many emotions in so few minutes, and cartoons, paper or virtual environments are as intimidating or as comfortable as any set.

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A plucky 14-year-old boy on the cusp of manhood takes the audience on a frightening trip back to Iran in the 1980’s, when his native city of Abadan, the country’s largest port city, falls under attack in the long war of attrition with Iraq. It was a war in which some 1.5 million lives were lost, most of them civilians. Taking full advantage of animation and its ability to recreate explosions, missiles and warfare as well as dramatic scenes of masses, filmmaker Sepideh Farsi chooses a classic storytelling idiom for The Siren (La sirène) centered around young Omid, through whose eyes we see the horrors of a city under siege. Full Review

Blood Type: Plastic, directed by Diego Huacuja

CINEVERDICT: Cortos mexicanos en competencia

“Perdónenme por hacer este texto largo, pero no tengo tiempo de hacerlo corto” el físico francés Blas Pascal sabía lo que decía. Hacer un corto para cine, en especial de animación requiere mucho trabajo, compromiso, capacidad de síntesis y si, talento. Los directores mexicanos de animación en competencia en el Festival Internacional de Animación de Annecy tienen todo esto y más invertido en sus cortos. Todos cuentan historias, todas las narraciones son conmovedoras, te atrapan en el primer cuadro. Su profundidad va mucho más allá que las herramientas usadas para construir las imágenes. Un policía pidiendo auxilio; un fraile que duda del papel de su iglesia; una abuela y su nieta compartiendo sensaciones a través del tiempo; un niño con un terrible destino; la presencia de plástico en nuestra sangre; las consecuencias de un ataque nuclear; todo esto llega al espectador a través de papel, carboncillo, títeres, collages, animaciones en 2 y 3 dimensiones. Sería muy difícil encontrar actores que pudieran transmitir tantas emociones en tan pocos minutos; los ambientes de dibujos, papel o virtuales son tan intimidantes o confortables como cualquier set. Todos los cortos son conmovedoramente realistas, pero la realidad está mezclada con una fantasía que ignora con descaro las leyes de la física. La animación mexicana en 2023 no vive de pasadas glorias; hoy, los directores of animación trabajan todos los días, creando proyectos con

que se integrarán de inmediato al gran mosaico de la animación global.

Una animación con títeres es una técnica muy poco explorada en las películas sobre el holocausto judío. La directora jalisciense Rita Basulto ganadora de tres arieles - premio de la Academia Mexicana de Cinematografía- y miembro de la Academia de Artes Cinematográficas de Hollywood abraza el reto con devoción en Humo, corto en competencia en la sección oficial. Sus demacrados títeres de madera y el humo dibujado de las chimeneas, son tan devastadores como un documental; en algunos momentos aún más, en especial cuando el pequeño protagonista deja escapar su imaginación, lo único que puede ser libre en ese lugar.

Carne de Dios, corto en competencia en la sección oficial, es una animación 2D que podríamos catalogar como clásica, pero la narrativa es arriesgada y disruptiva. Un fraile franciscano en

la época colonial mexicana,soberbio y autoritario hasta el momento en el que se desploma, es alimentado por una anciana con hongos por propósitos terapéuticos. Los efectos -eróticos, escalofriantes, inapropiados para un hombre de Dios- mezclan las creencias del conquistador y del conquistado en un efecto escalofriante. Lo mejor de Carne de Dios es que sus indicadores de tiempo –medio de transporte y de comunicaciónpueden ser obviados con facilidad y convertirla en una historia actual; por desgracia el desdén por las creencias autóctonas y las restricciones de las religiones no son cosa del pasado.

I

Can't Go on Like

This by Aria Covamonas from Planet Earth es un milagro del reciclado y sin embargo es un proyecto único. Covamonas utilizó trozos de audio de audio de películas de Otto Preminger a Bernard Kowalski y las imágenes son del Continúa en la página siguiente

Trasiego, directed by Amanda Woolrich identidad propia

CINEVERDICT: Cortos mexicanos (continuación)

Catálogo en línea de la Library of Congress. I can´t go… en competencia en la sección Offlimits es un collage de animación sobre el hartazgo del trabajo repetitivo y la amenaza atómica mezclado con una dosis de humor que lo hace no solo digerible sino disfrutable.

K8 es una clave de la policía mexicana para solicitar apoyo o respaldo durante un operativo. Miguel Anaya Borja, director de K8 corto en competencia en Perspectivas no confió este llamado a un actor, usó llamadas reales de policías que cayeron en emboscadas de narcos y desesperados piden auxilio. En contrapunto se oye la voz de una maestra de jardín de niños que da instrucciones con voz tranquila a sus alumnos durante una balacera. La animación, que parece flotar y hacer metamorfosis a partir de dibujo con carboncillo, apoya la desesperación de las voces de los policías y la forzada calma de la maestra.

La muerte y los recuerdos, no son temas fáciles para discutir en un corto animado. La directora Amanda Wooldrich añade además en su corto Trasiego en competencia en la sección Perspectivas, migración y formas de expresión. Con todo esto establece una plática a distancia con su abuela Fanny Rabel usando las voces originales, cartas, fotos familiares y técnicas diversas que incluyen dibujos con carboncillo y acuarelas. El resultado es una narración onírica, reflexiva, que hace que el espectador desee participar ella.

Humo (Smoke), directed by Rita Basulto Tipo de sangre: plástico, en competencia en la sección Cortos Comisionados, fue un encargo de la Fundación Common Seas al animador mexicano Diego Huacuja con la Agencia Soze. Apenas 59 segundos de animación 2D nos enfrentan a la aterradora certeza

de la presencia de plástico en nuestra sangre; la voz del gran Stephen Fry agrega gravitas al corto. Huacuja hace el tema accessible con movimiento constante, una paleta en tonos azules y estableciendo un equivalente visual con otras partículas sanguíneas.

K8, directed by Miguel Anaya Borja

MEXICAN SHORTS (Continued)

All the shorts are expressively realistic, but this reality is mixed with fantasy that can blatantly ignore the laws of physics.

Mexican animation in 2023 does not rest on its past glories. Today, these directors work at creating projects with their own identity. The competing films in Annecy will be immediately integrated into the great mosaic of global animation. Puppet animation is a technique rarely explored in films about the Holocaust. Director Rita Basulto from Jalisco, winner of three Ariel awards from the Mexican Academy of Cinematography and a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, embraces the challenge in her short Smoke, competing in the official section. Its gaunt wooden puppets and smoke drawn from the chimneys are as devastating as a documentary, in certain moments even more so This is especially true when the little protagonist lets his imagination run free, the only thing unrestricted in that dreadful place.

Carne de Dios, another short in the official competition, is a 2D animation that could be called a classic, but the narrative is risky and disruptive. A Franciscan friar in the Mexican colonial era, arrogant and authoritarian, is fed mushrooms by an old woman for therapeutic purposes after he collapses. The effects of the mushrooms – erotic and inappropriate for a man of the cloth – mix the beliefs of the conqueror and the conquered to chilling effect. The best thing about Carne de Dios is that its time indicators such as means of

I Can’t Go on Like This by Aria Covamonas from Planet Earth transportation and communication, can easily be ignored to make it a current story; unfortunately, disdain for indigenous beliefs and restrictive religions are not limited to the past.

I Can't Go on Like This by Aria Covamonas from Planet Earth is a miracle of recycling, and at the same time a unique project Over images from the Library of Congress Online Catalog, Covamonas uses audio clips from films by directors ranging from Otto Preminger to Bernard Kowalski. The short, competing in the Off-Limits section, is an animated collage about the alienation of repetitive work and the threat of the atomic bomb, mixed with a dose of humor that makes it not only palatable but also enjoyable.

“K8” is a code word for Mexican police when they call to request support or backup during an operation. Miguel Anaya Borja, director of the short K8 competing in the Perspectives section, did not delegate these calls to an actor, but

instead used actual calls from police officers who fell into ambushes by narcos and desperately asked for help. In counterpoint, the voice of a kindergarten teacher is heard calmly giving instructions to her students during a shooting. The animation, which seems to float and metamorphose from a charcoal drawing, augments the desperation in the policeman's voice and the forced calm of the teacher.

Death and memories are not easy topics to discuss in an animated short. Director Amanda Wooldrich adds to these deep topics a look at migration and forms of expression in her film Shiftings, which is in competition in the Perspectives section. With all this, she establishes a remote conversation with her grandmother Fanny Rabel using original voices, letters, family photos and various techniques that include charcoal drawings and watercolors. The result is a dreamlike, reflective narrative that makes the viewer want to participate in it.

Blood Type: Plastic, in competition in the Commissioned Shorts section, was an assignment given by the Common Seas Foundation to Mexican animator Diego Huacuja and the Soze Agency. It takes barely 59 seconds of 2D animation to confront us with the terrifying certainty of the presence of plastic in our blood. Huacuja makes the subject accessible with constant movement, a palette of blue tones, and establishing a visual equivalent with other blood particles, while the voice of the great Stephen Fry adds gravitas to the film.

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Kudos to Jorge R. Gutierrez Annecy Master Class Main Speaker

Jorge Gutiérrez is exactly what one might expect from the creator of the Golden Globe-nominated animated feature film The Book of Life and director of the Netflix Animation series Maya and the Three: someone with a great sense of humor, accessible, witty. What else can I say? He frequently visits his mother.

He is a graphic artist, animator, producer, scriptwriter and even does some voices for his characters. However, his favorite part is working together with other artists and “sharing their artistic vision and how they see Mexico from the outside,” he said in an interview with TFV.

Gutiérrez will be the main speaker and patron of the Annecy Festival MIFA Campus Master Class. “They told me that I will be a kind of mentor for the students,” he said. “I like the name ‘patron’, it’s like being ‘Mr. Big Cheese’ in the Campus.” He is honored to have this assignment which was previously hosted by Masaaki Yuasa, Guillermo del Toro, Richard Williams, Nora Twomey and Marguerite Abouet; but, says Gutierrez, “my class will be more fun.” And possibly the most popular one, too. A week before the Master Class, the demand to participate was so great that the festival decided to broadcast it live on YouTube, and it will remain on the platform.

In addition to his Master Class, Jorge Gutiérrez will be on a jury in the virtual reality section and he is the author of the Annecy Festival poster. True to its aesthetic, the poster is full of anthropological references and popular Mexican characters. Vibrant colors catch your eye at first glance; the hundreds of details could leave you contemplating it for hours.

The animator, a graduate of CalArts, continues to be amazed at his own success. He has achieved the Holy Grail of film directors, earning a good living doing what he is passionate about. “Many times somebody has proposed a project that I really like and I think, ‘and they’re going to pay me!’ but of course I don’t say it out loud.” During his student days, he had photos of Guillermo del Toro, Alfonso Cuarón, and Alejandro González Iñárritu in his dorm.

“They were my example: if they did it, I could do it, too”. But his inspiration in life is Mexican painter and illustrator Gabriel Covarrubias. “He published drawings in Vanity Fair and The New Yorker, but he also painted. He was a friend of Diego Rivera, he was involved in what was happening in society and was a creator. That’s what an artist is all about.”

Gutiérrez has some advice for young animators. “No one can control the amount of talent one has inside, but one can decide how to use one’s time. If you are taking part in a project, concentrate on it and give more than what is asked of you, so you can be the best”. Jorge Gutiérrez also has something to say to producers: “Take a chance. Don’t forget that at the time they were made, Star Wars and Toy Story were risky projects. Bet on the new: it’s the only way to not keep repeating the same movie over and over again.” Sound advice from an animator, and useful in all genres.

– Interview by Lucy Virgen

CINEVERDICT:

Kudos para Jorge R. Gutierrez

Mifa Campus Patron

orge Gutiérrez es exactamente lo que uno espera del creador del Libro de la vida y Maya y los tres: gran sentido del humor, accesible, ingenioso ¿Qué más puedo decir? Visita con frecuencia a su mamá. Es artista gráfico, animador, productor, guionista e incluso hace algunas voces de sus personajes, sin embargo su parte favorita es la colaboración con otros artistas “compartir su visión artística y cómo ven a México desde afuera” dijo en entrevista para TFV.

Gutiérrez será el orador en la Master Class del Campus MIFA del Festival de Annecy. “Me dijeron que seré una especie de mentor para los chavos, a mí me gusta el nombre `patrono`, es como ser `Don papas fritas` del Campus”. Se siente honrado de tener esta encomienda después de Masaaki Yuasa, Guillermo del Toro, Richard Williams, Nora Twomey y Marguerite Abouet, pero “mi clase será más divertida”. Y la más popular también, una semana antes de la fecha la demanda fue tal que el Festival transmitirá la clase por You Tube y permanecerá en la plataforma.

Además de esta Master Class, Jorge Gutiérrez es el autor del cartel del Festival de Annecy. Fiel a su estética, el cartel está lleno de referencias antropológicas y personajes populares mexicanos. El colorido vibrante te atrapa en la primer mirada; los cientos de detalles hacen que te quedes contemplándolo por horas.

El animador, graduado del Instituto de Artes de California, no deja de estar asombrado por haber logrado el Santo Grial de los directores de cine, ganarse bien la vida haciendo lo que le apasiona, “muchas veces me proponer un proyecto que me gusta mucho y pienso `y me van a pagar´, pero claro no lo digo”.

Durante su época de estudiante tenía las fotos de Guillermo del Toro, Alfonso Cuarón y Alejandro González Iñárritu en su dormitorio, “eran el ejemplo, si ellos lo lograron, yo podía hacerlo“.

– Lucy Virgin

ART COLLEGE 1994

VERDICT: Painter-filmmaker Liu Jian’s third animated feature (his second in Berlin competition) lacks the bite to capture the painful realities faced by Chinese art school students as their country opened up to the West and capitalist ideals.

Clarence Tsui, February 24, 2023

When painter-turned-director Liu Jian’s Have A Nice Day bowed in competition at the Berlinale in 2017, it was seen as the dawn of a new era for Chinese animation movies, which up until then had been dominated by family-friendly entertainment. The film’s jet-black humour, fatalist narrative and vividly realist images have led to much anticipation about what beckons onwards for Liu and his peers. With his latest film, however, that distant moment of hope seemed to have sadly passed.

A snapshot of how a group of young painters and musicians contend with the uncertainty posed by their country’s lurch towards the West and the freemarket dogma it entailed, Art College 1994 veers away from the bigger picture and instead zeroes in on the trifling emotional convulsions of a very small coterie of stock characters. Offering middlebrow melodrama that lacks the irreverent bite of yore, Liu’s third feature resembles a more animated version of the youthful rite-of-passage dramas which have been four-a-penny in mainstream mainland Chinese cinema. Beyond the odd exchange about art and its value in such turbulent times, the film pivots quickly towards the apolitical loves and lives of its young characters. Not that these sentiments don’t exist – and many an aspiring artist has no doubt experienced such confusion in their youth – but the critical historical juncture on which the film was set is simply too important to be ignored.

haga click aquì

We will never know whether this is down to Liu (who graduated from art school himself in 1993) going all autobiographical and nostalgic, or because of external factors forced him and co-screenwriter Lin Shan to make the social backdrop more opaque. Pointing to the latter scenario are several title cards slapped on at the end of the film which state the happy-ever-after endings of the characters (they were not translated into English or German at the Berlin screening). Full Review

Mexican Presence Expands at Annecy Presence Extends to All Areas of the Festival

by Lucy Virgin

In addition to the Annecy festival poster featuring a colorful trajinera boat carrying carrying the elegant lady La Catrina and all the Mexican short films in competition, the country’s presence extends to every area of the festival. A feature film for television is in competition. The Dr. Gecko Show: Sex Gender directed by Marcos Almada uses a mix of real actors and 2D animations, to make children between 6 and 9 years old aware of the difference between gender and sex, a distinction which is still elusive for many adults.

Marcos Almada is an author, illustrator, and audiovisual producer of content for children. In addition to the series El Show del Dr. Gecko, he has taught animation and literature workshops for children in communities across the country.

Works in progress at the Annecy Animated Film Market include the presentation of two Mexican projects.

Frankelda and the Prince of Spooks, a feature film project directed by the brothers Roy and Arturo Ambriz, is the story of a Mexican woman writer in the 19th century who travels as a ghost to a kingdom inhabited by

her own characters. Her mission is to reestablish the balance between the Kingdom of Fiction and the Kingdom of Existence.

Batman Azteca: Clash of Empires is directed by José Meza for Ánima Studios and presents the first pre-Hispanic superhero. It is the story of the young Aztec Yohualli Coatl who loses his father to the Spanish Conquistadors. Yohualli tries to reach Tenochtitlan to warn Emperor Moctezuma of the danger and, of course, avenge his father’s death.

Nine special programs of 88 shorts are divided by themes to facilitate their approach to the

public. They range from shorts from the 1980’s, now considered historic, such as El compa Clodomiro y el capitalismo, from the 1980’s, now considered historic, such as El compa Clodomiro y el capitalismo,

Jury members who will select the awardwinners in Annecy will include several Mexicans:

Sofía Alexander, a juror in the Feature Film Section. She is a storyboard artist, director, supervisor, and producer for companies like Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network, Disney TV, AMC, and Marvel. She hopes “to help establish animation as an artistic medium, and to tell diverse, unprecedented stories that reflect the world we live in”.

Estrella Araiza, jury member in the Films for Television and Commissioned Films sections, is the general director of the Guadalajara International Film Festival. Throughout her career as promoter and distributor, she has focused on Mexican and Latin American cinema.

Jorge Gutiérrez, Mexican director and producer, will be on a jury in the Virtual Reality section. (See Kudos section.)

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The Perspectives section will be judged by three young Mexican animation professionals, who will present the City of Annecy award: Airam Gracia, Sara Gutiérrez and Pablo Emiliano Pérez.

The Nouvelle Vague of Mexican Animation groups six projects full of significance, especially in France. They will be distributed on different plat-forms, for different audiences. All participate in the Audience Award at the Annecy Festival. A Mutt’s Tale Is a 3D animated feature film for a family audience. In it, the Aztec god Quetzalcóatl reincarnates as Ramón, a Xoloitzcuintle dog, with the mission of restoring love between dogs and humans. Directed by Patricia García Peña and Bruce Morris.

The ABC of Racism in Mexico is a micro series in 10 chapters of 5 minutes each, directed by Antonio Arellano. Using animation and collage in a satirical way, it raises awareness among young adults, and hope-fully all ages, about the obvious and hidden forms of racism in Mexico. It has interviews with expert anthropologists and is partially spoken in indigenous languages.

Mambo y Domingo is a television series for preschool children that narrates the adventures of a very smart corgi and his imaginative neighbor, a guinea pig. This Mexican-Canadian co-production is directed by Henedy Macias and Dieter Magallan.

Trace of Your Blood in The Snow is a feature film based on a short story by Gabriel García Márquez – part of the writer’s Twelve Pil-grim Tales – directed by Gonzalo García Barcha and Elías Nahmias. It is a 2D animation for adults and young adults.

King Mystery vs. Darkness is a children’s series in which a wrestler`s mask has superpowers that help in the eternal fight against evil. The directors intro-duce themselves using the names of wrestlers: Gemelo Catrina I, Gemelo Catrina II, Mestizo Enmascarado – a sign they are deeply into the plot!

Time to Fly – Cosmonaute 360 is a 3D animated short for children in which a group of explor-ers of the cosmos climb mountains on a pony and meet animals and plants extinct in their time. Directed by Jesús Pérez Irigoyen.

Mambo y Domingo Mexican Presence Cont’d

La labor del IMCINE ( Instituto Mexicano de Cinematografía) está presente en todos los ámbitos de la industria cinematográfica del país. El más reconocible es la producción; en 2022 el Instituto participó en el 46% de los 258 largometrajes terminados o en fase de postproducción. De ellos el 2.5% de los largometrajes y el 7% de los cortos fueron animaciones. Sin embargo, aun con estos números, los cortos y largos animados constituyeron el 22% de las exhibiciones de películas mexicanas en el extranjero. De hecho de las 10 películas más exhibidas en el extranjero el año pasado, 4 son cortometrajes de animación, el más mostrado fue Tío de Juan Medina

El año pasado las animaciones constituyeron la mitad del total de las películas para niños y adolescentes, el público del futuro. Estas son: Águila y Jaguar. Los guerreros legendarios dirigida por Mike R. Ortiz , La leyenda de los chaneques de Marvick Núñez , Salvar el árbol de Iker Álvarez y Haizea Pastor, Uma & Haggen Benito Fernández y Batman Azteca. Choque de imperios de Juan José Meza en postproducción en este momento.

The work of IMCINE (Mexican Institute of Cinematography) is present in all areas of the country’s film industry. The most recognizable one is production: in 2022 the Institute participated in 46% of the 258 feature films completed or in the postproduction phase. Of these, 2.5% of the feature films and 7% of the shorts were animations. However, even with these numbers, animated shorts and features made up 22% of the screenings of Mexican films abroad. In fact, of the 10 most screened films abroad last year, 4 are animated short films, and the most viewed one was Uncle by Juan Medina.

Last year animations made up half of all films for children and teens, the audience of the future. These include Eagle and Jaguar, Legendary Warriors directed by Mike R. Ortiz, The Legend of the Chaneques by Marvick Núñez, Save the Tree by Iker Álvarez and Haizea Pastor, Uma & Haggen by Benito Fernández and Batman Azteca Clash of Empires by Juan José Meza, which is in post-production.

Director Profile: Aria Covamonas

Aria Covamonas (he/she), by her own admission,was born in 1979 (Solar Common Era) on Earth, a naturally occurring planet in the solar system. Aria is a self-taught filmmaker, photomonteur, and animator. They are best known for their animated films, which are notably influenced by the photomontages of Hannah Höch and the oeuvre of mistress Margaret Dumont. Aria`s short films “Socrates’ Adventure in the Underground,” “Hideouser and Hideouser,” “Unidentified Item No. 984,” “Taxidermy for Beginners,” “Camille SaintSaëns’ The Carnival of the Animals,” and “Tinnitus” have been shown extensively around the world. Covamona`s first feature “The Great History of Western Philosophy“ is a work-in-progress.

CINEVERDICT

Perfil del director: Aria Covamonas

Aria Covamonas es una artista de género fluidode la Tierra, un planeta naturalmente formado en el Sistema Solar. Aria es cineasta autodidacta, fotomontadora y animadora. Sus trabajos denotan la influencia de Hannah Höch y Margaret Gaumont. Sus cortos animados: La odisea espeleológica de Sócrates, Hideouser and Hideouser, Unidentified Item No.984, Taxidermy for Beginners, Camille Saint-Saëns The Carnival of the Animals, y Tinnitus, se han exhibido alrededor del mundo. Su primer largometraje animado La gran historia de la filosofía occidental está en proceso.

Director Profile:

Animator and film director Patricio Plaza was bornin Buenos Aires, Argentina. After studying visual arts and audiovisual communication, he worked as a commercial 2D animator for over 20 years, participating in 7 feature films and numerous series and advertising projects. With an emphasis on animation for adults with a political perspective, he co-authored two short films: El Empleo (2008) and Padre (2013), both of which were selected in over 500 festivals and received more than 200 international awards.

In 2019 Plaza founded Ojo Raro, a production and reflection space focused on animated imagery that aims to produce animation of popular genres from a South American and queer perspective. Carne de Dios, the company’s first short film, was selected for the Official Competition of the Annecy Festival and has already won the award for Best Argentine Short Film at the Mar del Plata Film Festival.

After studying Graphic Communication Design at the Autonomous Metropolitan University (UAM), Miguel Anaya Borja has worked in the areas of art direction, graphic design, advertising, production, and animation. He taught animation courses at the Universidad Iberoamericana, graphic design at the UAM and workshops for children and adults in several states in the country. His first short film “De la vista nace el amor” won an Ariel award for Best Animated Short Film. His animated shorts have won prizes at festivals around the world, among them El armadillo fronterizo, Tlacuache de maguey, El color de mis alas, and El último jaguar. K8 is his tenth animated short film.

Director Profile: Miguel Anaya Borja

CINEVERDICT: Kudos para José Iñesta Premio de la Industria de la Animación MIFA

José Iñesta se define a sí mismo, en una conversación con TFV, como “un porrista de la animación”. En otras palabras “ha contribuido con la magnífica aventura de la animación mexicana, así como al desarrollo de una verdadera industria en el país” según la mención del Premio de la Industria del Festival de Annecy.

Iñesta es el cofundador -junto a su hermano Jordi- de Pixelatl, una plataforma dedicada a promover la animación mexicana dentro y fuera del país. Iñesta nunca ha hecho animación de ningún tipo –tampoco lo desea-; usa su pasión por el género para inspirar vocaciones y apoyar carreras.

En 12 años de existencia de Pixelatl ha ayudado a los animadores mexicanos con talleres, seminarios -la mayoría de ellos gratuitos- premios y la exhibición de los proyectos terminados en el Festival del mismo nombre. El portal de Pixelatl es un reflejo de la filosofía de este grupo, hay un manifiesto anual que espera inspirar a la comunidad – “Atrévete a creer” es el de 2023-. Además, se encuentran ahí convocatorias y noticias, cualquiera que haya pasado por Pixelatl es miembro del grupo y sus logros alegran a todos.

“Lo que buscamos es unir a México, hay muchas fronteras internas, queremos tejer redes, que todos aprendamos de los aciertos y desaciertos. Esto lo hacemos involucrando tecnología”

Ingeniero de formación, empezó a trabajar en cómputo al mismo tiempo que colaboraba en proyectos en favor de menores y madres en situación de precariedad. En una conversación con su hermano nació la idea que apoyar a la creación de vínculos en la animación, y dar servicios con un alto valor agregado de excelente calidad”.

“Soy la persona que le sopla a una brasa para no dejar que se extinga el fuego, ¿hay nombre para eso?” nos dijo Iñesta. No lo sé, pero esa persona merece el Premio de la Industria de la Animación

MIFA. --Interview by Lucy Virgen

Kudos to José Iñesta

Mifa Animation Industry Award

José Iñesta defines himself as “an animation cheerleader” in a conversation with TFV. In other words, “has contributed to the magnificent Mexican animation adventure, as well as the development of a legitimate industry in the country” according to the mention of the Industry Award at the Annecy Festival.

Iñesta is the co-founder -together with his brother Jordi- of Pixelatl, a platform dedicated to promoting Mexican animation inside and outside the country. Iñesta has never done animation of any kind –he doesn’t want it either-; he uses his passion for the genre to inspire vocations and support careers. In Pixelatl’s 12 years of existence, he has helped Mexican animators organizing workshops, seminars -most of them free- prizes, and the exhibition of finished projects at the Festival of the same name. The Pixelatl site mirrors the philosophy of this group, there is an annual manifesto that hopes to inspire the community – “Dare to believe” is the one for 2023-. In addition, there are calls for competitions and news, anyone who has been through Pixelatl is a member of the team and their achievements make everyone happy. “What we want is to unite Mexico, there are many internal borders, and we want to weave networks, that we all learn from the successes and failures. We do this involving technology”.

An engineer by training, he began working on computers while collaborating in projects in favor of minors and mothers in precarious situations. In a conversation with his brother, born the idea to support the creation of links in animation, and provide services with a high added value of excellent qualitu. “I am the person who blows on an ember so as not to let the fire go out, is there a name for that?” Iñesta told us. I don’t know, but that person deserves the MIFA Animation Industry Award.

--Interview by Lucy Virgen

CINEVERDICT

Perfil del director: Diego Huacuja T

Diego Huacuja T, diseñador e ilustrador así como Director Creativo y Cofundador de la compañía Basa especializada en diseño y animación: Su desempeño y función dentro del estudio ha llevado a obtener reconocimiento a nivel local e internacional.

Su propuesta para fusionar diferentes formas de expresión visual y su pasión por el diseño y la animación, han llevado a Diego y a su compañía a alcanzar nuevos retos personales y profesionales dentro de la industria.

En cada uno de sus proyectos, Diego combina el arte con su visión estratégica, creando un impacto duradero en aquellos que tienen la oportunidad de experimentarlo, así como ha hecho de sus sueños frustrados una fuente de inspiración para animaciones e ilustraciones que decoran su sala

Designer and illustrator Diego Huacuja T is the creative director and co-founder of the company Basa, specialized in design and animation. His fusion of different forms of visual expression and his passion for design and animation have led Diego and his company to reach new personal and professional levels within the industry, leading to local and international recognition.

Just as he has made his frustrated dreams a source of inspiration for the illustrations that decorate his living room, in each of his projects, Diego combines art with his strategic vision, creating a lasting impact on those who have the opportunity to experience it.

Director Profile: Diego Huacuja T

A Glance Back at MexicanAnimation

by Juan CarlosVargas

Animation never held an important place in the artistic and industrial evolution of Mexican cinema. Quite the contrary, the production of animated films was very patchy; since 1934, it stumbled forward leaving a trail of unfinished projects influenced by Hollywood animated cinema.This in turn paved the way for more daring filmmakers moving away from the mainstream who would emerge and develop during the 1980’s, 1990’s and, especially, in the 21st century.

AlfonsoVergara Andrade directed the first short film, Paco Perico en Premier, in 1935. It was a comic cartoon running 8:46 minutes, influenced by Disney and Max Fleischer. However, the more artistic proposals with a national and international impact on critics and at festivals only emerged in the 1980’s with films such as Crónicas del Caribe by Emilio Watanabe and Francisco López from 1982, an anti-colo-nialist story about the conquest of America that used cartoons and moving cutouts. In 1994 the 5minute short The Hero directed by Carlos Carrera was awarded the Palme d’Or at the Cannes

Film Festival. It was drawn using acrylic and crayons on acetate and tells the story of a man who tries to rescue a suicidal teenager, using an aesthetic of the ludicrous seasoned with black humor.

In the field of animated feature films, the commercial triumph of the digital animated comedy A Movie of Eggs, made by Gabriel and Rodolfo Riva Palacio Alatriste in 2006, proved key to the recovery of Mexican cinema after a prolonged crisis, and it became the highest grossing film in Mexican history.Two sequels were well-received and the fourth film in the saga is currently in production. Top Cat, directed by Alberto Mar, was the most successful film of 2011. In those years, several production companies specializing in animation emerged, such as Ánima Estudios (2002), Huevocartoon (2006), and Animex (2007).

Meanwhile, in the field of short films, the work of animators from the city of Guadalajara became the most important facet of Mexican animation, far away from commercial tenets. The movement is characterized by an outrageous aesthetic and black humor as recurring ingredients, as well as the use of stop motion, plasticine, puppets, dolls, and everyday objects. This group of artists is also defined by their careful craftsmanship; they can take years to create highly detailed characters and settings, using meticulous photography that adds texture to images, and a sound design in which the absence of dialogue predominates as they hone sound and music.

Some of the most outstanding shorts offer a visual and sensory experience that sometimes goes beyond the film’s narrative. These include the black erotic comedy

Continues next page

A Movie of Eggs (2006)

Long Live the King (2017)

Mexican Animation cont’d

about a suicidal bachelor No Support by René Castillo and Antonio Urrutia, a participant in the short film competition at Cannes in 1998, and the festive but macabre Down to the Bone directed by René Castillo in 2001, in which a man enters a very Mexican folkloric world of the dead, inspired by the work of José Guadalupe Posada. Death and the ominous is also featured in The Waterwheel by Karla Kastañeda from 2017, a drama and fantasy about the death of a son and the mourning father. A girl who mourns the loss of her grandfather is the subject of Rain in the Eyes by Rita Basulto (2013), a melodramatic fantasy that is far from gloomy. Much more sinister and Gothic is Cerulia from 2017 directed by Sofía Carrillo, the tale of a young woman haunted by her past who returns to her

childhood home. Additionally, other short films with fantastic themes stand out. The Aeronauts directed by León Fernández in 2016 is about a strange tribe that survives in a desert dominated by a winged monster; in 2017 Luis Téllez directed Long Live the King, where a chessboard in the clouds ends in a game of thrones. More recently in 2021, Uncle by Juan José Medina mixes realism and horror to tell the story of a teenager who wants to work in a mine and ends up meeting a deity face-to-face. Several of the afore-mentioned filmmakers participated in the Oscar-winning feature Pinocchio (Guillermo del Toro and Mark Gustafson, 2022). And yet, producing short animation involves years of work under highly difficult production circumstances, making these animators’ achievements even more remarkable.

Director Profile: Marcos Almada

Marcos Almada is a children’s book author, illustrator and filmmaker. He has created characters such as Oscar the Possum and Domingo Teporingo, as well as those starring in “Dr. Gecko’s Show”, TV series developed by CONACYT and INMEGEN. Alongside producer and animator Carlos Azcuaga, he has directed and wrote several short films such as “We Were Colors” for Canal 22 and “We”, an animated documentary short about the earthquake in Mexico City in 2017. In the meantime, he has brought animation, ilustration and literature workshops to children in communities all across Mexico.

Dr.Geckos’s Show

Pinocchio (2022)

retrospectiva a la animación mexicana

by Juan Carlos Vargas

La animación nunca tuvo un lugar importante en su evolución artística e industrial del cine mexicano. Por el contrario, la producción de películas animadas fue muy accidentada, desde 1934 avanzó a tropezones dejando una huella de proyectos inconclusos influenciados por el cine animado hollywoodense, a la vez que marcó un camino para cineastas más arriesgados alejados del mainstream que surgirían en las décadas de los ochenta y noventa, y, en especial, en el siglo XXI.

Alfonso Vergara Andrade dirigió el primer cortometraje, Paco Perico en Premieren 935, dibujo animado cómico de apenas 8 minutos en deuda con Disney y Max Fleischer. Sin embargo, las propuestas más artísticas con un impacto nacional e internacional en la crítica y en los festivales, aparecen en los años ochenta con filmes como Crónicas del Caribe de Emilio Watanabe y Francisco López de 1982, relato anticolonialista sobre la conquista de América que utiliza dibujos animados y 1982,

relato anticolonialista sobre la conquista de América que utiliza dibujos animados y recortes articulados. En 1994 se produce el corto de 5 minutos El héroe dirigido por Carlos Carrera, galardonado con la Palma de Oro en el Festival de Cannes, filmada con el uso de acrílico y lápiz graso sobre acetato. Relata la historia de un hombre que intenta rescatar a una adolescente suicida usando una estética de lo grotesco aderezada con humor negro.

En el campo del largometraje el triunfo comercial de la comedia de animación digital Una película de huevos de Gabriel y Rodolfo Riva Palacio Alatriste, en el 2006 fue clave para la recuperación del cine mexicano a partir de los años 2000 luego de una prolongada crisis, y se convirtió en la cinta más taquillera de su historia; dos secuelas fueron bien recibidas y actualmente está en

producción la cuarta película de la saga.

Además, Don Gato y su pandilla dirigida por Alberto Mar, resultó la película más exitosa de 2011. En esos años surgieron varias productoras como Ánima Estudios (2002), Huevocartoon (2006) y Animex (2007).

Mientras tanto, en el campo del cortometraje, la obra de los animadores de la ciudad de Guadalajara se convirtió en la vertiente más importante de la animación mexicana, alejada de los cánones comerciales. Caracterizada por una estética grotesca y el humor negro como ingredientes recurrentes, al igual que el uso del stop motion, la plastilina, marionetas, muñecos y objetos. También define a este grupo de artistas su cuidadoso trabajo artesanal que puede durar años de labor para crear personajes y escenarios muy detallados,

haga clic aquí

Cerulia (2017)

The Aeronauts (2016)

CINEVERDICT

Perfil del director: Rita Basulto

Director Profile: Rita Basulto

Semblanza 2023

Rita Basulto (1973) es miembro de la AMACC, ganadora de 4 premios Ariel y miembro de la Academy of Motion Pictures and Sciences desde 2021. Egresada de Artes Plásticas y Medios Audiovisuales en el departamento de Televisión y Video de la Universidad de Guadalajara, con diplomado en Medios Audiovisuales del CAAV. Como artista plástico ha participado en más de veinte exposiciones individuales y colectivas. Se ha especializado en cinematografía en animación stop motion y es directora de los cortometrajes El octavo día: la creación, Lluvia en los ojos, Zimbo, Eclosión y Humo. Rita se ha desempeña como director de fotografía, arte y animación en cortometrajes y largometrajes como Desierto adentro, Jaulas, Mutatio, Los Aeronautas, Taller de corazones, Tío y Pinocchio de Guillermo del Toro; todos estos seleccionados y multipremiados en más de 50 festivales nacionales e internacionales como Annecy, Stuttgart,Animac, Sitges y Chilemonos entre otros. Socio cofundador y director creativo de Outik Animation y Humanimalia Studio, empresa especializada en fabricación de puppets de animación stop motion. Ha colaborado con estudios como Mackinnon & Saunders,Warner Bros Animation y ShadowMachine. Su más reciente cortometraje ¨Humo¨ se encuentra en selección oficial en el Festival Internacional de Cine de Animación de Annecy, Francia y FICG 2023 en Guadalajara.

Filmografía:

2000 El octavo día; la creación

2013 Lluvia en los ojos.

2017 Zimbo.

2020 Eclosión.

2023 Humo.

A member of the AMACC, winner of four Ariel Awards and a member of the Academy of Motion Pictures and Sciences, Rita Basulto earned a degree in Fine Arts and Audiovisual Media at the University of Guadalajara. She has participated as a fine arts artist in more than 20 individual and collective exhibitions, specialized in stop motion animation cinematography and is director of the short films The Eight Day: Creation, Rain in the Eyes, Zimbo, Hatchingand Smoke. As well, she has excelled as cinematographer, art and animation director in short and feature films such as Desierto adentro, Jaulas, Mutatio, The Aeronauts, The Heart Workshop, Tio and Pinocchio by Guillermo del Toro; all of which were selected and multi awarded in more than 50 national and international festivals. Rita is also co-founder and creative director of Outik Animation and Humanimalia Studio, a company that specializes in puppet making. Her most recent short film Smoke is part of the official selection at the Annecy International Animated Film Festival and FICG 2023 in Guadalajara.

Filmography:

2000 The Eight Day: creation

2013 Rain in the Eyes

2017 Zimbo.

2020 Hatching

2023 Smoke

Smoke (Humo)

CINEVERDICT

Perfil del director: Patricio Plaza

Realizador y productor integral de cine de animación nacido en Buenos Aires, Argentina. Tras cursar estudios en artes visuales y comunicación audiovisual en la Universidad Nacional de La Plata, trabajó como animador 2D comercial para numerosos estudios durante más de 20 años, participando en 7 largometrajes y numerosas series y trabajos publicitarios.

Su trabajo autoral se enfoca en la animación para adultos, con una perspectiva política. Los cortometrajes “El Empleo” (2008) y “Padre” (2013), de los cuales es co-autor, fueron seleccionados en más de 500 Festivales y recibieron más de 200 Premios Internacionales, en festivales como Annecy, Anima Mundi, Biarritz, Hiroshima y SICAF, entre otros.

En 2019 funda Ojo Raro, un espacio de producción y reflexión en torno a la imágen animada que apunta a producir animación de géneros populares desde una perspectiva sudamericana y queer. “Carne de Dios”, el primer cortometraje de la productora, ha sido seleccionado en la Competencia Oficial del Festival de Annecy y ha ganado el premio al Mejor Cortometraje Argentino en el Festival de Cine de Mar del Plata.

Perfil del director: Marcos Almada

Marcos Almada es autor e ilustrador infantil y realizador audiovisual, creador de personajes como Óscar el Tlacuache y Domingo Teporingo. Desarrolló la serie “El Show del Dr. Gecko” y ha elaborado diversos proyectos animados como “Fuimos Colores”, “Nosotros” y “El Desfile de los Ausentes”, con IMCINE. Ha impartido talleres de animación y literatura para niños en comunidades de todo el país.

Perfil del director: Miguel Anaya Borja

Estudió Diseño de la Comunicación Gráfica en la Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana (UAM). Ha trabajado en las áreas de dirección de arte, diseño gráfico, publicidad, producción y animación. Impartió los cursos de animación en la Universidad Iberoamericana , Diseño Gráfico en la UAM y talleres para niños y adultos en diversos estados del país. Su primer cortometraje De la vista nace el amor ganó el Ariel al mejor cortometraje animado.. Sus cortometrajes animados han obtenido premios en festivales alrededor del mundo, entre ellos están El armadillo fronterizo, Tlacuache de Maguey, El color de mis alas y El último jaguar. K8 es su décimo cortometraje animado.

El Show del Dr. Gecko

Director Profile: Amanda Woolrich

An engraving artist as well as a painter and animator, Amanda Woolrich has bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the Faculty of Visual Arts of the UNAM. In 2019 and 2021 she was a recipient of a fellowship from the National Fund for Culture and Arts (FONCA) for young creators with her animated experimental shorts “Here and There” and “Trasiego”.

Besides participating in Annecy, her animated shorts have been selected by multiple festivals, including FIC Monterrey, Prime the Animation Chitrakayha, MIA – International Audiovisual Market in Rome, Cut Out Fest, LIFE Independent Producers Indie Film Festival, Merced Queer Film Festival. Her graphic work has been on exhibition at the Alfredo Zalce National Painting and Engraving Biennial, National Museum of the Bank of Mexico, the Stamp Museum, Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Pinos, Borda Garden, City Museum and Image Center, among others. In 2019 she held her first solo exhibition “Miradas al ser” at the San Pablo Cultural Center, Oaxaca, Mexico.

CINEVERDICT

Amanda Woolrich es artista de grabado, pintora y animadora. Es egresada, con licenciatura y maestría de la Facultad de Artes Visuales de la UNAM. Fue beneficiaria del programa de jóvenes creadores del FONCA en 2019 con Aquí y allá y en 2021 con Trasiego ambos con cortometrajes de animación experimental.

Además de exhibirse en Annecy, sus cortos han participado en FIC Monterrey, Prime the Animation Chitrakayha, MIA- Mercado Internacional Audiovisual de Roma, Cut Out Fest, LIFE Independent Producers Indie Film Festival, Merced Queer Film Festival, entre otros festivales de cine.

Su obra gráfica se ha mostrado en la Bienal Nacional de Pintura y Grabado Alfredo Zalce en 2020, en Museo Nacional del Banco de México, el Museo del Timbre, Museo de Arte Contemporáneo Alfredo Zalce, Los Pinos, Jardín Borda, Museo de la Ciudad, Centro de la Imagen, entre otros. En 2019 realizó su primera exposición individual: Miradas al ser en el Centro Cultural San Pablo, Oaxaca México.

Perfil del director:

Annecy A Fun Showcase forAnimation

The world’s foremost animation film festival is back with another ambitious edition

by Max Borg

First established in 1960, the Annecy International Animation Film Festival is the oldest event in the world devoted to the animated form in all its incarnations (film, television, music videos, commercials, immersive experiences), and one of four festivals sponsored by ASIFA (the International Animated Film Association), alongside Ottawa, Hiroshima and Zagreb. Over the decades, its reputation as the unmissable summer destination for animation lovers has grown, and many big industry names enjoy returning to the French lakeside city whenever they can. In 2023, that roster includes filmmaker and author Guillermo del Toro, with a Masterclass on his well-known stance that animation is cinema and not a genre as well as his connection to this year’s

country in focus, Mexico; Disney’s Jennifer Lee, who will unveil early footage from the upcoming film Wish; and Aardman’s Peter Lord, who will do the same for the highly anticipated Chicken Run sequel, coming to Netflix in the very near future.

The afore-mentioned talks and presentations are a key aspect of Annecy’s appeal, as the festival and its numerous attendees (15,640 accredited visitors – press, professionals, students – from 103 countries, per the event’s opening day press release) show an interest in what’s to come as well as in what’s ready to be shown to the audience. The main theater in the Bonlieu building regularly fills up with aficionados curious to get a glimpse, with detailed explanations of the techniques used, of titles that won’t be finished for another few months, or sometimes even a full year (in

fact, work-in-progress films, which have their own dedicated section, often come back in their completed form the year after).

Annecy is also about finding tomorrow’s talents: MIFA, the festival’s international film market, offers opportunities for animation students students – some of whom may also be in the Official Selection with their graduation shorts – to talk to recruiters from companies from all over the world, and the famed animation school Les Gobelins, based in Paris, is a regular partner of the event by producing a series of trailers which pay tribute to the edition’s guest country and play on a rotating basis before each festival screening. The school’s alumni have gone on to forge admirable careers in France and elsewhere: one notable name, described by Annecy’s Artistic Delegate Marcel Jean as “an honorary citizen”, is Pierre Coffin, the co-director of the first three Despicable Me movies and main voice actor for the Minions

And while the festival did conduct its business remotely under Covid, audience participation remains the most essential ingredient of its success, to the extent that the opening jingle – which changes every year – has often incorporated viewers’ regular habits, such as their fascination with rabbits (it is mandatory to point rabbits out when they appear on screen) and throwing paper planes onto the main stage at Bonlieu. In fact, for some screenings (including this year’s opening ceremony), paper is specifically provided for the creation of said planes. All part of the pre-show ritual, before the lights go down and everyone silently diverts their attention towards the main attraction.

Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget

FEST clips

Ewan McGregor & Alicia Vikander will be Honored at 57th Karlovy Vary IFF

Podcasts

DOK Leipzig will be starting the fourth season of the DOK Industry Podcast on 20 June. From now on, episodes will be released throughout the year. The six episodes of the new season will be released monthly leading up to the festival in October.

Scottish actor, director and producer Ewan McGregor and Swedish actress Alicia Vikander will be the guests of the first weekend of the 57th Karlovy Vary Festival. Both actors will receive the Karlovy Vary IFF President’s Award and present their latest films. This year’s edition of the festival will open with Firebrand, in which Alicia Vikander took on the leading role of Katherine Parr. Ewan McGregor will present the film You Sing Loud, I Sing Louder to the festival audience, in which he stars alongside his daughter, actress and producer Clara McGregor.

KVIFF takes place June 30 - July 8

Raul Niño Zambrano Named Creative Director of Sheffield DocFest

Season 4 of the DOK Industry Podcast will include a profile of the Re-Present Media initiative, which works to promote personal stories by filmmakers from groups that are underrepresented in documentary and non-fiction media. Other episodes will discuss the current working conditions of filmmakers from Hong Kong, reflect on the role of documentaries in the critical discussion of the decolonisation of museums, and explore documentary animated film.

Ahead of the 30th edition of the Sheffield DocFest, the festival is pleased to announce that the Board of Trustees confirm the appointment of Raul Niño Zambrano as Creative Director, following a successful year as Acting Creative Director. Raul was previously Senior Programmer at IDFA (International

Documentary Festival Amsterdam) where he started as a programmer in 2008. During his tenure at IDFA, Raul conducted a ground-breaking study on the position of women within the documentary world The Female Gaze (2014) and initiated the IDFA Queer Day (2013, ongoing). He has participated in many international festivals as a juror (Hot Docs, DocPoint, Guanajuato International Film Festival) and this year joins the judges of the Whickers Pitch, which will award £100,000 to a filmmaker to make their first feature-length documentary, with the winner announced at Sheffield DocFest on Sunday 18 June.

“Our podcasts are a source of inspiration and education to envision a more diverse film industry,” explains Nadja Tennstedt, head of DOK Industry. “We believe in the power of a broad range of experiences, aesthetics, storytelling and perspectives.”

All episodes will be posted on the DOK Leipzig website as well as on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and Deezer, and in The Film Verdict.

2 Hot Docs Funds Open

Hot Docs Ted Rogers Fund

Receive the funding you need with these production grants of up to $20,000 for Canadian documentary projects.

Hot Docs-Slaight Family Fund

Get creative and professional development support for docs about music artists that demonstrate Canadian music’s role in the world, or international music stories by Canadian filmmakers.

IFFR announces

Clare Stewart as new Managing Director

Sarajevo Film Festival Reveals CineLink Industry Days Projects Selected for CineLink Drama

The selection for this year’s edition of CineLink Drama has been announced, featuring six highly promising drama series from Southeast Europe.

ADVENTURES OF A TURBO-FOLK PRINCESS

Creators/Writers/Directors: Andrey Volkashin, Peter Vulchev

International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) has appointed Clare Stewart to the post of Managing Director, taking over from outgoing Managing Director Marjan van der Haar.

Most recently Interim CEO at Shef-field DocFest, Clare steered the 2022 edition of that festival and worked with the Board of Trust-ees to recruit its new leadership. Clare commences in the role at IFFR on 21 June.

Korrie Louwes, Chairperson of the Supervisory Board, said: “Clare has an unparalleled breadth of experience in strategically directing, and truly championing festivals – with a track record including some of the foremost celebrations of cinema in the world. In previous roles Clare has channelled her unique combination of creative understanding and business acumen to growing audiences, accelerating commercial success, and raising the profile of those events – as well as steering them through change. It’s a great coup to have her join the IFFR team and bring her multifaceted and insightful leadership to our organisation.”

IFFR run Jan 25 - Feb 4, 2024

The programme serves as a cofinancing forum, presenting projects in development to influential broadcasters, VoD and SVoD operators, and distributors from both Europe and the region. Participants of CineLink Drama will take part in an online prep workshop in July, which will serve as a foundation for their projects in preparation for the festival, where they will present their projects at the highly anticipated pitching session on August 15.

Furthermore, CineLink Drama offers two prestigious awards: the Croatian Audiovisual Center Drama Award, which includes a prize of €15,000, and the TV Drama Vision Pitch Award, where one project is selected for presentation at the TV Drama Vision event in Göteborg.

Locarno Open Doors Directors’ Club

This year, in addition to the Projects’ Hub and Producers’ Lab, Locarno Open Doors is launching a third talent development program: the Directors’ Club.The Club will welcome directors whose short or feature-length films are selected for the Open Doors Screenings, part of Locarno’s official selection, and will provide the filmmakers with an extensive line-up of talks, workshops and networking opportunities. The participants and their films will be announced together with the official selection of the

CONNECTIONS

Creators: Tea Korolija, Maja Todorović, Srdan Saper

LOST TRACES

Creator: Aleksandar Arsovski

MIRACLES

Creators: Igor Cobileanski, Daniel Mitulescu

THE WRONG MAN

Creator: Olesia Lukianenko

THE AMAZONS OF ISTANBUL

Creators: Nisan Dad Müge Özen

For more information, click here

Locarno Film Festival on 5 July 2023.

Among this year’s Projects’ Hub selection is Vía láctea (Milky Way), the latest feature by Cos-ta Rican director Paz Fábrega, whose Agua fría de mar (Cold Water of the Sea, 2010) won the Tiger Award in Rotterdam; the animated hybrid Pantasma by exiled Nicaraguan director Gloria Carrión who returns to Open Doors after her short Hojas de K.(Leaves of K., 2022) was part of the Open Doors Screenings; Raised by Goats, the second feature of Jamaican director Gibrey Allen,

Locarno runs Aug 2-12