IFFI 2022: Feast of Mexican cinema delights delegates

Minister of Tourism of the Government of Mexico, Miguel Torruco Marques, in a video message, expressed his joy and said, "It is an honour for me to share with you this very important moment at the 53rd International Film festival of Incredible India in Goa. Mexico is known for its unique culture and diversity. And a very important part of this heritage is our cinema. We are a land of great movie directors and actors who are considered legends. Our films have received many awards around the world."

He described Mexican Cinema as being born as an expression of the social and cultural environment of the country. He also shared with pride, the fact that his mother, Maria Elena Marques, and father, Miguel Torruco, were beloved Mexican actors from the 'Golden Age' of Mexican cinema.

The minister further continued, "I have always thought that movies are the best way to remove differences between people and build bridges between nations. Mexico currently has fantastic creativity and production capacity in the international film industry which leads us to a new era in cinema. We are proud of the participation of Mexican films in this unique festival. I want to extend our greatest support and admiration to all of those who are part of this beautiful event. I wish you all success."

During an 'IFFI Table Talk' session, Alejandro De Icaza, producer of the film Red Shoes stated, "The Mexican government has a fund for cinema under which they promote films, including arthouse movies like ours. These kinds of films are difficult to produce without government incentives because they are difficult to commercialize." He added that he is exploring making a joint production with India about a wedding. "We are actually trying to jointly make a film about a wedding. In both countries, weddings are big, colourful and last for many days. These kinds of cultural similarities can lead to other projects in the future."

The 2022 Mexican film Red Shoes will be competing with 14 other films in the International Competition segment, the winner of which is awarded the coveted Golden Peacock. Red Shoes, directed by Carlos Eichelmann Kaiser, is a film about a farmer who lives an isolated life and receives the news of his daughter's death. The film was in contention for the Audience Award at the Venice International Film Festival and has received multiple nominations at numerous festivals.

In the running for the award for 'Best Debut Feature Director' is a film co-produced by Mexico and the United States of America, Island of Lost Girls. Directed by Ann-Marie Schmidt and Brian Schmidt, the film is a thrilling story of three sisters who find themselves trapped in a sea cave, battling gigantic waves and supernatural creatures. The film was screened at the Moscow International Film Festival as well as the Fantasia Festival.

Manto De Gemas (Robe of Gems), a co-production between Mexico and Argentina, was showcased under the Festival Kaleidoscope segment. The film is set in rural Mexico where three women from different social classes become tragically involved with a missing person case tied to organized crime. Other films of Mexican origin marking their presence at IFFI 53 are Blanquita, Sol's Journey, Eami, Pinocchio and Huesera. (ANI)