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At least two of the Tres Amigos are attending the 24th Morelia International Film Festival (FICM) this year, with Guillermo del Toro breezing into town to toast the 20th anniversary of his iconic “Pan’s Labyrinth” while
Cuarón attends opening night film “Campeón Gabacho” by his son Jonas Cuarón, which he produced. The fest will be missing the third Amigo, Alejandro González Iñárritu, whose “Digger” has earned close to a million dollars since its debut on Oct. 1 in Mexico, according to National Film Chamber, Canacine.
Star power is also in the official selection, which includes Diego Luna’s latest directorial outing ‘Ashes’as well as those ofRodrigo Plá (“The Zone”),Fernando Tovar (“Sad Girlz,” “Suena”) and Nathalia Acevedo (“Post Tenebras Lux”).
Oscar-nominated J. A. Bayona leads the jury for Mexican features that includes Basque filmmaker Jaione Camborda, Grammy-winning Mexican composer Gabriela Ortiz and U.S. director-producer Amy Redford.
Swiss documentarian Alexandre O. Philippe, film critic Jonathan Romney and Mexico’s Juan Carlos Rulfo comprise the Mexican documentary jury.
Morelia will also showcase a bevy of acclaimed international films, led by Martin McDonagh’s “Wild Horse Nine,” which garnered John Malkovich a Venice Volpi Cup for Best Actor and Spain’s submission to the Oscars, “La bola negra” by Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi.
For artistic director Daniela Michel one of the biggest changes at the festival in recent years has been introducing a hybrid format that allows access to part of the program online. “Initially, this arose as a necessity in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. We wanted moviegoers to be able to discover and enjoy the films competing in our 2020 edition, despite the lockdown. It was imperative that these Mexican films reach their audience even if people weren’t going to movie theaters.”
“We realized that making part of the Official Selection available online—particularly the Mexican short films in competition—would give greater visibility to the work of up-and-coming talents in Mexican cinema and would also provide a great opportunity for audiences who cannot travel to Morelia to experience the FICM.”
Reflecting on the trends in Mexican cinema over the past five years, she said: “What has changed mostly is the representation of certain issues in Mexican culture. We have seen in recent years more films oriented towards more intimate subjects like family issues, childhood, and motherhood. We have also seen a broader representation of the Mexican middle class at home. Those films have had a very profound impact on Mexican audiences because, through the films, they have seen a very accurate and tender representation of their own lives.”
The good news is that there are female directors in the industry.
“Every year, the number of female directors participating in FICM has been growing, and I think this reflects the Mexican film industry, where more and more films are being made by women. Women have been gaining more and more ground, and I’m really happy about that because a few years ago there were almost no female directors in Mexican cinema, and now there are so many—many of whom have won awards in Morelia.”
But challenges remain. As with most of the festivals across Mexico, FICM faced cutbacks in funding from corporate and institutional sponsors.
“As a nonprofit, every year we face the monumental challenge of securing the conditions and resources needed to put on a festival of the quality and scale of FICM. Fortunately, we are a team of perfectionists and people who are deeply passionate about their work, which has allowed us to successfully overcome these challenges.”
“The challenges have changed over the course of these 24 years. At first, the main challenge was to build an audience for the types of films that made up the festival in 2003: Mexican short films and documentaries. And one of my greatest sources of satisfaction is that there is now an audience for everything we present in Morelia—for Mexican cinema. As time went on and our programming became much more diverse, the next challenge was to ensure we didn’t feel like an outdated festival—that each edition would be perceived as fresh.
The 24th FICM edition runs Oct. 16-25.
Mexican Fiction Features
“Against Nature” (“Contra la naturaleza,” Axel Bertha, Cárcava Cine, Domme Cinema, México)
Jonás returns home and begins working as a stonemason, becoming immersed in a drama seemingly triggered by nature itself. Axel Bertha’s stark debut explores humanity’s oldest struggle against forces beyond its control, building toward an unsettling outcome that suggests some conflicts are as old as civilization itself.
“Ashes” (“Ceniza en la boca,” Diego Luna, La Corriente del Golfo, Animal de Luz Films, Inicia Films, Perro Azul, México, Spain)
Luna’s fifth feature-length directorial outing, “Ashes,” adapted from the eponymous novel, follows Lucila as she leaves Mexico with her brother to reunite with their mother in Madrid, confronting the harsh reality of immigrant life. Pic premiered at Cannes’ Special Screenings section. Netflix will stream it in Latin America, Spain and Portugal in 2027 following a theatrical run, while Luxbox handles international sales.
“Beauty Salon” (“Salón de belleza,” Nathalia Acevedo, Kintsugi Cine, Farol, México, France)
In an unnamed city, a beauty salon becomes a refuge for marginalized people suspended between life and death. Nathalia Acevedo’s film transforms the salon into a liminal space where memory, imagination and time converge, gradually allowing the outside world to intrude. Beauty and mortality become intertwined in a meditation on existence, care and the fragility of life.
“Everything Else Is Noise” (“Lo demás es ruido,” Nicolás Pereda, En Chinga Producciones, Welt Film, México, Canada, Germany)
Nicolás Pereda’s absurdist comedy centers on composer Rosa, who records a television interview at her colleague Tere’s apartment, where interruptions steadily derail the shoot. The film, which world premiered at the Berlinale, turns artistic pretension, female friendship and domestic chaos into a comic ensemble piece. It won the Lady Harimaguada de Oro prize at the Las Palmas de Gran Canaria Film Festival. Acquired by U.S.-based distributor Pragda.
“Garden Chest” (“Toda una vida,” Ariel Gutiérrez, Varios Lobos, SPC, Nobody, Tulip, México)
Armín is a lonely teenager cut off from the outside world. When his mother is kidnapped, grief pushes him beyond his isolation and into a journey toward maturity and reconciliation. Ariel Gutiérrez’s intimate coming-of-age drama examines how sudden loss can force an adolescent to confront fear, responsibility and the possibility of rebuilding a life after trauma.
“Sad Girlz” (“Chicas tristes,” Fernanda Tovar, Daniel Loustaunau, Araceli Velázquez, Carlo D’Ursi, Samuel Chauvin, México, Spain, France)
Fernanda Tovar’s debut feature follows Paula and La Maestra, inseparable friends and standout swimmers whose bond is tested after an incident at a party forces them to choose between silence and speaking out. The film premiered in Berlinale’s Generation 14plus, where it won the Crystal Bear, and is represented internationally by Alpha Violet. It also competed in Tribeca’s international narrative section.
“Six Months in a Pink and Blue Building” (“Seis meses en el edificio rosa con azul,” Bruno Santamaría Razo, Ojo de Vaca, Desvia Produções, Snowglobe Films, México, Brazil, Denmark)
Bruno Santamaría Razo’s fiction debut revisits his childhood in 1990s Mexico City, where first love collides with his father’s HIV diagnosis. The autobiographical drama premiered at Cannes Critics’ Week, where it became the first Mexican feature to compete in the section in 20 years. It won the Best Project Award and the DALE! Award at the San Sebastián Co-Production Forum. Luxbox acquired international sales, while Epicentre Films took French distribution rights.
“The Days of Poncho” (“Los días de Poncho,” Faustino Alanís, Centro de Capacitación Cinematográfica, México)
Poncho spends his days freestyle rapping on Mexico City streets until his father discovers he has dropped out of school and makes him work delivering gas tanks. Faustino Alanís’ coming-of-age story follows a teenager caught between artistic ambition and family responsibility, using the rhythms of street culture to explore masculinity, adulthood and the difficult transition from childhood to independence.
“The Garden We Dreamed” (“El jardín que soñamos,” Joaquín del Paso, Amondo Cine, Cárcava Cine, Península Films, Producción Espiral, Lookbook Entertainment, Sula Entertainment, Atómica, Pixel, México)
Joaquín del Paso follows a Haitian family traveling north in search of a better future before settling in a remote Mexican forest shaped by illegal logging. The film world premiered at Berlinale’s Panorama sidebar and is represented internationally by M-Appeal. Against monarch-butterfly migrations and environmental destruction, the family’s struggle becomes a story of displacement, resilience and fragile belonging.
“The Huntress” (“La Cazadora,” Suzanne Andrews, Zafiro Cinema, México)
Set in Ciudad Juárez, Suzanne Andrews Correa’s feature follows an unlikely defender confronting violence against women in a city where crimes are perpetrated with impunity. Inspired by true events, the film world premiered at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival, where it was selected for the U.S. Dramatic Competition. Cast is led by “Emilia Pérez” star Adriana Paz, a Cannes 2024 best actress winner.
“The Newcomers” (“Los nuevos,” Rodrigo Plá, Buenaventura Cine, Mr Miyagi Films, México, Spain)
Tiana and her family seek refuge in a village, only to discover that the pollution they fled has followed them. Rodrigo Plá’s environmental adventure puts three children at the center of a mystery surrounding poisoned rivers, combining ecological concerns with a story of displacement and childhood solidarity. Germany’s Patra Spanou Films boardedafter its world premiere at Locarno’s Kids Screenings.
“Us” (“Nosotros,” Joaquín Ruano, Cine Concepción, Cine Murciélago, México, Guatemala)
Romero leaves his village for work as a security guard in the city, where he meets Nubia and discovers tenderness, sex and darkness. Joaquín Ruano’s drama traces a relationship unfolding amid escalating tensions with Romero’s fellow guards, using violence as an ever-present pressure that exposes what the characters attempt to conceal and what can no longer be sustained.
Mexican Documentaries
“Dance of the Souls” (“El baile de las ánimas,” Ramón Llaven, Fata Morgana, Lost Time Media, Eudaimonia, México, Canada)
On the Day of the Dead in the Etla Valley, Oaxaca, a soul returns to visit its loved ones and wander the places it once cherished, taking us on a vibrant sensory journey that honors how community and tradition help us to cope with loss.
“Daughters of the Forest” (“Hijas del bosque,” Otilia Portillo, Oscura Producciones, México)
Daughters of the Forest is an immersive sci-fi documentary following Eliseete and Julieta, indigenous scientists from Oaxaca and Mexico State. As deforestation and social barriers threaten their lands, they unite generational ecological knowledge with Western science to study fungi. Through a mycelial lens, the film explores new possibilities for human and non-human coexistence, resilience, and survival in a changing world.
“Forensita” (“Forensita,” Pablo Vaca, Caribou Visual Studio, México)
The life of 14-year-old Inés is much like that of her friends: she goes to school, takes urban dance classes, and is getting ready for her fifteenth birthday party. But during her free time, she helps her uncle, the local coroner, in performing autopsies.
“Jaripeo” (“Jaripeo,” Efraín Mojica, Rebecca Zweig, Jaripeo Documentary LLC, ITVS International, Survivance, Fiasco, México, U.S., France)
A hybrid documentary travels into Michoacán’s hypermasculine rodeos, where tradition gives way to memory, queer desire and longing. Participated in the Next sidebar of Sundance 2026, described as a journey toward a reckoning with “the wounds and beauty of a home left behind.”
“Mickey” (“Mickey,” Dano García, Venado Films, Phototaxia Pictures, Estudio Errante, Estudios Churubusco, México)
Mickey spent the last ten years exploring her transition process within the conservative context of Sinaloa, Mexico. Through digital archives, artistic reenactments, and deeply personal encounters, the film moves between tenderness and rage, transforming memory into an act of freedom. An exploration of self-perception and a non-punitive confrontation with the past.
“National Odyssey” (“Odisea nacional,” Mariano Rentería, El Relicario Cine, México)
A lyrical, evocative voyage composed of intimate microstories that explore the deep relationship between architecture and everyday life, uncovering universal human experiences such as identity, inequality, faith, nature, art, and the need to belong. An immersive cinematic experience about how spaces shape us as humans and their profound impact on our lives.
“Querida Fátima” (“Querida Fátima,” Lorena Gutiérrez, Rodrigo Reyes, La Maroma Producciones, Reawakening Pictures, Grumpy Squared, México, U.S.)
A decade after her 12-year-old daughter Fátima was murdered in a brutal feminicide, Lorena Gutiérrez sets up camp outside of the National Palace, demanding an audience with Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum. This visceral portrait captures the intersection of personal grief and political resistance in a country where, according to the U.N., ten women and girls are murdered everyday. Docu swept the Premio Mezcal section of the 41st Guadalajara Film Fest.
“Reportage” (“Reportaje,” Nicolás Gutiérrez, Cauce, Manantial, México)
Reportage explores the relationship between death and crime journalism in Mexico City. Through photographers, printers, and newspaper vendors, it observes how violence is transformed into narrative and how storytelling becomes a way to inhabit and transcend death. In parallel, a group of formerly incarcerated actors stages a crime that resonates with their own histories, turning performance into an act of memory and redemption.
“The Lost Mariachis” (“Los mariachis perdidos,” Francisco Ohem, Diandra Arriaga, Alexander de Graaf, Tania Zamora, Francisco Ohem, México)
Blending road movie, archival footage, and essayistic elements, this documentary chronicles a filmmaker’s journey through the Balkans in search of the last Yu-Mex singers. Through a lost film by Emilio “El Indio” Fernández, this bittersweet story takes a playful approach in exploring how cinema and music migrate and are reinterpreted in distant contexts.
“The Oil in My Blood” (“Mi sangre es petróleo,” Vania Carolina Quevedo, Disruptiva Films, Rupestris Films, México)
Reimagines an oil platform as a sea monster confronting a mermaid. It reflects on promises of progress, exploitation by Pemex, and Tabasco’s poisoned waters, where families endure precarious labor. Through memory and metaphor, it reveals how sacrifice sustains livelihoods while endangering land, sea and future generations, exposing survival’s fragile balance.
“Traces of Home” (“Rastros del hogar,” Colette Ghunim, Sara Maamouri, Dan Rybicky, Capella Fahoome, U.S.)
Filmmaker Colette Ghunim travels with her parents to find the ancestral houses they were forced to flee as children in Mexico and Palestine. Colette’s initial desire to heal her disconnect from her cultures and her parents reveals an internal quest to discover home within herself.
“Two Journeys” (“yātrā,” Alejandro Rugama, Diario de Expedición, México)
A young adventurer spends years riding a motorcycle across Asia, chasing a great story to tell. But when an unknown illness slowly begins to paralyze him, he is forced to abandon everything he thought he was.
