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A mix of established and first-time Mexican filmmakers are presenting their upcoming projects at the Morelia Film Festival’s 12th Impulso Morelia, which features works-in-progress in varied stages of post-production.
Out of the six entries, selected from around 90 submissions, three are women, led by Tatiana Huezo (“Tempestad,” “Prayers for the Stolen”) and Eliza Miller (“Hurricane Season”), both acclaimed for their award-winning pics and backed by leading producer Pimienta Films (“Roma”).
“I think there’s a really interesting variety this year and a sensibility that runs throughout the entire selection. The characters aren’t simply vulnerable—they’re contradictory and fragile. But across all the films, there’s a desire to approach these characters with great empathy. They speak, in different ways, to the vulnerability of being human,” said Impulso head, Andrea Stavenhagen.
“Impulso is more than just a space for exhibition; it’s a space for dialogue, for listening and exchange—not simply for showcasing films. What matters most to us is that the discussion and feedback we receive can help enrich and refine the films before they reach the public,” she told Variety.
“It’s a work-in-progress forum in the fullest sense: an opportunity to receive guidance on the editing, discuss the current cut and engage in dialogue with fellow filmmakers and industry professionals. It’s about opening things up and allowing other filmmakers and professionals to contribute to the process of finding the film’s final form.”
Unspooling over Oct. 18-20, these selected pics-in-post will be assessed by a panel of industry experts led by Ted Hope, co-founder of The Good Machine, which worked with major talent including Ang Lee; notable Mexican producer-writer Julio Chavezmontes of Piano (“The Meltdown”); Tribeca director Cara Cusumano; French multi-hyphenate Sandrine Dumas and Carlos R. Rios, director of D’A – Festival de Cinema de Barcelona.
Various awards in cash and kind are at stake, led by the José María Riba Impulso Morelia 12 Award, presented by Cinépolis Distribution and Profest 2026, which comprises a cash prize of $14,740. (250,000 pesos) to cover post-production and/or promotional processes and services. The award will be granted by the international panel.
Estudios Churubusco Azteca will award image and sound post-production services valued at $41,280 (700,000 pesos) which may be allocated entirely to a single project or divided between two projects.
Estudios Splendor Omnia and Caffeine will also award post production services in kind, valid for two years.
The winner of the José María Riba Award LatAm also wins a promotional campaign valued at $1,500 from the digital media platform LatAm Cinema.
Impulso Morelia 12 Projects:
“Galerna,” Tatiana Huezo
Prod. Nicolás Celis, Tatiana Huezo, María Zamora/ Production companies: Pimienta Films, Elastica Films
Huezo’s second fiction film, it follows Lúa and Noé whose mission is to cast first-time actors for a sci-fi pic. It’s their first time to work together and Noé has some doubts about Lúa’s qualifications. Traveling through remote regions, they discover a Mexico that both welcomes and unsettles them, forcing them to confront their fears and prejudices while testing their resilience, tolerance and vulnerability.
“Homeboys,” Alonso Garibay, Alejandro Bernal
Prod. Camila Aguirre Beltrán / Production companies: Norteña del Sur, Documotora
This debut feature documentary centers on Roberto Hernández, “Mr. Lucky,” who was deported to a country he barely knew. After surviving prison, addiction and displacement, he founded La Casa de Vida, a shelter that for 15 years sought to help deported gang members and ex-convicts. When a grave crisis threatens his life’s work, Roberto must face his past and ponder whether it makes sense to keep going.
“Katechon,” Javier Toscano
Prod. Javier Toscano / Production company: Didascalia Films
Documentary follows three human-rights activists from the Western Sahara, Kurdistan, and Palestine, weaving their struggles for freedom into a visual tapestry of memory, intimacy and desert landscapes, the film explores resilience and self-determination through a Global South lens.
“Legit” (“Legítima”), “Elisa Miller
Prod. Nicolás Celis/ Production company: Pimienta Films
Based on actual events, it follows the case of Yakiri Rubio who is kidnapped and raped by two brothers. Instead of backing her, the courts convict her for killing her attacker in self-defense. With the help of her charismatic lawyer, Ana Katiria Suárez, she fights the misogynistic and patriarchal system to secure her release.
“Raká,” Teresa Camou
Prod. Yuli Margarita Rodríguez, Teresa Camou Guerrero/ Production companies: EFICINE, Teresa Camou Guerrero, La Furia Cine, Avalancha Studio
Documentary. The tree serves as the story’s central metaphor: like the pines of the Sierra Tarahumara, Miguel (81) and Rosa (79), a Rarámuri couple, are deeply rooted in a land marked by violence and deforestation. Their story follows their enduring commitment to restoring the rivers and forests, sustaining the cycle of rain and life.
“Springtime” (“Primavera”), Alfredo Mendoza Aguilar
Prod. Sally Donette Talavera Sores/ Production companies: Fontana Films, Oriente Cine
A debut fiction feature, it centers on Maria Carmela who contemplates suicide as a way to escape from her all-consuming depression and debilitating illness but cannot bring herself to do it.
When she meets Fito, a troubled, drug-addicted teen estranged from his family and community, she offers him a life-changing pact: help her die, and she’ll give him a reason to change his own life.
