FIC Guadalajara, a key point for boosting the film industry

The oldest and one of the most important gatherings in the country for the exhibition, development, and discussion of Mexican and international cinema is just around the corner and is gearing up for its 40th edition, consolidating its position as one of the key meeting points for sparking industry synergies.

The Guadalajara International Film Festival (FICG) will take place from June 6 to 14 at various venues in the Jalisco capital. The FICG Film Library will be the focal point of this grand film festival, which this year will feature Portugal as the Guest of Honor.

In recent days, the FICG has gradually released several of the program lists that enrich it with each edition, including the Industry Program, which is comprised of various strands designed to boost the cinema industry in the country, from co-production to the negotiation of film adaptation rights for literary works, and even establishing itself as a meeting point for endless forms of audiovisual storytelling, particularly video games.

Award-winning films are in the making

El Economista speaks with Ximena Urrutia, director of the FICG Industry Program, about the key aspects of this section ahead of the festival's 40th anniversary.

“If there's one thing that characterizes FICG, it's that we care about ensuring that all film projects reach their most important destination: the screen. In that sense, we have various programs, from those related to development to post-production. One of the most important is the Co-Production Meeting, our longest-running program, now 24 years old, and which has produced some very important films for the cinematography of this region of the world,” Urrutia comments, sharing the most recent success story.

The Bolivian film The Dog Thief, directed by Vinko Tomičić Salinas, won the award for Best First Film at the 12th Platino Ibero-American Film Awards, held a few days ago in Madrid.

“This film is a perfect example to mention because it began its development at the FICG co-production meeting and then went through various programs until it reached the Work in Progress program we're holding at the Guadalajara Film Festival, which we're holding specifically in Los Angeles. Thanks to that entire process, The Dog Thief secured the necessary support to begin and finish the film,” he comments.

But this is just one example of many. Urrutia also mentions the film Corina, directed by Urzula Barba Hopfner and also created at the Work in Progress; the highly successful Ya no estoy aquí (I'm no longer here) by Fernando Frías, winner of 10 Ariel Awards in 2020, including Best Picture; and Huesera (The Bones) by Michelle Garza Cervera, which became a cinematic phenomenon and won four Ariel Awards in 2023.

All of these films, the interviewee comments, "become an example of how, in the end, FICG Industries works to ensure that projects find their best possible outcome."

Stories for film are sold

Likewise, Ximena Urrutia comments, the FICG addresses other aspects of the vast world of possibilities in the audiovisual industry, such as the program Episode 0: Series in Development, "where series arrive on paper, in a folder, to then become reality. In the FICG spaces, series managers seek to meet with industry professionals who can help them realize their projects. They look for the perfect match to bring them to fruition."

Not to mention the emblematic Pitch Guadalajara, which is comprised of various subprograms, one of which is the Schools program. During the festival, students and professors from the most important film educational institutions in Latin America, from the National School of Cinematographic Arts at UNAM to the International School of Film and TV in San Antonio de los Baños, Cuba, are all seeking to promote a film project.

But the Literary Pitch also stands out, which for a handful of years has brought together publishing houses of all sizes in Guadalajara, such as Planeta, Penguin Random House, Anagrama, and Paraíso Perdido, which present some proposals that, they believe, could find a great opportunity in the world of cinema.

At this meeting, their representatives have a few minutes to present the stories of their selected books to a large group of producers and potential promoters, hoping to captivate them and quickly close a rights acquisition agreement.

"For all these reasons, among the audience, it's possible to meet people from different production companies, platforms, and others, who often buy these projects. Today, it's proven that these stories sell, because Planeta is already premiering series that have sold on this program."

But the Industry Program's universe is much broader and full of opportunities, like the Video Game Pitch or the Fantasy Genre Pitch, and there will be the opportunity to tell stories about each in the upcoming coverage of the 40th edition of FICG.

Guadalajara International Film Festival

• Edition 40
• From June 6 to 14
• Guest Country of Honor: Portugal
• Main headquarters: FICG Film Library
• Others: Telmex Auditorium, Cinemex Plaza Sania, State Public Library

All facets of the Industry Program

• Episode 0: Series in Development
• Doculab: Documentary Laboratory
• Co-production Meetings
• Guadalajara Builds
• FICGames Pitch
• Literary Pitch

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