The 12th annual edition of the largest Mexican film festival outside of Mexico, Hola México Film Festival, makes its virtual debut today Friday, September 11 and through Sunday, September 20 exclusively via the Spanish-language premium streaming service Pantaya,.
The festival will give viewers an opportunity to see some of the best films that have recently come out of México and serve as a reminder of how much Mexican cinema has grown in the past several decades. In keeping with tradition, the festival will feature 20 films kicking off with Chicuarotes from renowned Mexican actor, director, and producer Gael García Bernal.
The opening film Chicuarotes centers upon ‘Cagalera’ and ‘El Moloteco’, a pair of young boys who struggle to overcome the poverty that engulfs their community. In order to do this, they perform clown acts on public transportation. Nonetheless, they realize that they do not earn a sufficient living, not even to cover their basic needs. The story takes a radical turn when the young boys begin to rob passengers. The 2019 Mexican drama film was screened in the Contemporary World Cinema section at the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival, Cannes Film Festival and it was selected for competition at the 2019 Shanghai International Film Festival.
The Hola México Film Festival is comprised of the following sections: “México Ahora,” “Documental,” “Hola Niños,” “El Otro México,” and “Nocturno.” México Ahora features the best of Mexican films released in recent years, covering every genre. “Documental” includes top documentary films made by Mexican filmmakers. “Hola Niños” features Mexican-made animated films for children. “El Otro México” highlights experiences of Mexicans rarely portrayed on screen, skillfully presenting perceptive narratives that challenge the status quo. The “Nocturno” section will present audiences with bizarre and purely horrifying films being produced in Mexico.
In total, the Mexican festival will screen 21 feature films including Asfixia by Kenia Márquez, Amores modernos by Matías Meyer; Summer White / Blanco de verano by Rodrigo Ruiz Patterson, Retiro by Daniela Alatorre, and The Guardian of Memory / El guardián de la memoria by Marcela Arteaga.
