Wes Anderson’s ‘Asteroid City’ Opens Mexico’s 38th Guadalajara Film Festival

Wes Andersons Asteroid City, fresh from its triumphant world premiere at the Cannes fest, opens the 38th Guadalajara Film Festival (FICG) which touts new sections this year, including a branded series showcase and midnight screenings of Italian fright maestro Dario Argentos horror films.

Eva Longorias feature directorial debut, Flamin Hot, which had its West Coast premiere at the LA Latino Film Festival (LALIFF) May 31, marks its Mexican debut at the fest.

The Series Showcase includes Patricia Martinezs fact-based La Narcosatnica, which will stream on the rebranded Max, and Maite Alberdis Libre de reir, a Gato Grande production that centers on inmates in a Mexican prison who enroll in a stand-up comedy workshop. Alberdis Sundance-winning docu The Eternal Memory also vies for a prize in the festivals documentary sidebar.

According to festival director Estrella Araiza, the festival has recovered its funding and will screen a total of 170 films in this edition. Documentaries are very strong and prolific this year but the fiction films are just as good and varied, she said.

FICGs fast-expanding animation section is highlighted by the screening of the acclaimed Black is Beltza II: Ainho, Fermin Muguruzas deep dive into Basque culture and the independence movements of 80s Spain. Rising Mexican animation talent Rita Basulto screens her short Humo in the festivals Premio Rigo Mora sidebar which awards the winner with 200,000 Mexican pesos ($11,000+) and a statuette. The winner is eligible for consideration in the Academy Awards animated short film category.

Jesse Garcia and Dennis Haysbert in FLAMIN HOT. Photo by Anna Kooris. Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. 2023 20th Century Studios All Rights Reserved. Anna Kooris / Courtesy of Searchlight pcitures The festival pays homage to its late founder and chairman of the board of Trustees, Raul Padilla, with various events, including the exhibit Peninsula, Views of a Mexican traveler through Italy, a retrospective of films that he supported, an exhibition of portraits and Letters to Ral, an open space to share memories. The Premio Maguey M award will also be dedicated to him.

Lorena Padillas soulful Martinez, which shot in Jalisco, competes in both the Made in Jalisco as well as the main Premio Mezcal sections. Sold by Paris-based Luxbox, Martinez first screened at the festivals pix-in-post showcase, Guadalajara Construye.

The Premio Mezcal also takes in Sofia Auzas debut feature Adolfo, a Berlin Generation 14plus winner, and David Zonanas well-reviewed military academy drama-thriller Heroic.

Adolfo Aside from Flamin Hot, other films marked by galas are Berlin winner 20,000 Species of Bees by Spains Estibaliz Urresola, Strays by Josh Greenbaum and When you Finish Saving the World by Jesse Eisenberg.

Italy is the Country of Honor for the third time, with helmer-scribe Paolo Genovese (Perfect Strangers) serving as a juror and delivering a Master Class along with Roberto Perpignani whose stellar editing credits include Bernardo Bertoluccis Last Tango in Paris and Orson Welles The Trial.

This edition sees the return of Italian Screens, a showcase of the best of Italian cinema abroad.

FICG 2023 runs June 3 9.

38th FICG OFFICIAL SELECTION PREMIO MEZCAL FICTION

Adolfo, Sofa Auza (Mxico, U.S.)

Amor y matemticas, Claudia Sainte-Luce (Mxico)

Heroico, David Zonana (Mxico, Sweden)

Martnez, Lorena Padilla (Mxico)

Mujeres del alba, Jimena Montemayor Loyo (Mxico)

Rabia, Jorge Michel Grau (Mxico)

DOCUMENTARY

Chul be, senda sagrada, Humberto Gmez Prez (Mxico)

La frontera invisible, Mariana Flores Villalba (Mxico)

Kenya, Gisela Delgadillo (Mxico)

Toshkua, Ludovic Bonleux (Mxico, U.S., France)

Una jaura llamada Ernesto, Everardo Gonzlez (Mxico)

IBERO-AMERICAN FICTION 20,000 especies de abejas, Estibaliz Urresola Solaguren (Spain)

Almamula, Juan Sebastin Torales (Argentina, France, Italy)

Las buenas compaas, Silvia Munt (Spain, France)

Digenes, Leonardo Barbuy La Torre (Peru, France, Colombia)

Great Yarmouth Provisional Figures, Marco Martins (Portugal, UK, France)

Las hijas, Kattia G. Ziga (Panama, Chile)

La pecera, Glorimar Marrero-Snchez (U.S., Puerto Rico, Spain)

La piel pulpo, Ana Cristina Barragn (Ecuador, Mxico, Greece, Germany, France, Italy)

Tengo sueos elctricos, Valentina Maurel (Belgium, France, Costa Rica)

IBERO-AMERICAN DOCUMENTARY Ara La Llum Cau Vertical, Efthymia Zymvragaki (Spain, Germany, Italy, Netherlands)

Los Bilbao, Pedro Speroni (Argentina)

El castillo, Martn Benchimol (Argentina, France)

Fauna, Pau Faus (Spain)

Isla Alien, Cristbal Valenzuela Berrios (Italy, Chile)

Llamadas desde Mosc, Luis Alejandro Yero (Cuba, Germany, Norway)

La memoria infinita, Maite Alberdi (Chile)

Notas para una pelcula, Ignacio Agero (Chile, France)

O auto das nimas, Pablo Lago Dantas (Spain)

Samuel y la luz, Vincius Girnys (France, Brazil)

PREMIO MAGUEY 20,000 especies de abejas, Estibaliz Urresola Solaguren (Spain)

Almamula, Juan Sebastin Torales (Argentina, France, Italy)

Las buenas compaas, Silvia Munt (Spain, France)

El castillo, Martn Benchimol (Argentina, France)

Cross Dreamers, Soledad Velasco (Argentina)

Despert con un sueo, Pablo Solarz (Argentina, Uruguay)

In Bed, Nitzan Gilady (Israel)

Kenya, Gisela Delgadillo (Mxico)

Kokomo City, D. Smith (U.S.)

Little Richard: I Am Everything, Lisa Corts (U.S.)

Liuben, Venci D. Kostov (Bulgaria, Spain)

Llamadas desde Mosc, Luis Alejandro Yero (Cuba, Germany, Norway)

Medusa Deluxe, Thomas Hardiman (U.K.)

Mutt, Vuk Lungulov-Klotz (U.S.)

Passages, Ira Sachs (France)

Till the End of the Night, Christoph Hochhusler (Germany)

ANIMATION FEATURES Art College 1994, Liu Jian (China)

Black is Beltza II: Ainhoa, Fermn Muguruza (Spain, Argentina)

Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman, Pierre Fldes (France, Canada, Netherlands, Luxembourg)

Chicken for Linda, Chiara Malta, Sbastien Laudenbach (France, Italy)

Little Nicholas Happy as Can Be, Amandine Fredon, Benjamin Massoubre (France, Luxembourg)

No Dogs or Italians Allowed, Alain Ughetto (France, Switzerland, Italy, Blgium, Portugal)

Un reino para todos nosotros, Miguel ngel Uriegas (Mxico)

SERIES SHOWCASE La Narcosatnica, Patricia Martinez (Mexico)

Libre de rer, Maite Alberdi (Mxico); two episodes

El show, Diego Enrique Osorno (Mxico)

La vida de nosotras, Brbara Barrera Morales (Chile)