Morelia Film Fest Draws Del Toro, Cuarón for 24th Edition — SkimNews
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- The 24th Morelia International Film Festival (Oct. 16–25) draws Guillermo del Toro for the 20th anniversary of "Pan's Labyrinth" and Alfonso Cuarón for opening night film "Campeón Gabacho" by his son Jonás Cuarón (which Cuarón produced), while third Amigo Alejandro González Iñárritu is absent as his "Digger" has earned close to $1 million since its Oct. 1 Mexico debut per Canacine.
- Diego Luna's fifth directorial feature "Ashes" anchors the official selection after premiering at Cannes' Special Screenings; Netflix will stream it in Latin America, Spain and Portugal in 2027 following a theatrical run, with Luxbox handling international sales.
- Oscar-nominated J.A. Bayona leads the Mexican features jury alongside Basque filmmaker Jaione Camborda, Grammy-winning Mexican composer Gabriela Ortiz, and U.S. director-producer Amy Redford.
- Artistic director Daniela Michel identifies a five-year shift in Mexican cinema toward intimate subjects—family issues, childhood, motherhood, and broader middle-class representation—and credits a growing slate of female directors at the festival as evidence the industry has changed since "a few years ago there were almost no female directors."
- The hybrid online format, introduced during the 2020 COVID lockdown, now permanently gives Mexican short films in competition greater visibility for up-and-coming talent and audiences who cannot travel to Morelia.
- "Six Months in a Pink and Blue Building" by Bruno Santamaría Razo became the first Mexican feature to compete at Cannes Critics' Week in 20 years, also winning the Best Project Award and DALE! Award at the San Sebastián Co-Production Forum.
Why it matters: Morelia has become a launchpad for Mexican films landing at Cannes, Berlinale, Sundance and Tribeca, with international sales agents like Luxbox and M-Appeal already attached—meaning a Morelia slot now doubles as a global distribution pipeline for emerging Mexican talent. Michel herself flags the structural pressure: as a nonprofit, FICM wrestles annually with shrinking corporate and institutional sponsorship even as the festival's prestige and female-director participation climb.
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