Newcomers Shine at the 23rd Morelia Film Festival (FICM)
On October 17, the 23rd Morelia Film Festival (FICM) celebrated a remarkable victory for emerging filmmakers, with several debut features claiming top honors this year. Notably, the environmental thriller "The Reserve" ("La reserva"), directed by Pablo Pérez Lombardini, won multiple awards, including Best Feature, Best Director, and Best Actress for Carolina Guzmán. This gripping film, which first garnered attention at Ventana Sur last year, is inspired by the real-life experiences of environmental defenders and follows a forest ranger’s relentless mission to safeguard her village’s surrounding forest. Shot with local non-professional actors in a rural Chiapas community, "The Reserve" poignantly illustrates the ongoing challenges faced by conservationists across Latin America.
This year’s competition featured over 100 films, earning accolades from industry giants such as Alfonso Cuarón, who hailed the festival as “a cultural landmark, not only for Morelia but for all of Mexico,” and Guillermo del Toro, who recognized it as “an essential platform for Mexico and global cinema, making it one of the most significant cultural events worldwide.” Founded and led by Daniela Michel, the festival ran from October 10 to 19, showcasing a star-studded lineup of international guests, including Stellan Skarsgård, Juliette Binoche, Jodie Foster, Gael García Bernal, and many more.
The Best Screenplay Ojo award was presented to Karen Plata for her work on "The Devil Smokes (and Saves the Burnt Matches in the Same Box)," directed by newcomer Ernesto Martínez Bucio, who also received the Best First Feature Award at the Berlinale. David Pablo’s "On the Road," which recently triumphed at the Venice Film Festival, won the Ojo for Best Cinematography for its director of photography, Ximena Amann, and the Best Actors award for leads Víctor Miguel Prieto and Osvaldo Sánchez.
Actress Mayra Hermosillo was honored with the Audience Award for her directorial debut "Vanilla," which premiered at Venice, while Richard Linklater’s "Nouvelle Vague" took home the International Audience Award. In the Mexican documentary category, "Being Olimpia" ("Llamarse Olimpia") by Indira Cato, which chronicles the journey of Olimpia Coral Melo against cybersex violence, received the Ojo Prize, including both cash and kind awards.
In the festival’s industry section, Impulso Morelia, Dano Garcia’s "Mickey" from the female-led Chicken & Egg Films, secured three awards. The jury, led by Ava DuVernay alongside Pablo Berger, David Linde, and Andrea Pallaoro, selected the following winners:
- Ojo Award for Best Mexican Feature Film: "The Reserve" ("La reserva") by Pablo Pérez Lombardini
- Ojo Award for Best Direction in a Mexican Fiction Feature Film: Pablo Pérez Lombardini for "The Reserve" ("La reserva")
- Casa Wabi–Escine Award for a First-Time Director: Nuria Ibáñez Castañeda for "The Guardian" ("El guardian")
- Best Cinematography in a Mexican Feature Film: Ximena Amann for "On the Road" ("En el camino") by David Pablos
- Best Screenplay in a Mexican Fiction Feature Film: Karen Plata for Ernesto Martínez Bucio’s "The Devil Smokes (and Saves the Burnt Matches in the Same Box)" ("El diablo fuma (y guarda las cabezas de los cerillos quemados en la misma caja)")
- Ojito Award for Best Actress in a Mexican Feature Film: Carolina Guzmán for "The Reserve" ("La reserva")
- Ojito Award for Best Actor in a Mexican Feature Film: Víctor Miguel Prieto and Osvaldo Sánchez for "On the Road" ("En el camino")
- Audience Award for International Feature Film: "Nouvelle Vague," Richard Linklater
- Audience Award for Mexican Fiction Feature Film: "Vanilla" ("Vainilla"), Mayra Hermosillo
- Special Mention in Mexican Fiction Feature Film: Basilio Moncada for his performance in "The Guardian" ("El guardian")
Mexican Documentary Awards (Jury: B. Ruby Rich, Andrei Ujică, and Kathy Geritz):
- Best Mexican Documentary Feature: "Being Olimpia" ("Llamarse Olimpia," Indira Cato)
- Audience Award: "My Benjamin" ("Mi Benjamín," Victoria Clay-Mendoza)
At the Impulso Morelia 11 Panel, awards were also given for post-production, including:
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Caffeine Postproduction Awards:
- Workflow design and deliveries package: "Mickey," Dano García
- Visual Effects package: "Chicas tristes," Fernanda Tovar
- Graphic Design package: "La gran familia," Matías Meyer
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Splendor Omnia Studio Awards:
- One week of 5.1 sound mixing: "Mickey," Dano García
- One week of color correction: "Guerras invisibles," Marcela Arteaga
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Estudios Churubusco Award: $375,000 MXN to "Sueños que migran," Juan Javier Pérez and $375,000 MXN to "Mickey," Dano García.
- José María Riba Award: "Chicas tristes," Fernanda Tovar.
Juliette Binoche was also honored with an Award for Artistic Excellence, highlighting the festival’s commitment to recognizing outstanding contributions to cinema.
This year’s Morelia Film Festival not only showcased incredible talent but also reinforced its status as a vital hub for film culture in Mexico and beyond.
