News

Netflix’s $1B Mexican drive is taking shape with cameras rolling on four new series starring the likes of Gael García Bernal and Paulina Dávila. Meanwhile, another new show out of Mexico, Mal de Amores (Lovesick), the adaptation of Ángeles Mastretta’s novel, has wrapped.

Netflix boss Ted Sarandos said in Feb. that the streamer will splash $1B on Mexican originals over the next four years. The quartet of new series includes Santita starring Garcia Bernal and Dávila. It is billed as an unconventional love story about a woman forced to confront her life choices. From Panorama Entertainment, Rodrigo García directs.

Love 9 To 5 is an office rom-com from Carolina Rivera, creator of Daughter from Another Mother. Produced by La Granja, it stars Diego Klein and Ana González Bello as workplace rivals. He is an entitled nepo baby and she is a star employee. They initially despise each other, but, per the rom-com rules,...

Netflix has unveiled the start of production on four new series in Mexico, including one starring Gael García Bernal, reflecting the global streaming giant’s commitment “to continue bringing Mexican stories created by local creators to the screen.”

Following February’s news of a $1 billion investment in local production by Netflix, directors and showrunners presented the new shows in the streamer’s Mexican office. They are Santita, Love 9 to 5 (Amor de oficina), I’m Not Afraid (No tengo miedo), and Corruptors (Los corruptores).

Netflix also confirmed the end of production of Lovesick (Mal de amores), an adaptation of the novel written by Ángeles Mastretta and directed by her daughter, Catalina Aguilar Mastretta.

The new series add to Mexican series that Netflix previously announced it would release this year, namely Snakes and Ladders, The Dead Girls, How to Win the Lottery, The Gringo Hunters, Unspeakable Sins, and No One Saw Us Leave.

Netflix has unveiled four new series currently filming in Mexico as part of the streamer’s $1 billion investment in film and TV production in the country.

Production is officially underway on “Santita,” which hails from director Rodrigo García and stars Gael García Bernal, Carolina Rivera’s “Amor de oficina,” “I’m not afraid” (“No tengo miedo”), which is based on Niccolò Ammaniti’s Italian novel, and “Corruptors” (“Los corruptores”) based on the novel of the same name by Jorge Zepeda Patterson, Netflix announced Tuesday.

Additionally, the streamer wrapped filming on “Lovesick” (“Mal de amores”), the adaptation of Ángeles Mastretta’s novel, which is directed by her daughter, Catalina Aguilar Mastretta.

“Santita” will star Paulina Dávila and Gael García, while “Amor de oficina,” the new comedy by Carolina Rivera, stars Diego Klein and Ana González Bello.

Likewise, “I’m not Afraid,” which will be directed by Ernesto Contreras, will star Luis Alberti,...

Netflix is expanding its commitment to Mexican storytelling with the announcement of four brand-new series currently in production. As part of its ongoing $1 billion investment in the country’s creative industry, Netflix continues to deepen its collaboration with local talent and creators, highlighting the authenticity and diversity of Mexican stories.

Among the new titles announced are “Santita,” “Love 9 to 5,” “I’m Not Afraid” and “Corruptors,” all reflecting Netflix’s pledge to showcase Mexican narratives and culture.

“Santita,” directed by Rodrigo García, tells the story of María José Cano, a woman who, after a car accident confines her to a wheelchair, abandons the love of her life at the altar. Now, two decades later, she must face the consequences of her past when he unexpectedly reenters her life. Dubbed “Santita” despite being more sinner than saint, María José’s journey is a wickedly irreverent and unconventional love story. Paulina Dávila and...

In the new Amazon Prime Mexican series, No One Will Miss Us, directed by Catalina Aguilar Mastretta, we meet a boy named Memo, who starts off as shy and timid and feels out of place. Over time, Memo finds a group of nerdy friends who support him, protect Memo from bullies, and help him build confidence. Memo goes from being an unnoticed outsider to the talk of the school. But then, just as suddenly as Memo appeared, he was gone. Memo is a bit like Neville Longbottom from Harry Potter—an unsung hero. This boy doesn’t share his feelings with anyone, and when he decides to end his life, it happens so fast and unexpectedly that no one, not even his friends, sees it coming.

No One Will Miss Us really dives deep into the struggles of being a teenager, making friends, and finding yourself. It handles the tough topic of suicide so delicately.

Exclusive: Prime Video is going big in Mexico with a TV series about five nerds who run a high school business selling homework in the 1990s. Watch the trailer above.

No One Will Miss Us comes from Fremantle-owned The Immigrant, which is having a good week after Disney+ boarded its comedy-drama Shared Custody from Champions maker Javier Fesser.

No One Will Miss Us is set in pre-economic crisis 1990s Mexico and follows five losers who run an illegal business at their high school. They sell homework and assignments to their classmates and their business brings them money and popularity, but hormones and an unexpected death threaten to ruin everything.

The eight-part series is being directed by Catalina Aguilar Mastretta (Cindy La Regia) and Ariel Award winning director Samuel Kishi Leopo (Los Lobos). The screenplay is by Adriana Pelusi (Control Z) and Gibrán Portela (Güeros).

The series joins an Amazon Mexico...

Generation (Genera+ion), the HBO Max original, has gotten picked up by Tubi and all 16 episodes of the series are now available. Watch a trailer of the first and only season in the video posted above.

Created by Zelda Barnza and Daniel Barnz, Generation centers on a diverse group of high school students whose fearless exploration of identity and sexuality challenges the antiquated social norms embedded in their conservative community. As they navigate the intricacies of growing up with the help (and hindrance) of their ever-present devices and social media, they lean on one another to cultivate unique voices and stamp their individuality on the world around them.

Generation was short-lived on the Warner Bros. Discovery streamer and although it was full of rich characters with plenty to explore for a second season, it was canceled after its first season. The show was recently removed from HBO Max as Wbd...

HBO Max’s “Generation” will return with new episodes starting June 17.

Rounding out Part 2 of Season 1, the series will launch three episodes on June 17, two on June 24 and two on July 1, with the finale premiering on July 8.

The half-hour dramedy series follows a diverse group of high school students exploring themselves and their sexuality in a conservative community.

The ensemble cast includes Nathanya Alexander, Chloe East, Nava Mau, Lukita Maxwell, Haley Sanchez, Uly Schlesinger, Nathan Stewart-Jarrett, Chase Sui Wonders, Justice Smith and Martha Plimpton, with recurring guest stars J. August Richards, Mary Birdsong, Alicia Coppola, Patricia De Leon, Diego Josef, Anthony Kevyan, Sydney Mae Diaz, John Ross Bowie, Marwan Salama, Marisela Zumbado and Sam Trammell.

“Generation” is created by Zelda Barnz and Daniel Barnz, who executive produce with Ben Barnz for We’re Not Brothers Productions, Lena Dunham for Good Thing Going Productions, Sharr White and John Melfi. Sono Patel co-executive produces,...

Exclusive: Bluff City Law star Caitlin McGee is set as a co-lead opposite Topher Grace in ABC’s Home Economics. Also cast as major characters in the single-camera family comedy pilot are How To Get Away With Murder alumna Karla Souza in her return to ABC, and Saturday Night Live alumna Sasheer Zamata. The project hails from from writers Michael Colton and John Aboud, the Tannenbaum Co., Lionsgate TV and ABC Studios.

Written by Colton and Aboud inspired by Colton’s family,, Home Economics is said to be in the vein of Modern Family and revolves around three adult siblings: one in the 1 percent, one middle-class, and one barely holding on.

McGee plays the oldest sibling, Sarah, a therapist for at-risk kids, married to a teacher, and they’re often scraping to make ends meet. Of her siblings, she earns the least money, but she does the most socially important...

Berlin — Teaming two of the most energetic players on the new Spanish-language content scene, El Estudio and Infinity Hill are teaming to produce “Amor es Amor,” Rob Schneider’s Spanish-language movie debut as both an actor and director.

A comedy, “Amor es Amor” turns on Enrique Juarez, an up-and-coming Mexican telenovela actor on the verge of breakthrough as a leading man, who has to hide his true self in order to achieve stardom.

That includes creating a fake relationship with former pop sensation, Sofia. The mastermind behind the whole scheme is Julian Rodin (Schneider), a big TV network honcho, who is secretly having an affair with Sofia.

“Amor es amor” marks the latest turn in a career which saw Schneider debut in 1990 as a writer and soon after cast member on “SNL,” then break out out in movies in “Deuce Bigalow – Male Gigolo” in which he created one of his most famed characters,...

Sony Pictures Intl. Prods. and El Estudio, a major new independent production player in the Spanish-speaking world, are teaming to produce a Mexican version of breakout Cuban feature “Juan of the Dead,” with Emilio Portés directing.

Chronicling a U.S. zombie invasion of Mexico, the remake marks one in a strong first slate of titles from El Estudio, launched at the Berlin Festival by three of the most connected producers in the Spanish-speaking world: Ex-Canana producer-partner Pablo Cruz, “The Impossible” producer Enrique López Lavigne and former Sony Pictures Intl. Prods. head Diego Suárez Chialvo.

Based out of Mexico, Los Angeles and Madrid, El Estudio has 63 projects in development or production. El Estudio is represented by CAA. Partners on early titles include Sony Pictures Intl. Prods., Netflix, HBO, Lionsgate, Viacom Intl. Pictures, Movistar Plus and Beta Film, El Estudio told Variety, announcing some of its 2020-21 projects:

“Verguenza” stars Mexico’s...

Exclusive: Cine Sony and the National Association of Latino Independent Producers are teaming again to launch the second annual Voces Nuevas, their short film contest for aspiring filmmakers throughout the U.S.

Eligible filmmakers ages 18 and up who reside in the U.S. can submit short films ranging from from two to 20 minutes in length from now through March 8. Projects can be submitted here.

“Last year, Voces Nuevas had over 300 filmmakers submit everything from comedies to thrillers to dramas, confirming our belief that there is so much deserving talent out there,” said Jeff Meier, Svp and General Manager, U.S. Networks, at Sony Pictures Television. “We are excited to join forces with Nalip and once again provide a platform to show audiences the talent and creativity of emerging filmmakers.”

Voces Nuevas aims to discover and celebrate emerging film talent while providing a new resource for content development. Entrants will compete...

In today’s film news roundup, Stellan Skarsgard’s drama gets U.S. distribution, James DuMont gets cast, “Beautiful in the Morning” opens the La Femme International Film Festival and Sony sets up multi-lingual comedy “Este Dia.”

Acquisition

Magnolia Pictures has acquired U.S. rights to the drama “Out Stealing Horses,” starring Stellan Skarsgard and directed by Hans Petter Moland.

The film, based on Per Petterson’s award-winning novel, premiered in competition at the 2019 Berlinale and is Norway’s official Oscar entry for best international feature. Magnolia is planning a theatrical release for next year.

Skarsgard portrays a 67-year-old man who, after the death of his wife, retires to a desolate place in the east of Norway. As winter arrives he discovers he has a neighbor, a man he knew during the summer of 1948.

“Hans Petter Moland has delivered an incredibly well-shot and acted adaptation of a greatly loved novel,...

Exclusive: Vida and Everybody Loves Somebody director Catalina Aguilar Mastretta is set to direct the bilingual comedy Este Día (This Day) from Sony Pictures’ Stage 6 Films. Production is slated to start in New York this spring.

Mastretta will direct the film from a script written by Borja Cobeaga and Diego San Jose and adapted by Mastretta, which is a multi-generational bilingual comedy about the magic that happens over the course of a single day in New York, when lives and loves intersect in unexpected and meaningful ways, and people realize that there is more that unites us than divides us, on this day and every day. Sony is actively casting the film.

Este Día is produced by Rodrigo Garcia, former Editor in Chief of Latina Magazine Mimi Valdés and Nina Yang Bongiovi. The project is being...

Ben O’Toole.

After graduating from Waapa in 2011, Ben O’Toole played policeman Pete for three seasons of Love Child, had supporting roles in The Water Diviner and Hacksaw Ridge and co-starred in the Us movies Detroit and 12 Strong.

The Brisbane-born actor plays the leads in Alister Grierson’s comedic thriller Bloody Hell and in Kiah Roache-Turner’s horror-comedy Nekrotronic, yet he is far from satisfied with where he is at in his career.

“I still have a lot more to learn; I have much further to go,” says O’Toole, who has bases in Sydney and Los Angeles, the latter with actor-director housemate Kick Gurry.

Working with Mel Gibson on Hacksaw Ridge and with Chris Hemsworth on 12 Strong were great learning experiences.

“Mel was incredible and very powerful in communicating what he wanted us to do, and he encouraged Vince Vaughn and me to improvise,” he says.

In Nicolai Fuglsig’s 12 Strong,...

Ben O’Toole (Photo credit: John Russo).

Ben O’Toole is playing the protagonist in Bloody Hell, a dark, comedic thriller which the producers hope to turn into a three-film franchise.

Directed by Alister Grierson and scripted by Robert Benjamin, the film is now shooting on the Gold Coast, supported by Screen Queensland and the Gold Coast City Council.

O’Toole, whose credits include the Roache-Turner brothers’ Nekrotronic, Nicolai Fuglsig’s 12 Strong and Kathryn Bigelow’s Detroit, plays Rex Coen, an American with a mysterious past who lives in Boise, Idaho.

He decides to escape from his own personal hell by fleeing to Helsinki, where life just gets worse. Caroline Craig, Matthew Sunderland, Travis Jeffery, Jack Finsterer and newcomers Meg Fraser and David Hill play members of a Finnish family.

The premise for O’Toole’s character was imagining what would happen to Bruce Willis as Die Hard’s John...

Freeform is developing a drama series based on the book “Make Your Home Among Strangers” by Jennine Capó Crucet, Variety has learned exclusively.

The project is described as a cross-generational drama that follows both a Cuban American girl who struggles her freshman year at an elite New England college and the chaotic family she leaves behind in Miami, all set against the backdrop of the explosive Elian Gonzalez trial in the 1990’s. The series explores issues of identity, race, and class in America.

Danny Tolli will write the adaptation in addition to serving as executive producer. Capó Crucet will serve as consulting producer with Jonathan Baruch of StoryBy Entertainment executive producing. Catalina Aguilar Mastretta is attached to direct. Entertainment One is the studio.

Tolli previously wrote for the ABC drama series “The Catch.” He is also the co-chair of the WGA’s Latino Writers Committee

He is repped by Verve,...

Amazon Prime Video has given a pilot green light to Half-Empty, a single-camera comedy co-written by and starring Cazzie David, the 24-year-old daughter of Larry David, a social media star who has been hailed as the new Lena Dunham.

Written and executive produced by David and Elisa Kalani, the project landed at Amazon for development a year ago. Augustine Frizzell is set to direct the pilot and will executive produce. Girls alumna Sarah Heyward will serve as executive producer and showrunner.

Annapurna TV and Endeavor Content are the studios, with Annapurna TV’s Sue Naegle and Ali Krug producing

Half-Empty follows a sardonic college student (David) whose overactive imagination leads to catastrophic thinking and an endless chain of social disasters.

Said David in a tone reminiscent of her dad’s persona on Curb Your Enthusiasm, “It’s been a delightful collaboration. Although I have nothing to base that on, having never collaborated.

Amazon has given the formal green light to a comedy pilot written and directed by Catalina Aguilar Mastretta (Everybody Loves Somebody). Lorenza Izzo (Life Itself) is set as the lead in the untitled project for Amazon Prime Video, with Georgie Flores (Famous in Love), Giancarlo Vidrio (El Vato), Ben O’Toole (Hacksaw Ridge), Sarah Ramos and Patricia Bernal (Everybody Loves Somebody) also cast. Amazon Studios is producing with comedy-focused Jax Media.

The Catalina Aguilar Mastretta project is a bilingual (Spanish) romantic comedy about family – the one you choose and the one you’re born into. Sara (Izzo) has been the matriarch of her chosen family since her parents moved back to Mexico City in her late teens. She and her diverse group of friends and family attempt to master their careers and romantic entanglements while living together in Sara’s Hollywood Hills compound.

Amazon has picked up a pilot for a bilingual comedy series set in Los Angeles.

The project hails from Catalina Aguilar Mastretta, who will serve as writer, director, and executive producer. The series, which will feature Spanish and English, follows Sara, who has been the matriarch of her chosen family since her parents moved back to Mexico City in her late teens. She and her diverse group of friends and family attempt to master their careers and romantic entanglements while living together in Sara’s Hollywood Hills compound. Now, Sara’s mother, Ines, is moving back in and shedding a new light on the life Sara built for herself, pushing everyone towards a late-in-life coming of age.

Lorenza Izzo will star as Sara, with Patricia Bernal set to play Ines. In addition, Georgie Flores has been cast as Alicia, Giancarlo Vidrio has been cast as Nacho, Ben O’Toole has been cast as Matt,...

Amazon has ordered a pilot for a bilingual scripted show from “Everybody Loves Somebody” director Catalina Aguilar Mastretta.

The untitled comedy project is, per Amazon’s description, a bilingual (Spanish) romantic comedy about family – the one you choose and the one you’re born into, set in Los Angeles. Sara has been the matriarch of her chosen family since her parents moved back to Mexico City in her late teens. She and her diverse group of friends and family attempt to master their careers and romantic entanglements while living together in Sara’s Hollywood Hills compound. Now, Sara’s mother, Ines, is moving back in and shedding a new light on the life Sara built for herself, pushing everyone towards a late-in-life coming of age.

Lorenza Izzo will play Sara, “a self-described Mexican American Jew who works as a professional photographer” per Amazon. The project also stars Georgie Flores, Giancarlo Vidrio,...

Amazon is diving into the cultural stew of Los Angeles with a romantic-comedy project that will film in English and Spanish.

The streaming service has given a pilot order to a project from writer-director Catalina Aguilar Mastretta (Everybody Loves Somebody, Vida), Amazon Studios and Jax Media, producers of Broad City, Search Party and Inside Amy Schumer. The show will center on Sara and her chosen family of relatives and friends, who try to master their careers and romantic entanglements while living together in a Hollywood Hills compound.

When Sara's mother, Ines, returns after years living in Mexico City, it sheds a ...

“Everybody Loves Somebody” has something for everybody. Star Karla Souza says the “awesome romantic comedy” is part-Spanish, part-English, and all indebted to old Jewish men. Or so director Catalina Aguilar Mastretta told her. “This is an awesome romantic comedy — the director is a fan of Woody Allen,” the actress told TheWrap’s Stuart Brazell. “She said the other day in an interview, I learned how to do movies and how to love people through these older Jewish men and their movies, and now these older Jewish men can see my movie and learn a little bit about love too.” The actress,...

Love is universal in any language.

The film follows young and beautiful Clara Barron (Karla Souza), who seems to have it all. She has a great job, a beautiful house in Los Angeles and a Mexican family that loves to have fun. The only thing Barron hasn’t figured out is her love life. Pressured to go to a wedding in Mexico, she asks a co-worker to pose as her boyfriend for the weekend festivities. Caught off guard when her ex shows up to the ceremony, Clara must now choose between her former beau or the possibility of a new and exciting romance.

The film is directed and written by Catalina Aguilar Mastretta. It also stars Jose Mario Yazpik, Ben O’Toole, Tiare Scanda and Patricia Bernal.

Lrm sat down with director Catalina Aguilar Mastretta, Ben O’Toole, Tiare Scanda and Patricia Bernal to discuss the movie. There is a...

There is always a chance for love for anyone.

Karla Souza (How To Get Away With Murder) stars in the romantic Pantelion Film’s Everybody Loves Somebody.

The film follows young and beautiful Clara Barron, who seems to have it all. She has a great job, a beautiful house in Los Angeles and a Mexican family that loves to have fun. The only thing Barron hasn’t figured out is her love life. Pressured to go to a wedding in Mexico, she asks a co-worker to pose as her boyfriend for the weekend festivities. Caught off guard when her ex shows up to the ceremony, Clara must now choose between her former beau or the possibility of a new and exciting romance.

The film is directed and written by Catalina Aguilar Mastretta. It also stars Jose Mario Yazpik, Ben O’Toole, Tiare Scanda and Patricia Bernal.

Everybody Loves Somebody is currently playing in theaters nationwide.

How To Get Away With Murder's Karla Souza takes the lead in Everybody Loves Somebody, a romantic comedy that defies the genre.  Souza, director Catalina Aguilar Mastretta and her costars Patricia Bernal, Ben O'Toole and Tiara Scanda sat down with CineMovie to discuss why the film breaks with Hollywood tradition in making the woman the commitment phobe, and showing a Latino family in a positive and non-stereotypical fashion.

Read More ...

Welcome back to the Weekend Warrior, your weekly look at the new movies hitting theaters this weekend, as well as other cool events and things to check out.

This Past Weekend:

The Lego Batman Movie won the weekend as expected, but not with nearly as much money as I had predicted, not besting the opening of The Lego Movie as expected, but instead ending up with a reasonable and not so bad $53 million. Fifty Shades Darker proved that the audience for movies based on the popular books was still great enough for it to win Friday with $21 million (to Lego Batman’s $15 million) and end up second for the weekend with a strong $46.6 million. That was still almost $40 million less than the opening of the previous movie Fifty Shades of Grey, but the sequel also didn’t have the benefits of Valentine’s Day and a four-day holiday. Coming in...

Lionsgate and its Pantelion Film division will release writer-director Catalina Aguilar Mastretta’s romantic comedy Everybody Loves Somebody on February 17. The film follows the beautiful Clara Barron (Karla Souza), who seems to have everything: a great job as an Ob-gyn, a great house in L.A. and a big fun-loving Mexican family. But the one thing Clara doesn't have figured out is her love life. Pressured by a family wedding in Mexico, Clara asks a co-worker to pose as her…...

HBO has acquired Evgeny Afineevsky’s Sundance selection and follow-up to Winter On Fire: Ukraine’s Fight For Freedom in a deal with executive producer David Dinerstein.

Cries From Syria chronicles the Middle East country’s civil war and draws on hundreds of hours of war footage as well as testimony from child protestors, human rights activists, citizens and high-ranking army generals who have defected from the Army.

The film receives its world premiere in Park City this month in the Documentary Premieres strand and will debut on HBO on March 13.

Annapurna Television is partnering with the Coen Brothers on Western anthology The Ballad Of Buster Scruggs. Annapurna issued a press release saying it intended to pursue “an innovative television and theatrical integrated approach” without elaborating. Joel and Ethen Coen wrote the script and will direct and produce through their Mike Zoss Productions label. Ellison and Annapurna Television president of television Sue Naegle are executive producers. UTA represents...

"All you've ever done is leave. Everybody loves somebody eventually..." Aw, charming and true. Pantelion Films has debuted the trailer for an indie romantic comedy titled Everybody Loves Somebody, from Mexican filmmaker Catalina Aguilar Mastretta, about a big wedding in Mexico. Mexican actress Karla Souza (seen on "How to Get Away with Murder") stars as Clara Barron, a woman who has trouble figuring out her love life. During her trip home for a wedding, her "crazy" family provides her with some guidance for her life. The full cast includes José María Yazpik, Ben O'Toole, K.C. Clyde, Tiaré Scanda, Patricia Bernal, and Alejandro Camacho. This probably won't appeal to everyone, but it does have some charm. Here's the trailer (+ poster) for Catalina Aguilar Mastretta's Everybody Loves Somebody, on YouTube: On the surface, the young and beautiful Clara Barron (Karla Souza) seems to have everything - a great job as an...

The world premiere of Ritesh Batra’s adaptation of the Julian Barnes novel starring Jim Broadbent and Charlotte Rampling will kick off proceedings at the 28th annual Palm Springs International Film Festival on January 5.

The Sense Of An Ending (pictured) is Batra’s second film after The Lunchbox and will open through CBS films on March 10.

Taylor Hackford’s The Comedian starring Robert De Niro will close the event (Spc opens the film on January 13) as festival brass unveiled the full roster of Premieres, New Voices/New Visions, Modern Masters, True Stories and After Dark.

World premieres include Colin Hanks’s Eagles Of Death Metal: Nos Amis (Our Friends) (Us-France); Andrew Wagner’s Breakable You (Us) starring Holly Hunter, Tony Shalhoub and Alfred Molina; Catalina Aguilar Mastretta’s Everybody Loves Somebody (Mexico); and Simon Aboud’s The Beautiful Fantastic (UK-us).

Rounding out the world premieres are: The Concessionaires Must Die! (Us) by [link...

Opening April 15 at the IFC Center and L.A.’s Independent Downtown is Echo Park, the directorial debut of celebrity photographer Amanda Marsalis. A relationship drama starring Mamie Gummer (The Good Wife, Cake) and Anthony Okungbawa (Mother of George), the film is based on a number of incidents occurring in Okungbawa’s life. The actor is a resident of the titular neighborhood — a diverse, pedestrian-friendly swatch of L.A. that forms a microcosm of sorts for this film’s characters-in-transition. The script was written by AFI Grad Catalina Aguilar Mastretta. Check out the trailer above. Echo Park is released by Array Releasing.

Countries around the world have slowly begun announcing their official submissions for the Best Foreign Language Film Academy Award or shortlists of films that are being considered for the distinction. In the case of Mexico there is no clear candidate for the Mexican Academy to select this year, which leaves an open field of diverse films from the art house and commercial realms.

Undoubtedly, the best Mexican film audiences around the world, and in Mexico itself, have had the chance to see in 2015 is Alonso Ruiz Palacios “Güeros,” and some have even speculated that the black-and-white love letter to Mexico City could become the country’s Oscar candidate and even be among the favorites. Unfortunately, the film doesn’t qualify because it was considered to become the official entry last year, when it lost the opportunity to represent Mexico to the financially successful biopic “Cantinflas.” Ruiz Palacios' film would go on to win five Ariel Awards (Mexican Academy Awards) including Best Film and Best Director. It’s in fact the best choice, yet it simply can’t be anymore.

Each year the Mexican Academy sends out a call for entries for filmmakers and producers to submit their films. The organization will only consider those films that are entered by their respective creators, which means that even if a film qualifies if it’s not submitted it won’t be considered. The submission period is over now and the Mexican Academy will announce a list of films competing to represent the nation at the Oscars and the Spanish Goya’s in the upcoming days. Even without a gem like “Güeros” there are still other likely choices and many others that don’t stand a chance against the world-class works that will be send from across the globe. Commercial successes like “A la Mala,” “Tiempos Felices” or “Visitantes” will have a hard time finding support, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they are entered to be in the running anyway.

After looking carefully at release dates, festivals, last year’s films in competition, and having seen several of them, here is a list of 15 films that look like reasonable choices to represent the Mexican film industry at Hollywood’s most prestigious award show. Let’s see how many of these are actually on the official list.

"600 Millas" (600 Miles)

Dir. Gabriel Ripstein

Winner of the Best First Feature at this year’s Berlinale and starring Tim Roth, Gabriel Ripstein’s gun trafficking drama is a gritty and powerful statement about one of the numerous complex issues afflicting both Mexico and the U.S. However, giving the duality it deals with, the film is partially in English, which could become a tricky problem when deciding if it can compete as a foreign language work or not. Furthermore, “600 Miles” hasn’t had a theatrical release in Mexico yet, something that AMPAS requires for a film to qualify. If selected a one-week qualifying run would be mandatory.

"Alicia en el País de Maria" (Alice in Marialand)

Dir. Jesús Magaña Vázquez

Starring Stephanie Sigman ("Spectre") and Uruguayan-born actress Barbara Mori, this highly stylized romantic fantasy follows a love triangle between reality and a strange dreamland. This is Magaña Vázquez highest profile film to date and premiered at the Guadalajara International Film Festival earlier this year. It’s non-linear narrative and the fact that it hasn’t screen much outside its homeland might play against it, but it’s still appears to be an interesting choice. The film opens August 28 in Mexico.

"Carmín Tropical"

Dir. Rigoberto Pérezcano

A personal favorite from what I’ve seen and one of the strongest candidates on this list, “Carmin Tropical” tells the story of Mabel, a “muxe” or physical male who lives as a woman, who returns to her hometown to investigate the death of her estranged best friend, also a "muxe." After winning the highest award at the Morelia International Film Festival, the film has gone to screen in festivals around the world including Outfest Los Angeles and the Sarajevo Film Festival. Added to this, Pérezcano’s work earned him the Ariel Award for Best Original Screenplay at this year’s ceremony. Its relevant ideas regarding gender identity and hate crimes could give it some traction.

"Club Sandwich"

Dir. Fernando Eimbcke

While Fernando Eimbcke’s most recent indie has been around since 2013 in the festival circuit, the film was not considered last year to become the country’s entry as it only open theatrically in Mexico last November. Given these facts this delightful comedy technically qualifies, though it’s hard to say if the filmmaker will pursue the candidacy. “Club Sandwich” uses deadpan charm to explore the relationship between a teenage boy and his mother while on vacation yo a beachside town. The film screened during last year’s Los Angeles Film Festival.

"Las Elegidas" (The Chosen Ones)

Dir. David Pablos

This is the obvious heavyweight at least on paper. In recent years Mexican films that were selected to participate in the Cannes Film Festival have become ideal selections for Oscar consideration. Carlos Reygadas “Silent Light,” Gerardo Naranjo’s “Miss Bala,” Michel Franco’s “After Lucia,” and Amat Escalante’s “Heli,” represented the country in their respective years. Despite being highly regarded internationally, these type of hyperrealist art house films have failed to garner a nomination from AMPAS, which could mean the Mexican Academy might want to look towards more commercial projects like they did last year. Pablos' film is similar to some of the aforementioned titles in terms of the crude realities they depict. Reviews were mostly positive and the film could definitely continue with the Cannes-to-Oscar pattern, but might prove another hard sale for Academy voters. “Las Elegidas” still hasn’t open theatrically in Mexico.

"Elvira, Te Dariá Mi Vida Pero La Estoy Usando" (Elvira, I'd Give You My Life But I'm Using It)

Dir. Manolo Caro

A sophisticated romantic dramedy starring two of Mexico’s most prolific actors Cecilia Suarez and Luis Gerardo Mendez (Netflix’ “Club de Cuervos”), the film represents a departure for filmmaker Manolo Caro from the more conventional romantic comedies he’s done in the past. When Elvira’s husband goes missing she embarks on a search to find him, even if the outcome of her quest is not what she expects her devotion is unwavering. The film had its U.S. premiere at the Los Angeles Film Festival in June and it’s opening in Mexico this weekend.

"Estrellas Solitarias" (Lonely Stars)

Dir. Fernando Urdapilleta

By far the most unconventional choice, this irreverent comedy about dreams of stardom focuses on a pair of transvestites hoping to get their big break while working in a dingy and unglamorous bar. Music plays a big role in Fernando Urdapilleta’s sophomore feature, which shines a light on characters rarely seen in Mexican cinema. Produced by the Centro de Capacitación Cinematográfica the film has screened around the country and competed for the Maguey Award to Lgbt films at the 30th edition of Guadalajara International Film Festival (Ficg).

"Gloria"

Dir. Christian Keller

Working from a screenplay by Sabina Berman, Swiss filmmaker Christian Keller crafted a searing biopic about one of Mexico’s most iconic pop stars, Gloria Trevi, and her tumultuous career. The film took audiences and critics by surprise mainly because of the authenticity brought to it by the young actress Sofia Espinosa, who truly embodied Trevi’s outrageous personality and commanding stage presence. “Gloria” opened in Mexico back in February and it screened at SXSW in Austin last March. It’s also the only film in the list that has already had a U.S. theatrical release, which has handled by Picturehouse. This would definitely be a divisive selection given that Gloria is not widely known in the English-speaking world.

"La Guerra de Manuela Jankovic" (Manuela Jankovic's War)

Dir. Diana Cardozo

Nominated for 3 Ariel Awards including Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress this year, this peculiar drama opened late last year and hasn’t travel much internationally. Set in the early 90s the film deals with Manuela, a middle-aged woman who must take care of her bitter Serbian grandmother who escaped to Mexico during World War II. Beautifully executed and acted the film is a sleeper that could actually be an ideal choice given its unique premise and approach. Stories about the Eastern European community in Mexico have rarely been explored in film.

"Hilda"

Dir. Andres Clariond

Dealing with classicism within Mexican society, this Audience Award-winning film at the last Morelia Film Festival paints a disturbing picture about the divide between the elite and the working class. Starring Veronica Langer as Mrs. Le Marchand, a wealthy woman depressed due to her unfulfilled ambitions, the film is a psychological drama with darkly comedic undertones. When Hilda (Adriana Paz) a new housemaid is hired, Le Marchand’s obsessive behavior unravels. Andres Clariond’s debut feature is based on a French play by Marie Ndiaye, the filmmaker certainly found parallels between the playwright’s work and his homeland. “Hilda” will open in Mexico in early September.

"Las Horas Contigo" (The Hours With You)

Dir. Catalina Aguilar Mastretta

This endearing dram about a young woman coming to terms with her grandmother’s imminent death has been a quiet success since it’s premiere at the 2014 Ficg where it won the Best Director award for debutant Catalina Aguilar Mastretta. “Las Horas Contigo” was nominated for three Ariel Awards winning the Best Supporting Actress statuette for veteran thespian Isela Vega. The film’s U.S. premiere took place during the 4th edition of Ficg in La and was also part of the Latin Cinema section at the Palm Springs International Film Festival. It’s a well-made film that offers a handful of moving moments that could resonate with voters, though in my opinion it’s a bit slight.

"Manto Acuífero" ( The Well)

Dir. Michael Rowe

Australian filmmaker Michael Rowe, who has made a career working in Mexico, received great acclaim and accolades for his debut feature “Año Bisiesto,” including the Camera d’Or prize at the Cannes Film Festival. “Manto Acuífero,” his sophomore effort, premiered at the Rome Film Festival in 2013 and was produced by Gael Garcia Bernal and Diego Luna’s Canana. Centered on a young girl dealing with troubling situations at home, the film also screened at the Morelia Film Festival. Its theatrical release didn’t happen until November of last year, which based on AMPAS rules qualifies it for consideration. “Manto Acuífero” was not considered last year.

"El Más Buscasdo" (Mexican Gangster)

Dir. José Manuel Cravioto

By far the most commercial and most expensive-looking film on the list, this action tale revolves around a bank robber whose alter ego is a mysterious masked singer. Jose Manuel Cravioto’s narrative debut stars Tenoch Huerta (“Güeros”) as skillful criminal Alfredo Rios Galeana and as al El Charro Misterioso, the elusive and talented performer. Set in the 1980s “El Más Buscado” showcases costumes, production design, and music from that period in a Robin Hood-like story of a unique antihero. The film screened in L.A. as part of the Hola Mexico Film Festival back in May but other than that lacks noticeable international presence.

"Las Oscuras Primaveras" (The Obscure Spring)

Dir. Ernesto Contreras

Moody and darkly sensual, this intense drama from director Ernesto Contreras won the Knight Competition Grand Jury Prize as well as the Best Performance Grand Jury Prize and the Miami International Film Festival. Cecilia Suarez and Jose Maria Yazpik star as a childless married couple whose relationship is threaten when he starts having a steamy affair with a lonely single mother in need of companionship. “Las Oscuras Primaveras” also received three Ariel Awards at the most recent ceremony for Best Editing, Best Sound, and Best Original Score.

"La Tirisia" (Perpetual Sadness)

Dir. Jorge Pérez Solano

Last but definitely not least, the one film that, in this writer’s opinion, is the best opinion from the pack. Jose Perez Solano’s poetic feature follows two women in a remote community who have to choose between their children and their partner in a chauvinist society. The beauty and authenticity of “La Tirisia” have connected with audiences and juries from diverse backgrounds. Karlovy Vary, Palm Springs, Thessaloniki, Chicago, and Guadalajara were a few of the festivals that screened the film where it often was awarded prizes for its director and cast. Actress Adriana Paz (“Hilda”) won the Ariel Award for Best Actress for her work in the film, while Noé Hernandez took home the award for Best Supporting Actor. It’s art house roots and segmented narrative might work against it, but if voters at the Mexican Academy can look past that, this might be the one to bet on.

At the 26th annual Palm Springs International Film Festival (Psiff) happening now, there are 27 films eligible for the Cine Latino Award, which will be presented to the best Ibero-American film screening at the Festival. Several of these films represented their respective countries at in the Best Foreign Language category for the upcoming Academy Awards. Sponsored by the Guadalajara International Film Festival (Ficg) and the University of Guadalajara Foundation/USA, the winner will receive a $10,000 cash prize.

Read More: "Wild Tales" Business and Pleasure

“What does it mean to be Latino or Ibero-American? We often engage in the most intensely absurd discussions trying to find a definition that satisfies us all. I believe, however, that the best answer can be found in the movies: where the ordinary becomes extraordinary and unique stories become universal fables. The increasing power of visual language and an innovative spirit –this is what our film industries have in common! And once again, 2014 has proven to be one of the most exemplary years for Ibero-American cinema. The Palm Springs International Film Festival recognizes the talent and creativity of its makers both in front of and behind the camera with the Cine Latino Award. This year we celebrate the vitality of the region with a record 27 films. We are truly grateful to the vision and commitment of two of the leading cultural, social and educational organizations in Mexico and the United States -- the Guadalajara International Film Festival and the University of Guadalajara Foundation in USA -- for sponsoring this award and helping to strengthen the cultural and artistic bridges so fundamental to all of us,” said Hebe Tabachnik, Ibero-American Programmer for Psiff.

“For the third consecutive year, top caliber Latino films will compete in the Ibero American competition at the Palm Springs Film Festival from January 2 to the 12, 2015,” said Iván Trujillo, Festival Director for the Guadalajara International Film Festival. “Their stories, genres and production values have garnered these films both critical and audience recognition at the most important festivals all over the globe. This will be indeed a very competitive year for an award that is acquiring more and more prestige worldwide.”

Read More: Dir. Alberto Arvelo on Venezuelan Epic "The Liberator"

“We have reached an important milestone. When the Foundation of the University of Guadalajara in USA made an agreement to sponsor an award at the Palm Springs International Film Festival, we made a commitment to increase the cash prize within three years up to $10,000 to recognize the ‘Best Ibero American Film’ in the festival. Our Foundation is extremely proud to have fulfilled this arrangement with the Festival. Achieving this goal is only part of a whole project for the future,” said Raúl Padilla, President for the University of Guadalajara Foundation in USA.

Jury members include Josep Parera (Entertainment Editor – La Opinión) Nacho Carballo (Festival Director, Gijón International Film Festival, Spain) and Tom Davia (Founder & Managing Partner of Cinemaven Media).

Read More: Actor Alfono Herrera on "The Perfect Dictatorship"

They will review 27 films to select the Cine Latino Award winner. This year’s eligible films are:

"10,000 Km" (Spain), Director: Carlos Marques-Marcet "August Winds" (Brazil), Director: Gabriel Mascaro "Behavior" (Cuba), Director: Ernesto Daranas Serrano "Ciudad Delirio" (Colombia, Spain), Director: Chus Gutiérrez "Flowers" (Spain), Directors: Jon Garaño, José Mari Goenaga "Futuro Beach" (Brazil), Director: Karim Ainouz "Gente de Bien" (Colombia, France), Director: Franco Lolli "Güeros" (Mexico), Director: Alonso Ruiz Palacios "Hawaii" (Argentina), Director: Marco Berger "The Hours With You" (Mexico), Director: Catalina Aguilar Mastretta "La Tirisia" (Mexico), Director: Jorge Pérez Solano "Lake Los Angeles" (USA), Director: Mike Ott "The Liberator" (Venezuela, Spain), Director: Alberto Arvelo "Magical Girl" (Spain), Director: Carlos Vermut "Mateo" (Colombia, France), Director: María Gamboa "A Moonless Night" (Uruguay, Argentina), Director: Germán Tejeira "Mother of the Lamb" (Chile), Directors: Rosario Espinosa Godoy, Enrique Farías "Mr. Kaplan" (Uruguay), Director: Álvaro Brechner "Natural Sciences" (Argentina), Director: Matías Lucchesi "Nn" (Peru, Colombia, France, Germany), Director: Héctor Galvez "Not All Is Vigil" (Spain, Colombia), Director: Hermes Paralluelo "One for the Road" (Mexico), Director: Jack Zagha Kababie "The Perfect Dictatorship" (Mexico), Director: Luis Estrada "Sand Dollars" (Dominican Republic, Mexico, Argentina), Directors: Israel Cárdenas, Laura Amelia Guzmán "To Kill a Man" (Chile), Director: Alejandro Fernández Almendras "The Way He Looks" (Brazil), Director: Daniel Ribeiro "Wild Tales" (Argentina, Spain), Director: Damián Szifrón About The Palm Springs International Film Festival

The Palm Springs International Film Festival (Psiff) is one of the largest film festivals in North America, welcoming 135,000 attendees last year for its lineup of new and celebrated international features and documentaries. The Festival is also known for its annual Black Tie Awards Gala, honoring the best achievements of the filmic year by a celebrated list of talents who, in recent years, have included Ben Affleck, Javier Bardem, Cate Blanchett, Sandra Bullock, Bradley Cooper, George Clooney, Daniel Day-Lewis, Leonardo DiCaprio, Clint Eastwood, Tom Hanks, Matthew McConaughey, Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts, David O. Russell, Meryl Streep, and Kate Winslet.

The Awards Gala of the 26th annual Palm Springs International Film Festival is presented by Cartier and sponsored by Mercedes-Benz and Entertainment Tonight. The City of Palm Springs is the Title Sponsor of the Film Festival. Presenting Sponsors are Wells Fargo, The Desert Sun and Spencer’s. Major sponsors are Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, Wessman Development, Bank of America, Wintec, Regal Entertainment Group, Ignition Creative, Desert Regional Medical Center, Annenberg Foundation Trust at Sunnylands, Windermere Real Estate, Eisenhower Medical Center, Guthy-Renker, Integrated Wealth Management, VisitGreaterPalmSprings.com, Ocean Properties, Chihuly and Telefilm Canada.

For more information visit www.psfilmfest.org.

About The Guadalajara International Film Festival

Ficg was founded with support from the University of Guadalajara in 1985 by the Mexican filmmaker Jaime Humberto Hermosillo, with the tremendous help from young film students like Guillermo del Toro. It will celebrate its 30th edition next March 6-15, 2015. Ficg is the lead film festival in Latin America. It is a forum for the training, education, and creative exchange among industry professionals, film critics, and film students from all over Ibero-America.

About the Foundation of the University of Guadalajara in the U.S.

The University of Guadalajara Foundation in the United States of America is an extension of Fundación Universidad de Guadalajara, A.C., and is made up of a number of prominent academic and social leaders. The Foundation works to attain private support from individuals, foundations and corporations in order to fulfill the mission and vision of the University of Guadalajara in Los Angeles.

It seeks to improve the quality of life and social integration of migrants and hispanic nationals by increasing their access to education and enhancing their sense of belonging and identification with their environment by developing their skills and capabilities through educational services and relevant social research.

The Guadalajara International Film Festival in Los Angeles - Ficg in La - presented by the University of Guadalajara Foundation in USA and Conaculta, with Principal Sponsors University of Guadalajara, the Guadalajara International Film Festival, the Institute of Cinema Mexico (Imcine) and Univision, announced the celebrities who will attend the opening night gala on Friday, September 5.

Ficg in La previously announced that Academy Award nominee Demian Bichir ("A Better Life," FX’s The Bridge), Rubén Luengas (Univision Radio), anchorwoman Gabriela Teissier (Univision TV) and Nalip (National Association of Latino Independent Producers) will be honored. Joining them at the festival will be the cast and filmmakers of the opening night film "Las horas contigo" ("The Hours with You"), Isela Vega (lead actress), María Rojo (lead actress), Cassandra Ciangherotti (lead actress), Julio Bracho (supporting actor), Arcelia Ramírez (supporting actor), Catalina Aguilar Mastretta (director), Roberto Sneider(producer), Bérénice Eveno (director of photography). The festival also announced the addition of the short film "Solidarity" starring Elpidia Carrillo, who will be in attendance with the director Dustin Brown.

Cast members and filmmakers of the Closing night film "En el último trago" ("One for the Road") are also confirmed to attend, including Eduardo Manzano (supporting actor), Jack Zagha Kababie (director), Yossy Zagha Kababie (producer).

Directors of several other films in the festival will also attend. Nicolás Echevarría (director, "Eco de la Montaña"), Ignasi Millet (subject,"Ignasi M"), Mariana Chenillo (director, "Paraíso"), Damian John Harper (director, "Los Angeles"), Horacio Alcala (director, "Grazing the Sky"), Sara Seligman (director, live-action short, "Diego"), Bernardo Britto (director, Animation Short, "Yearbook") will also be in attendance.

Ficg in La is presented by the University of Guadalajara Foundation in the United States of America and Conaculta, and Principal Sponsors, the University of Guadalajara, the Guadalajara International Film Festival, the Institute of Cinema Mexico (Imcine) and Univision, and Supporting Sponsors Cultura Udg, University of Guadalajara Foundation in Los Angeles, LeaLa, Channel 31.2 and the General Consulate of Mexico in Los Angeles.

For tickets and more information visit Here

About Ficg

Ficg was founded in 1986 by the Mexican filmmaker Jaime Humberto Hermosillo, with the tremendous help from young film students like Guillermo del Toro, and support from the University of Guadalajara. It will celebrate its 30th edition next March 6-15, 2015.

Ficg is the lead film festival in Latin America. It is a forum for the training, education, and creative exchange among industry professionals, film critics, and film students from all over Ibero-America.

About the University of Guadalajara – Mexico

The University of Guadalajara is a network formed by three educational systems and 15 campuses distributed in all the regions of the State of Jalisco, and it is the second most important and eldest university in Mexico. The University of Guadalajara is committed to the betterment of society through higher education. It supports scientific and technological research that makes important contributions to a sustainable and inclusive society, respecting cultural diversity and honoring the principles of social justice, democracy, coexistence, and prosperity for all. The University is renowned in Mexico and abroad as a leader in the transformation of society through innovative means through social development and dissemination of knowledge.

About the Foundation of the University of Guadalajara in the U.S.

The University of Guadalajara Foundation in the United States of America is an extension of Fundación Universidad de Guadalajara, A.C., and is made up of a number of prominent academic and social leaders. The Foundation works to attain private support from individuals, foundations and corporations in order to fulfill the mission and vision of the University of Guadalajara in Los Angeles.

It seeks to improve the quality of life and social integration of migrants and hispanic nationals by increasing their access to education and enhancing their sense of belonging and identification with their environment by developing their skills and capabilities through educational services and relevant social research.

Yesterday the Guadalajara International Film Festival in Los Angeles - Ficg in La - presented by the University of Guadalajara Foundation in USA and Conaculta, with Principal Sponsors University of Guadalajara, the Guadalajara International Film Festival, the Institute of Cinema Mexico (Imcine) and Univision, announced its lineup. "The Hours with You" (Las Horas Contigo) directed by Catalina Aguilar Mastretta, will be the Opening Night film for the 2014 Festival. The film stars Cassandra Ciangherotti, María Rojo, Isela Vega, Arcelia Ramírez and Julio Bracho.

The 2014 Ficg in La, which returns to the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood for its fourth year and runs from Thursday, September 4 to Sunday, September 7, brings the best of contemporary Mexican and Latin American cinema to Los Angeles, and is an extension of the Guadalajara International Film Festival.

Featuring outstanding and award-winning titles from FICG29, which ran from March 21-29, 2014 in Guadalajara, Ficg in La will offer the premiere of other titles that have emerged in the world of cinema throughout the year to great critical acclaim.

The aim of the festival is to increase access and visibility of Mexican and Latin American cinema in the U.S., facilitating the exchange of ideas through stories and issues of cultural and social relevance, create a space for collaboration between filmmakers, and strengthen relations between the film industry in Mexico and the U.S.

Ficg in La includes film screenings followed by Q&As with filmmakers and talent, as well as galas and special award recognitions to Latin American and U.S. Latino artists.

“This year, we are truly proud to bring two artistic programs to Ficg in La that supports emerging independent filmmakers, in effect, fulfilling part of our mission to nourish and sustain emerging talent across international film industries. Many of the films in this year's showcase reveal the cross-cultural collaborations currently taking place between film industries in Latin America, the Us, and Canada. These collaborations have resulted in the creation of groundbreaking, authentic, multicultural stories that move seamlessly across national and cultural boundaries." said Hebe Tabachnik, Director and Producer of Ficg in La.

“We are constantly finding ways for Ibero-American filmmakers to promote their films and share their experiences with moviemakers from all over the world. Now that we have reached our fourth year, we realized that we have become one of the leading platforms for Latino cinematography to enter the United States market,” said Iván Trujillo, Festival Director of Ficg.

Among the celebrities that have accompanied us in previous editions are: Carlos Cuarón, Edward James Olmos, Sergio Arau, Diana Bracho, Alfonso Arau, Kate del Castillo, Martha Higareda, Beto Cuevas, Irene Azuela, Dulce Maria, Carmen Salinas and Jay Hernandez.

Oscar nominee Demian Bichir , Nalip (The National Association of Latino Independent Producers), Ruben Luengas (journalist) and Gabriela Teissier (anchor woman) from Univision Radio and TV will receive the festival’s Tree of Life Award for their contributions to Mexican, Latino and Ibero American culture. Previous recipients include Ambulante, Juan Carlos Arciniegas (CNN en Espanol), Fernando Luján (actor), Gabriel Beristain (Director of Photography) and Emilio Kauderer (Music Composer).

Ficg in La continues to support Latino and Ibero-American films with Guadalajara Construye in Los Angeles 1 and DocuLab.1 Los Angeles by selecting six projects from filmmakers seeking post-production funds. The films will be screened for jury members, sponsors and film industry professionals. The winners will be announced on Opening Night.

In addition, the winning projects in each competition will automatically qualify to be considered for Guadalajara Construye 9 or DocuLab.7 Guadalajara, or for the Ibero-American Competitions of the next edition of the Guadalajara International Film Festival (FICG30) – March 6 - 15, 2015.

To reaffirm the social mission of Ficg and the University of Guadalajara Foundation in USA, Ficg in La will donate again all of its proceeds to a charitable cause. We will announce soon the recipient of this year’s fundraising effort.

10 Feature and documentary films and six short films will be showcased in this year’s festival

Opening Night Gala – September 5, 2014

• "The Hours with You" (Las Horas Contigo), Dir. Catalina Aguilar Mastretta, Mexico. Us Premiere

Closing Night Gala – September 7, 2014

• "One for the Road" (En el Ultimo Trago), Dir. Jack Zagha Kababie, Mexico. Us Premiere

Feature Films

• "Echo of the Mountain" (Eco de la Montaña), Dir. Nicolás Echevarría, Mexico. Us Premiere (documentary)

• "Grazing the Sky" (A Ras del Cielo), Dir. Horacio Alcala, Spain/ Mexico/ Portugal. L.A. Premiere (documentary)

• "Ignasi M.," Dir. Ventura Pons, Spain. L.A. Premiere (documentary)

• "Los Ángeles," Dir. Damian John Harper USA/Mexico.

• "The Mute" (El Mudo), Dir. Daniel Vega Vidal & Diego Vega Vidal, Peru. L.A. Premiere

• "Natural Sciences" (Ciencias naturales), Dir. Matías Lucchesi, Argentina.

• "Paraíso," Dir. Mariana Chenillo. Mexico. L.A Premiere

• "A Wolf at the Door" (O Lobo atras da Porta), Dir. Fernando Coimbra, Brazil. L.A. Premiere

Short Films

• "Diego," Dir. Sara Seligman, Mexico/Germany. (live action Drama)

• "A Family Day" (Un día en Familia), Dir. Pedro Zulu González, Mexico. (animation)

• "Minerita," Dir. Raúl de la Fuente, Spain (documentary)

• "Pickman's Model" (El modelo de Pickman), Dir. Pablo Ángeles Zuman, Mexico. Us Premiere (animation)

• "The Queen" (La Reina), Dir. Manuel Abramovich, Argentina (documentary)

• "Yearbook," Dir. Bernardo Britto, USA. (animation)

The screening of the selected work-in-progress films will be for industry accredited to the festival. These screenings are not open to the general public or member of the press.

Guadalajara Construye in Los Angeles 1

• "Blue Lips," Dir. Daniela De Carlo, Julieta Lima, Gustavo Lipsztein, Antonello Novellino, Nacho Ruipérez and Nobu Shima USA/Argentina/ Brazil/ Spain

• "Whisper of the Forest" (Gritos del Bosque), Dir. Jorge Olguín, Chile/USA

• Pocha, Dir. Michael Dwyer, Mexico/USA

DocuLab.1 Los Angeles

• "Gaucho del Norte," Dir. Andres Caballero, Sofia Khan Argentina/USA

• "Hotel de Paso," Dir. Paulina Sánchez Mexico/USA

• "Juanicas," Dir. Karina Garcia Casanova, Mexico/Canada

Ficg in La is presented by the University of Guadalajara Foundation in the United States and Conaculta, and Principal Sponsors, the University of Guadalajara, the Guadalajara International Film Festival, the Institute of Cinema Mexico (Imcine) and Univision, and Supporting Sponsors Cultura Udg, University of Guadalajara Foundation in Los Angeles, LeaLa, Channel 31.2 and the Consulate General of Mexico in Los Angeles.

About Ficg

The Guadalajara International Film Festival was founded by Guillermo del Toro and other Mexican filmmakers in 1986, and will celebrate its 30th edition March 6-15, 2015.

Ficg is the lead film festival in Latin America. It is a forum for the training, education, and creative exchange among industry professionals, film critics, and film students from all over Ibero-America.

About the University of Guadalajara – Mexico

The University of Guadalajara is a member of the University Network in the State of Jalisco, and it is the second oldest university in Mexico. The University of Guadalajara is committed to the betterment of society through higher education. It supports scientific and technological research that makes important contributions to a sustainable and inclusive society, respecting cultural diversity and honoring the principles of social justice, democracy, coexistence, and prosperity for all. The University is renowned in Mexico and abroad as a leader in the transformation of society through innovative means of social development and dissemination of knowledge.

About the Foundation of the University of Guadalajara in the U.S.

The University of Guadalajara Foundation in the United States of America (Udg Foundation-usa) is an extension of Fundación Universidad de Guadalajara, A.C., and is made up of a number of prominent academic and social leaders. The Foundation works to attain private support from individuals, foundations and corporations in order to fulfill the mission and vision of the University of Guadalajara in Los Angeles.

U.S. Udg Foundation seeks to improve the quality of life and social integration of migrants and Hispanic nationals by increasing their access to education and enhancing their sense of belonging and identification with their environment by developing their skills and capabilities through educational services and relevant social research.

The Guadalajara International Film Festival in Los Angeles – Ficg in La – has unveiled its line-up.

Catalina Aguilar Mastretta’s Las Horas Contigo will kick off proceedings at the Egyptian Theatre on September 4. The roster includes Ignasi M., Paraiso, Eco De La Montana and El Mudo.

Ficg in La runs until September 7 and screens a programme of contemporary Mexican and Latin American cinema including award-winners from Guadalajara last March.

The festival is presented by the University Of Guadalajara Foundation in USA and Conaculta, with principal sponsors University Of Guadalajara, the Guadalajara International Film Festival, the Institute Of Cinema Mexico (Imcine) and Univision.

For full details click here.

In “Echo Park,” photographer Amanda Marsalis, making her feature directorial debut (with a script written by Catalina Aguilar Mastretta), paints a love letter of sorts to the titular Los Angeles neighborhood, interwoven with the tale of love lost and found between two souls searching for their place. Sophie (Mamie Gummer), is an unhappy Beverly Hills Housewife-to-be when she unceremoniously cuts herself loose from her predictable life and decamps across town to the hipster hood of Echo Park. In her new neighborhood, she gets more than she expected when meeting Alex (Tony Okungbowa) to buy his couch. He’s moving back to London, you see, and the two fall into the kind of easy and deep intimacy that happens when there’s no risk of long term commitment. Once one gets past the ridiculous premise of the film (in New York terms, the logline would be: “she left the Upper East...

In one of Los Angeles Film Festival’s La Muse feature showcase, “Echo Park” is a romance story set in the cultured-rich neighborhood in Los Angeles.

From the script written by Catalina Aguilar Mastretta, the film tells a story about Sophie (played by Mamie Gummer) who tries to escape the perfect rich world of Beverly Hills into another simply neighborhood of Echo Park. She quickly befriends a British expat who is trying to sell his home to relocate back to London. As summer progresses, a certain romance compels the two to reassess their lives.

The movie is directed by Amanda Marsalis, a photographer who makes her directorial debut.

Latino-Review had an exclusive phone interview with director Marsalis and actor Okungbowa. Okungbowa joined in during the middle of the interview.

With the pair, we mainly discussed the Echo Park neighborhoods, challenges of being an independent film, links to the chracacters and...

Echo of the Mountain also scoops a top prize at the film festival in Mexico.Scroll down for full list of winners

Matias Lucchesi’s debut feature Natural Sciences (Ciencias naturales) scooped a top prize, the Golden Mayahuel and €14,700 ($20,000) in cash, in the Ibero-American competition of the 29th Guadalajara Film Festival (Ficg), March 21-30.

The Argentinian production follows an adolescent girl’s quest to reconnect with her estranged father and was launched last month at the Berlin International Film Festival, where it won the Generation Kplus Grand Prix.

Sold by Urban Distribution, it beat competition from 18 other titles to take the top prize and also received the best screenplay award and the Feisal (Latin American Film Schools) trophy.

Lead stars Paula Herzog and Paola Barrientos shared the best actress prize.

Echo of the Mountain (Eco de la Montana), a documentary directed by veteran Nicolas Echevarria, won the prize for best Mexican film, which included...