CANCUN, July 2007 -- The Cancun International Film Festival has announced plans for the inaugural event, to take place November 14-18. The festival will feature approximately 50 feature length films, presented in both competitive and non-competitive programs over the five days of the festival. Awards will be presented at the Awards Gala on Sunday, November 18, 2007, following the Closing Night Premiere. Additionally, eight honorary awards will be presented during the festival.
The event will include:Special Presentations - Approximately six Gala Premieres will be presented during the Festival. Each evening will host a Premiere Screening, followed by a party to celebrate the screening. The films will include a selection of major Hollywood releases and top international films of the season. The directors and stars of the films will be invited to attend the premiere screenings. The Closing Night Premiere will be held on Sunday, November 18, prior to the Awards Gala.
Cancun Looks at the World - A collection of approximately 30 to 35 feature length films will be presented. These will include both fiction and documentary films from countries around the world and will represent the top international films of the year.
Spotlight on Latin America - This Competitive Program will include approximately 12 films from Mexico, Latin and South American, including Brazil. The collection will represent the very best of cinema from the region this year. This competition will be judged by a jury of internationally acclaimed filmmakers and industry VIPs.
REEL World - This Competitive Program will include a collection of feature length documentaries from around the world including Latin America. A jury of international filmmakers and industry executives will select the winner.
Films in Brief - This Competitive Program of short films will include live action, short documentary and animation from all over Mexico, Latin and South American, including Brazil. Films must have a running length of no more than 30 minutes to be eligible. Approximately 25 films will be chosen for this program that will be judge by a jury of internationally acclaimed filmmakers.
Retrospectives - The Festival will pay tribute to some of world’s top filmmakers and actors in a series of Retrospectives held this year. These Retrospectives will include a presentation of a number of the filmmakers or actors films, screened throughout the Festival.
Master Classes - The Festival will invite vanguards of film from around the world to come to Cancun to discuss their work and detail their experiences in the business for both film students and Festival audiences. These Master Classes may include a selection of films chosen by the filmmaker for the influence they had on their own work.
Stars on the Beach - Each night, the festival will present a classic film screening on the beach. These beach screenings will be free to everyone. The lineup of festival favorites will include films from Mexico and around the world.
More:
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The film festival a celebration of short films and filmmaking and showcases the talents of renowned and promising filmmakers from around the world. It will feature new works from local and international filmmakers as well as lectures, workshops and forums on cinematography and filmmaking. Included films will be in four categories: Documentary, Fiction, Animation and Experimental.
Some of the guests at this year's film festival include Jonas Cuaron - the son of acclaimed director, Alfonso Cuaron - and Diego Catano, the actor who starred in two award-winning films, "Temporada de Patos" (Duck Season) and "Watching It Rain." A free and non-profit event, the five-day festival will also showcase films by non-profit organizations and Mexican universities as well as an exhibition of international, award-winning short films.
