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The 23rd Edition of the Morelia International Film Festival Opened with Kleber Mendonça Filho's THE SECRET AGENT

The Morelia International Film Festival (FICM) opened its 23rd edition with Kleber Mendonça Filho's film The Secret Agent.

The ceremony was attended by the Brazilian director, as well as FICM President Alejandro Ramírez, Vice President Cuauhtémoc Cárdenas Batel, festival founder and Director Daniela Michel, Director of the Mexican Film Institute (IMCINE) Daniela Alatorre, and Michoacán Governor Alfredo Ramírez Bedolla.

“Alejandro, Cuauhtémoc, and Daniela, with their commitment, talent, and passion, have made it possible for this festival to continue to be an international event, and a beacon of excellence and creativity,” said the governor.

During the opening ceremony of the 23rd FICM, Kleber Mendonça Filho was honored with the unveiling of his own armchair, which will be placed in Screening Room 5 of Cinépolis Morelia Centro.

“Can I take it with me on the plane? It’s a great honor, muito obrigado!” an emotional Kleber Mendonça Filho said.

Winner of the Best Director and Best Actor awards for Wagner Moura at the last Cannes Film Festival, the film tells the story of Marcelo, a tech expert in his forties on the run from the Brazilian military dictatorship. During Carnival week, he returns to Recife hoping to build a new life and reconnect with his son, but he soon discovers that the city is far from the peaceful refuge he is looking for.

“It is a great honor to be here in Morelia with an adventure film. I believe that the best film festivals are full of fertility, poetry, and beauty. This is my first time at FICM, and I am very happy to be here,” Mendonça Filho said.

Before the Opening Ceremony of the 23rd FICM, personalities such as actress and director Juliette Binoche, actress Stephanie Sigman, actors Dario Yazbek, Martín Barba, Julio Bracho, Michel Duval, and Edgar Ramírez, and filmmakers Amat Escalante, Pablo Berger, Oliver Laxe, and Iván Fund walked the red carpet.

This 23rd FICM, presented by MAPFRE, will take place in Morelia, at Cinépolis Morelia Centro, Cinépolis VIP Plaza Las Americas, Mariano Matamoros Theater, Melchor Ocampo Theater, University Cultural Center, and Benito Juarez Plaza; as well as in Patzcuaro at the Emperador Caltzontzin Theater . In addition, there will be free virtual screenings via the Mexican Film Institute's (IMCINE) website, nuestrocine.mx.