10 · 04 · 08

Cinépolis and FICM donate box office proceeds to victims of Morelia attack

Clara Sánchez/Caroline MacKinnon

[imagen]Last night, during the ceremony inaugurating the 6th edition of the Morelia International Film Festival, Alejandro Ramírez, president of the FICM, said that all of the box office proceeds will be donated, by Cinépolis and the FICM, “into a assistance fund for the victims of this cowardly attack.”

Presiding over the ceremony was Leonel Gody Rangel, Governor of the state of Michoacán, who said, “for all of us - all of the producers, actors and guests - that you have decided to participate is extremely important. Your effort shows us that Michoacan and its people can go on looking ahead…”

Fausto Vallejo, the municipal head of Morelia described the festival “as an opportunity to enjoy the cultural and recreational activities in welcoming and considerate surroundings. Your presence pleases and strengthens us, thank you for being in Morelia where a million really great people live.”

Segio Vela, president of the National Council for Culture and Arts, said that the 1st Ibero-American Culture conference, which opened last Wednesday, would be dedicated to film “with which we renew our dedication to film as a priority, to gain a better understanding of its importance and emphasize the great dedication, support and nurturing growth the federal government is offering the film industry. Congratulations to the filmmakers who have come to visit us, to the producers and critics, we feel that this will be a great international success.”

Daniela Michel, president of the FICM, thanked the state government, the state tourism secretary, CONACULTA, IMCINE and all the sponsors that made it possible for this edition to come together. This year’s festival is comprised of 48 short films, 25 documentaries, six films produced in the state of Michoacan, and six Mexican feature films.

Besides presenting the jury participating in the festival, Michel brought up the special programs being offered, such as the International Critics’ Week, 50 international premieres, and the conference about film about the border and indigenous film. She also talked about Barbet Schroeder’s premiere of Inju, a film that has been selected for the Venice Film Festival, as well as the screening of Christophe Barratier’s París 36.

Cuauhtémoc Cárdenas Batel, vice president of the FICM, said that this year’s festival is dedicated to José María Escriche, the former director of the Huesca International Film Festival. Escriche died this past March 29.

Cárdenas Batel led an emotional discussion with the public in which he recited an excerpt from a poem by Pablo Neruda:

I don’t want blood again
to saturate bread, beans, music:
I wish they would come with me
the miner, the little girl,
the lawyer, the seaman,
the doll-maker,
to go into a movie and come out
to drink the reddest wine.
I did not come to solve anything.
I came here to sing
and for you to sing with me.

After receiving a warm round of applause from the audience, the vice president said that the Cinema Without Borders section will present Juan Carlos Rulfo’s documentary Los que se quedan and Alex Rivera’s Sleep Dealer, which won prizes at Sundance and Berlin. The trailer for Carlos Cuaron’s Rudo y Cursi was shown with Gael García Bernal and Diego Luna attending. There was also a screening of Fernando Eimbcke’s feature film Lake Tahoe, which won the FIPRESCI Prize and the Alfred Bauer Prize in Berlin; the film is also contending for Spain’s Goya Prize. Guests of honor included Nicolas  Philibert, Todd Haynes and Michael Nyman.

Later Steven Soderbergh, director of the inaugural film Ché, The Argentine and winner of the Palm d’Or for Sex, Lies and Videotape as well as an Oscar for Traffic, took to the stage with actor Julia Ormond and producer Laura Bickford.

Soderbergh said, “I think that Ché was a very brave man, but I don’t think that he could have survived a red carpet event. Laura, Julia and I would all like to thank the festival for inviting us, it is a pleasure and an honor.”