07 · 29 · 13

We proudly present the 11th FICM’s poster!

Throughout the year, the Morelia International Film Festival (FICM) slowly reveals the components that will characterize its next edition, from the announcement of the Official Selection, the first press conference and, of course, the revelation of its poster. Today, we are happy to present the image that will identify the 11th FICM; a picture whose classic references to Morelia’s beauty are perfect to celebrate the beginning of the second decade of our festival.

The 11th FICM’s poster was designed by Rodrigo Toledo and includes an illustration based on the painting Michoacana by Jesús de la Helguera, courtesy of Calendarios Landin. Calendarios Landin is a Mexican company with more that 100 years of tradition that has consolidated itself as the largest calendar producer of Latin America. Since its origins, it has worried about the promotion of Mexican culture, protecting the work of one of the most important calendar illustrators in Mexico: Jesús de la Helguera. Thanks to Calendarios Landin's preservation of the graphic tradition of our country, the 11th FICM can wear Helguera’s iconic image.

Next, we present a brief interview with designer Rodrigo Toledo:

What is your creative process when designing a new look for each edition of FICM?

I have been designing FICM’s image for ten years. So each time I have to forget everything, make my mind go blank and begin to remember (to imagine, literally) everything once more, so that I can find some new strands of ideas that are fresh and innovative. To remember everything that is relevant, to work hard. It means to walk the streets of downtown Morelia once more, even if sometimes, its only in memories: the doors, the windows, the floor, the people… to remember again (better still, to evoke) every bit of cinema I have inside of me. Every good and bad film I have seen in my life, from the afternoons at the CUC to the first FICM, and so on (and also a lot of hours sitting on the couch watching videos). And to go through the known cinematographic world once more. Half my friends are filmmakers and we all grow old together.

Sometimes this works very well, others it does not.

What was your source of inspiration for creating the image of the 11th FICM? What does this year’s poster represent?

I based it on a painting I had right in front of my nose. The painting is called Michoacana and it was created by the master Jesús de la Helguera during the 40s… we don’t know anything else about the work. I’m a great fan of Jesús de la Helguera. For the image of the first FICM we also used a fragment of Helguera’s work.

In this case, obviously, its a very adequate image. In the original painting, the woman is holding a tray (which is a traditional craft of the state of Michoacán), which I substituted for a film reel.

The reel, by the way, is divided in eleven sections. This is a dumb number game which I have been playing since the fifth festival.

To see more of Rodrigo Toledo’s work for FICM, check out the posters from our past editions: here.