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“Mexico is the best place to premiere the film”: FIESTA PAGANA by Álvaro Brechnerat the 24th FICM

Alan Rodríguez

Ahead of the premiere of Fiesta Pagana at the 24th Morelia International Film Festival (FICM), actors Adrián Lastra and Guillermo Furiase held a press conference alongside Ix Valieri, Rafa Blas, and José Andrëa—members of the band Mägo de Oz.

The band and the film’s Spanish cast thanked the Mexican audience for welcoming them with open arms and making Mexico feel like a second home. “Mexico was fundamental to the career of Mägo de Oz. The band started in the underground scene, and our popularity gradually grew within the peripheral circles of that era. This is the best place to premiere the film; we found much greater success here than in Spain, and naturally, we are incredibly grateful,” said Andrëa.

Journalist Marco Antonio Mejía, who moderated the conference, asked lead actor Adrián Lastra about the process of building a character based on a real person. “For me, the approach remains the same. Álvaro Brechner, the creator of this magnificent story, wanted to build characters from scratch rather than attempting to create a copy,” Lastra replied.

Guillermo Furiase added that the director placed a strong emphasis on a naturalistic portrayal of what a band is like: “We gradually developed our personalities throughout the filming process. It was a natural evolution, which is reflected in the final film. It was a lot of fun.”

Both the members of Mägo de Oz and the actors clarified that the film is not strictly a biopic or a documentary about the band; rather, it is a work of fiction loosely inspired by the history of a real group.

Hundreds of people packed the auditorium of the Teatro Mariano Matamoros, located in Morelia’s Historic Center, to witness the film’s world premiere. Lastra appeared visibly moved by the intense enthusiasm of the band’s fans. “I wasn’t fully aware of what Mägo de Oz represents in Mexico,” he remarked.

The film will be released in commercial theaters on November 5 in Mexico and November 6 in Spain.