Development Lab for Projects by Indigenous Latin American Filmmakers The first Development Lab for Projects by Indigenous Latin American Filmmakers will take place from October 19-22, 2023, as part of the 21st edition of the Morelia International Film Festival's Indigenous Peoples Forum. To reaffirm FICM's commitment to the work of indigenous filmmakers, through the creation of collective training spaces that contribute to the development of their film proposals, the Lab seeks to support the development of film projects by providing tools and allowing a reflection on topics such as: Approach and presentation of cinematographic projects. Preparation of budgets for the different stages of the development and realization of projects. Financial and co-production schemes. Copyrights and patrimonial rights of cinematographic works. Organization and management of working teams. Distribution and promotion strategies. Selected Projects Akcha Sapi Documentary Feature Film Director: Joshi Espinosa Anguaya Ethnicity: Kichwa Otavalo Country: Ecuador José, a Kichwa Otavalo filmmaker from northern Ecuador, faces a personal crisis when he begins to lose his hair. This triggers an identity conflict for him since long hair is a symbol of belonging within his community. One day his older sister entrusts him with her seven-year-old son, and together they embark on a search for a miracle remedy that can solve the hair problem. In the process, both uncle and nephew become immersed in the history of their village and strengthen their family ties. Joshi Espinosa Anguaya Kichwa Otavalo director. He studied at INCINE (School of Cinema and Acting) in the city of Quito, where he became a professor and created the grant program for Ecuadorian peoples and nationalities who wanted to study there. He has been involved in several Ecuadorian film projects as an actor, director, and assistant cinematographer. As a director, his short film Ayllu (2010) and his debut feature Huahua (2018) stand out, both of which have been selected by several international festivals. He produced the feature film Vacaciones, of the Humazapas project, which is currently in the post-production stage. He is presently working on his new documentary Akcha Sapi. El arte de limpiar Documentary Feature Film Director: Blanca Martínez Castillo Ethnicity: yuku noo / mixtec Country: Mexico Diana is a young Mexican migrant, mother of two daughters, activist and a social fighter for domestic workers' rights in Tijuana. Diana strikes up a conversation with Blanca, who, three thousand km away, has a common interest in her quest to inhabit the space from the perspective of care. With two different cleaning routines, in clearly different places and contexts, they both talk about the meaning of cleaning human waste. Cleaning in a physical world, but in an alternate and mystical world as well. Blanca Martínez Castillo Blanca is a communicologist and audiovisual producer from the Yuku Noo'oo people of San Lorenzo Cacaotepec Etla, Oaxaca. She holds a degree in Graphic Communication from the Universidad José Vasconcelos. Highlights as a designer include her collaboration with the Ambulante tour (2011), Mic Género (2017) and the poster for the documentary Mi no lugar, by Isis Ahumada. In the audiovisual area, she was production manager on Sin señas particulares (2018) and Capital Cultural (2020–2021). She was also the production assistant on the feature film Valentina o la serenidad by Ángeles Cruz. Currently, she works as a graphic designer at Taller Recreación Gráfica while developing the documentary short film La gráfica fugitiva, a beneficiary project of ECAMC 2022. De aspecto indígena Documentary feature film Director: Xun Sero Ethnicity: Mayan Tsotsil Country: Mexico Why does being a people of indigenous origin become a threat? De aspecto indígena explores and exposes the racism that thrives in San Cristóbal de Las Casas, in Chiapas, Mexico, through the portrait of people who were deprived of their freedom and the criminal, social and political battles they fought to prove their innocence. At the same time, the documentary explores the "tsotsil being" through anecdotes, stories, and poetry, far from a folkloric and exoticizing look. This is a denunciation film, but it is also a film about the beauty of being different. Xun Sero He is a director, editor, and photographer of Mayan Tsotsil origin. He received his film training at Ambulante Más Allá and the Documentary Film School of San Cristóbal de Las Casas. He began his career as a documentary filmmaker narrating events related to the struggle of the native peoples of Chiapas. His work as a cinematographer is highlighted in Negra, by Medhin Tewolde, and Kuxlejal/Vida, by Elke Franke. His debut feature Mamá (2022) has received positive reviews from the public and critics alike. The following awards stand out among others: Silver Goddess for Best Documentary and Audience Award for Best Documentary at Cinélatino Rencontres de Toulouse. Estoy buscando a mi familia Documentary feature film Director: Viviana Mamani Cori Ethnicity: Aymara Country: Bolivia Atamhi Cawayu, a Bolivian who holds Belgian nationality, embarks on a journey to Bolivia to locate his biological family. As he walks the streets, posting flyers with his face and reviewing archival material from the 1990s, Atamhi traces his past. This documentary depicts the experiences of displacement, identity, and migration, as seen through the perspectives of two Aymara migrants and displaced individuals: Atamhi and Viviana, the director of this project. Viviana Mamani Cori Bolivian migrant filmmaker of Aymara origin. She studied filmmaking at the Escuela Andina de Cinematografía under Jorge Sanjinés. Her work focuses on the interdisciplinary nature of the arts, fusing experimental, performance and live arts. She has participated in the production of full-length films and shorts, both fiction and documentary, among which Los viejos soldados by Jorge Sanjinés stands out. She is currently developing her debut film Estoy buscando a mi familia, a project that has participated in various labs including Bolivia Lab 2020, ACAMPADOC 2021 (Panama), Conecta 2021 and Mapulab 2022 (Chile). Grietas Documentary feature film Director: Alberto Flores Vilca Ethnicity: Quechua Country: Peru After 23 years, Alberto, a young filmmaker, returns to Puyutira, a Quechua farming community where he suffered painful childhood trauma. Through a first-person account and conversations with old friends, he explores passages from his childhood. In parallel, stories of the stalking of a vampire that haunted the community in the nineties, during the Fujimori dictatorship, will be recalled. This character is as terrifying as the filmmaker's own trauma. Alberto Flores Vilca Quechua social communicator, focusing on film and audiovisual production, from the Universidad Nacional del Altiplano in Peru. He has continued his training at the International Film and TV School of San Antonio de los Baños (Cuba), the Transfrontera Experimental Film School (Chile), and the workshop "El Otro Documental" of Docu (Peru). His film Mamapara - Madre Lluvia (2020) premiered at the Clermont Ferrand International Short Film Festival (France) and was screened at major festivals in Europe and America. In 2020, his project Grietas was selected for Talents Berlinale at the Berlin International Film Festival. Hiñaru Duna (Mujer Agua) Fiction short film Director: Elvis Rigoberto Caj Cojoc Ethnicity: Mayan Poqomchi Country: Guatemala Isha, a Garifuna girl who possesses supernatural powers and dreams of being a superheroine, awaits the return of her mother who has emigrated to the United States. In the meantime, she takes refuge in the immense sea and every night searches in it for the answer that will let her know if her dreams will come true and if her mother will soon return. Those dreams will be interrupted by the appearance of an evil being who will try to steal her innocence. Isha will have to face her first battle, fear. Elvis Rigoberto Caj Cojoc Mayan Poqomchi' director and screenwriter. He has studied film in Guatemala and Mexico. He participated in the Locarno Film Festival's (Switzerland) Open Doors program and in the Guadalajara International Film Festival's (Mexico) Talents program. In 2022, he was a workshop leader for the Filmmaking for Indigenous Youth course in Honduras, organized by the Cinematographic Institute of the country. He has been a beneficiary of funds such as the ECAMC as well as Ambulante and Netflix's #Fondo Miradas. He has been a juror at various film festivals in the United States and Canada. His most recent short film Liremu Barana, won international awards that led him to be considered for an Oscar nomination in 2021. Mub ́u o sobre poner el corazón en el lugar correcto Fiction feature film Director: Alfredo Guzmán Cayetano Ethnicity: Mazahua Country: Mexico Gregoria is a 60-year-old maid who, after losing her husband, loses interest in living. While mourning she returns to her hometown, San Felipe del Progreso, to her sister Margarita's house. Margarita helps her discover that her late husband is still present in some way and his ghost is slowly taking her down. Together they take the road to visit the Señor del Cerrito, in a mystical and religious journey in which they will do the impossible to stop the abyss. Alfredo Guzmán Cayetano He is a native of the Mazahua community (Jñatrjo) of San Felipe del Progreso, in the State of Mexico. He is currently studying a degree in Hispanic Language and Literature at the Facultad de Estudios Superiores UNAM Acatlán. His film education has been through courses, including a diploma in Cinematography from the Indie Film School. In 2022 the ECAMC stimulus supported the production of his project Dueto Charanda, which is currently in post-production. His work as a writer and screenwriter has been recognized with honorable mentions and he has done important work teaching film workshops in Mazahua communities. Mudubina Fiction short film Director: Naila Paulina Cruz López Ethnicity: Binnizá /Zapoteca Country: Mexico The residents of a Zapotec community, who have been forcibly removed from their land and displaced by outside groups, are taken aback by an unexpected attack. In order to safeguard their family from future assaults, Mudubina and Francisca, two young girls, must make critical decisions. The tale demonstrates that social structure is not restricted to grown-ups, as the girls show their proficiency in comprehending the world and responding to it. Naila Paulina Cruz López Photographer and audiovisual producer from the Binnizá community in Juchitán, Oaxaca. She studied Communications at the Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla and has created several short documentaries, including Lade Za, Fuego Nuevo, Nudos, and Rezadora. Her work has received support from Cultural Survival. She also worked as a camera assistant on the documentary Ser Muxe (2022) by Ernesto Regalado, and was the online producer for the short film Se Elige (2023), directed by Patricia Matus and Alma Yoari López. Nasakopajk Documentary Feature Film Director: Néstor Abel Jiménez Díaz Ethnicity: Mayan Tseltal and Tsotsil Country: Mexico Zoque peoples in the state of Chiapas, Mexico, have organized to prevent the entry of extractivist projects into their territory. With this, they seek to raise human awareness through the defense of their sacred places; at the same time they maintain a struggle within their communities, confronting the power and greed of big capital already embodied in their inhabitants. How to prevent the apocalypse initiated by a government against their people? Néstor Abel Jiménez Díaz He is a documentary filmmaker of the Mayan Tseltal and Tsotsil peoples of Los Altos de Chiapas, Mexico. He has been producing audiovisual content to cover social processes in Mexico since 2007. His filmography as a director includes Don de ser, El Naíl and El secreto de la belleza; documentaries that have traveled to festivals in Mexico and around the world. He is a member the agencies Storyhunter, RT en español and Agence France-Presse. He is a colorist for the production company Terra Nostra Films where he has worked on ten films, including short and feature films, and where the following stand out: Mamá by Xun Sero, Negra by Medhin Tewolde and Vaychiletik by Juan Javier Pérez. Pawa Fiction short film Director: Marbel Ina Vanegas Jusayu Ethnicity: Wayuu Country: Colombia In a ranchería in La Guajira, Colombia, the effects of drought affect the finances of the Jusayu family. Indira wants a different menu, so she and her grandmother set off on a trip to the neighboring communities intending to sell or trade Taata, a turkey that they have taken care of for a long time. At a store stop in the middle of the desert, they encounter their only potential customer, who will attempt to negotiate Taata's price. On the road, Indira will learn about her grandmother's world, a daily confrontation with territorial conflicts. Marbel Ina Vanegas Jusayu Wayuu audiovisual producer from the Jusayu clan. Studied at the Film Conservatory of the National Film School (ENACC) and at the Wayuu Communications School. She is part of the Pütchimaajana Communicators Network and is also a founding member of the Aguacate Audiovisual production company. In 2022, she was general director of the fourth season of the documentary series El buen vivir and co-director of the investigative documentary Buscando las marcas del Ashojushi - Tatuado con espinas. She is screenwriter and director of the short film Pawa, a project in development stage selected for consultancy at BAM Riohacha 2022, BAM Bogotá 2023. Prepori Porongyta - la historia de Prepori Kaiabi Documentary Feature Film Director: Kujãesage Kaiabi Ethnicity: Kaiabi Country: Brazil The Kaiabi people tell the story of the chief and shaman Prepori Kaiabi, one of the most important articulators of the demarcation of the Xingu territory. The aim of this documentary is to preserve the images and stories of Prepori Kaiabi so that indigenous and non-indigenous people can recognize and share with their children the role and importance of the native communities of the Xingu - and of Brazil as a whole - in the history of Brazil and in the defense of the environment. Kujaesage Kaiabi Audiovisual producer of the Kaiabi people. She is one of the main female references of indigenous audiovisuals in Brazil. She began in 2011 in a workshop of filmmaker Mari Correia, where she produced videos on the traditional cuisine of the Kaiabi people. Since then, she has recorded rituals and encounters of native peoples, especially those linked to women's movements. She directed the documentary Meriup (2016) and was a photographer for Yaokwa (2022), an award-winning film by Vincent Carelli. She has taught photography workshops in the Video Nas Aldeias project and is a communicator for Rede Xingu+, where she produces informative content for the local population. Q'aq Animated documentary short film Director: Tirza Yanira Ixmucané Saloj Oroxom Ethnicity: Maya k'iche' - kaqchikel Country: Guatemala Through evocative images and poetic descriptions, we embark on a journey of connection with ancestral energies where spirituality stands at the center of human relationships. From the flames that consume the harvest and forests, to sacred ceremonies, we will contemplate the powerful presence of fire in the daily life of the Maya. Q'aq, which means "Grandfather Fire", is a documentary that explores the cultural and spiritual importance of fire in Mayan society and invites us to reflect on the profound relationship between fire and human beings. Tirza Yanira Ixmucané Saloj Oroxom Maya k'iche'-kaqchikel artist, illustrator and audiovisual producer. She is co-founder of the collective Lemow, a women's project dedicated to the exhibition and formation of community cinema. In 2020 she was selected in Talents Guadalajara as a production designer, and in 2023 she participated in the incubator for emerging filmmakers "Indigenous Imaginarium" in Los Angeles California. As an editor she has worked on the documentaries Jun Nyol, Jun Nb'is the soon-to-be-released Jun Nyol and Hilar las venas. She has participated in various training programs in documentary filmmaking, screenwriting, and art direction. Currently, she is developing a series of four short films on the memory of the Maya K'ich'e- Kaqchikel people. Se escucha el viento Fiction short film Director: Damián Dositelo Martínez Vásquez Ethnicity: Ayuujk / Mixe Country: Mexico One night, Tuupoj, a lonely seven-year-old boy, is taken by a sprite girl to a cave. There, he loses track of time and dreams of the ritual performed by his grandparents to awaken some clay musicians lying inert on the ground. At the same time, his grandparents and his mother go in search of him in the darkness of the forest. When Tuupoj wakes up, he feels that it is the same day and, guided by the wind music, he runs back home. Damián Dositelo Martínez Ayuujk audiovisual producer. Studied sociology at the Universidad Pedagógica Nacional. During his university life he directed a film club that took films to Mexico City's neighborhoods with the largest indigenous population. Her studies in documentary filmmaking have been through various workshops. In 2013, together with Estela González, she made the documentary Ayo'on Xaamkëjxp, which was screened at the festivals Contra el Silencio Todas la Voces and the Second International Indigenous Film and Video Festival. His debut feature, Susurros del Ipx'yukp, which is currently in post-production, received the Gabriel García Márquez Award in and the ECAMC award in 2019. Sueños que migran Documentary Feature Film Director: Xun Pérez Pérez Ethnicity: Mayan Tsotsil Country: Mexico Mariano is a young Tsotsil looking to migrate for a short time to the United States to earn the money that will allow him to fill a traditional position in his village. Little does Mariano know this journey will change his life. The film closely explores the ties that maintain and rebuild Tsotsil identity from exile, while also exploring the meaning of migration and the value of origin. Is it possible to fulfill community obligations and maintain identity and the ties to one's community of origin? Xun Pérez Pérez He is Tsotsil from the Mayan village of Zinacantán. He studied Intercultural Communication at the Intercultural University of Chiapas, and his training in filmmaking was through workshops at the CCC and the Documentary Film School of San Cristóbal de las Casas. He produced and directed the documentary short film Nichimal Son - Music that blooms. Vaychiletik (2021) is his debut feature, which had its world premiere at the Biarritz Amérique Latine Festival (France), where it received a special mention from the jury for best documentary. He is currently developing his second feature film, Sueños que migran, and collaborates as a sound designer and assistant editor in documentary projects with directors from the highlands of Chiapas. El viaje mítico de Sain y el Duende Akalakui Fiction animated feature film Director: Elizabeth Pirela González Ethnicity: Wayuu Country: Colombia In El Ahumado, in La Guajira, Colombia, Sa'in, a young Wayuu girl, and her grandmother Outsü protect a sacred territory. Sa'in refuses to accept her destiny as a spiritual guide, but everything changes when a powerful corporation, through a devastating project, threatens her community's territory. With the help of premonitory dreams, her grandmother's guidance and the enigmatic Akalakui elf, Sa'in embarks on a mystical journey to Jepira, where she will connect with her ancestors. Upon her return, she leads the resistance against the company and fights to protect Wayuu memory and culture. Elizabeth Pirela González Wayuu director and screenwriter of the Epieyü Clan. She studied a bachelor’s degree in literature and Integral Education and a master's degree in Scriptwriting for Film and Television at the Autonomous University of Barcelona. As a director and screenwriter, she has won awards at national and international film festivals, including the Audience Award for Best Short Film for Majayut Señorita (2010) at the South American Film Encounter in Marseille (France). She directed the series Shimirra’in wayuu: Juegos tradicionales wayuu. Her latest short film, El silencio de las semillas (2021), has been selected for festivals in Chile, Peru, Spain, Germany and Colombia. Advisors Adrián Ojeda Cuevas: He is an attorney who graduated from Mexico City's Escuela Libre de Derecho in 1999. He obtained a master’s degree in American Law from Boston University, where he graduated with honors in 2002. He is managing partner of Ojeda | Ojeda y Asociados, a law firm founded in 1968. He served as President of the National Board of Directors of the National Association of Corporate Lawyers, Bar Association (ANADE) throughout the years 2019 and 2020. He is a specialist in entertainment law and as such, has advised multiple productions such as James Bond Spectre (2015), Luis Miguel La Serie (2018-2021), El Baile de los 41 (2020), El caso Cassez-Vallarta (2022), and ¡Qué viva México! (2022). Alexis Rodil: He is a cinematographer, editor, postproduction supervisor and colorist. He graduated out of the Centro de Capacitación Cinematográfica and is the founder of the postproduction center El Taller. He has more than twenty years of experience in the film and advertising industry. He has taken highly specialized seminars in digital cinema, color science applied to digital cinema and digital film camera technology. He has participated in multiple documentaries, films, and series, adding up to an extensive filmography. Some of his most outstanding works include Los Bañistas by Max Zunino (2013), Karnawal by Juan Pablo Felix (2021), and Amalgama by Carlos Cuarón (2022). He currently teaches postproduction and color correction at the Escuela Nacional de Artes Cinematográficas at UNAM. Ana Alice de Morais: She studied filmmaking in Brazil and France. She is the founder of the Brazilian company 3 Moinhos and has been responsible for the production and co-production of several works in Latin America, which have been screened at international festivals such as the Berlinale and the Rotterdam Festival. As a producer, she participated in numerous international workshops, such as Rotterdam Lab, Buenos Aires Talent, Berlinale Talent and Binger Film Lab. She has been based in Tiohtiake, Montreal since 2018, where she is the artistic co-director and programmer of the RIDM- Rencontres Internationales du Documentaire de Montréal. She is responsible for the educational offerings of the M.E.D.I.A Coalition, a body that looks after the interests of underrepresented groups in the Canadian Francophone industry. Andrea Stavenhagen: She began his professional career in the Short Film Department of the Mexican Institute of Cinematography, and in Research and Dissemination of the Centro de Capacitación Cinematográfica. Her work focuses on training and professional updating activities, as well as the management of various promotion and exchange programs in the context of international film events and festivals. She was Industry Director of the Guadalajara International Film Festival, heading the Ibero-American Film Co-Production Meeting. For ten years she co-directed the Morelia Lab Workshop, within the framework of FICM. Between 2015 and 2020 she was a delegate for Latin America at the San Sebastian Film Festival, in Spain, and a member of the team of experts of the Europe-Latin America Co-Production Forum of that festival. She has participated as an advisor and jury member in national and international film events. She is currently a member of the organizing committee of Mestizo Lab, Spain-Mexico Audiovisual Co-Production Forum. Ángeles Cruz: She is a ñuu savi director and screenwriter from Villa Guadalupe Victoria, Oaxaca, Mexico. Her foray into screenwriting and film directing was through the short films La Tiricia o cómo curar la tristeza (2012), La Carta (2013), Arcángel (2018), all of them supported and in co-production with the Mexican Institute of Cinematography (IMCINE). In 2021, her debut feature film Nudo mixteco, also scripted by her, was released. Valentina o la serenidad, her second feature film, will premiere this year at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). Throughout her career she has received recognition from various festivals around the world, which have awarded her work, especially in her native community. Carlos A. Gutiérrez: He is co-founder and executive director of Cinema Tropical, a New York-based non-profit organization and a leader in the presentation of Latin American cinema in the United States. As a curator, he has presented several film series at cultural institutions, including the Museum of Modern Art, Film at Lincoln Center, and the Guggenheim Museum. In 2007, he was co-curator of the Robert Flaherty Film Seminar and is currently artistic director of the Latin Wave Festival at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, and co-director of Cinema Tucson. He is a member of the board of directors of Film Forum and has participated as a jury member of numerous film festivals, including Tribeca, Mar del Plata, New Orleans, Morelia, Seattle and SANFIC. He has served as a panelist and nominator for the Sundance Documentary Film Fund, the Tribeca Film Institute's Latin American Film Fund and the Rolex Mentor and Disciple Arts Initiative. Christiane Burkhard: She is a political scientist and filmmaker, graduated from the Centro de Capacitación Cinematográfica (CCC). She has a multifaceted career that combines film, writing and teaching. Her filmography includes her autobiographical essay Vuela angelito (2002), La Emperatriz de México (2005), and her multi-awarded documentary Trazando Aleida (2008). In recent years she has ventured into expanded cinema and transmedia projects, such as Taanuxiimbal, en camino (2015) and Reconstrucciones de Ambulante A.C. (2019). She has been a grantee of the Rockefeller Foundation's Media Arts Fellowship, Ambulante Gucci and Sistema Nacional de Creadores. She is a researcher and collaborator in multiple national and Latin American audiovisual training spaces, with a focus on gender, community, and experimental pedagogies. María Inés Roqué: She is a filmmaker and teacher. She is a consultant and teacher in audiovisual narrative and is currently a mentor at Piso 16, a cultural initiatives laboratory at UNAM. She is producer of Cartografías de la reclusión, a multiplatform project in process, directed by Yareni Velázquez. She was director of Training and Production at Ambulante where she carried out the Ambulante Más Allá project, reaching more than 160 people, who made more than 60 documentaries between 2010 and 2022. From Ambulante, she designed and coordinated the Miradas Fund and the Lab "Hacking the climate crisis: the future is indigenous." She has participated in fiction and documentary feature films in Mexico, the Netherlands, Spain, Ecuador, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Australia, and Argentina. She directed the documentaries Papá Iván, Café Villarías, Un día más, and co-directed Pasos ciegos, Cavallo entre rejas and Las compañeras tienen grado. Marina Stavenhagen: She is a screenwriter and film promoter. Her professional activity has always been divided between screenwriting and promotion of film and filmmaking. She has been a juror at several film festivals around the world, including the Chicago International Film Festival, the San Sebastian Film Festival and the Sundance Film Festival. As a screenwriter she has written numerous award-winning films and series for public television. She has taught screenwriting classes and consulted on numerous film productions. She is an advisor and tutor for international screenwriting programs such as the Iberoamerican Filmmakers Developing Projects. She was a consultant for Climate Story Lab-Mexico, the DocMx pitching series and the Miradas Ambulante-Netflix Fund for indigenous filmmakers. Since 2017 she collaborates with the Morelia International Film Festival (FICM) coordinating the Indigenous Peoples Forum, and the Morelia Screenwriting Lab. She was a member of the National System of Art Creators and General Director of the Mexican Institute of Cinematography (IMCINE). Martha Orozco: She is the founder of MartFilms, a boutique production company focused on social issues that highlight diversity, equity and inclusion. Her productions have won international awards, including Allende, mi abuelo allende (2015), winner of Cannes in 2015. Her latest films are La Hija de todas las rabias (2022) and Cae al sol (2022). She has been a teacher since 2005, specializing in pitching and development of film projects. She directed the production department at the EICTV (Cuba) and coordinated the documentary area at the CCC (Mexico). Orozcco ventures into genres that mix fiction and non-fiction in projects like Pornomelancolía (2022) and Puentes en el Mar. In her interest in promoting co-production in emerging industries, she collaborates with Cuba, Uruguay, and Peru. She is co-author of Manual Básico de Producción Cinematográfica (2014). Pablo Baksht: Producer of the animated film Ana y Bruno (2018). He was Production Director of the Mexican Institute of Cinematography (IMCINE) and Director of Alfonso Cuarón's company Producciones Anhelo. The produce of many short films that received numerous awards and recognitions, including the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival and an Oscar nomination. Since its founding, he has been a member of the organizing and programming committee of the Morelia International Film Festival (FICM), where he has generated and/or coordinated various projects for the promotion of film culture, including "Cine para todxs" (which screens Mexican films throughout the year in various community spaces in Mexico), "Cine Mexicano en acción," "Compendio de Cineastas Contemporáneas," "FICM Presenta," and "Muestra de Cineastas Indígenas Mexicanas 2020." She is currently in the production of four feature films: documentaries and animations. Roberto Olivares: Studied social communication, specializing in film, at the Universidad Iberoamericana. He continued her training in workshops specializing in screenwriting and directing at EICTV (Cuba). She is a founding member of Ojo de Agua Comunicación, an organization dedicated to strengthening community communication processes. He has dedicated more than twenty years to the training of young communicators in Mexico and Latin America, especially in indigenous communities in the state of Oaxaca. Through filmmaking workshops at Ojo de Agua, Ambulante Más Allá and the Itinerant Audiovisual Camp. As a director, he has made television, video and documentary films, and his works have been selected and awarded in several national and international festivals, including the Best Documentary Award at FICM (Morelia), Special Award at DOCS DF (CDMX), and Grand Prix at Présence Autochtone (Canada). Sofia Arroyo: She is a film promoter, activist, and professional philanthropist for social justice, especially dedicated to promoting systemic change regarding indigenous rights and their new narratives. She studied Communication with a focus on film at the Universidad Iberoamericana, working in the film and advertising industry as an assistant director and director for many years. She was executive director of EDGE Funders Alliance (USA) and is currently an independent consultant and board member of the International Funders for Indigenous Peoples, Kindle Project and JASS (Just Associates). Sofia has worked to advance social change by raising awareness of the values and perspectives rooted in ancestral traditions and by advocating and promoting a vision of a just and interconnected world. Leilani Noguez: She is an art historian, with an emphasis on Mexican art and film, from the Escuela Nacional de Estudios Superiores, UNAM Morelia. She has been particularly interested in documentary film, from the theoretical-historiographical area as well as in filmmaking. She was part of the seventh generation (2020-2021) of Ambulante Más Allá, a documentary film training project promoted by Ambulante A.C., where she participated as producer and sound designer of the short films Noche Fui (2021) and Nuestra casa (2021), respectively. She currently co-directs the preservation and dissemination project of the Archive of filmmaker Dominique Jonard, in the city of Morelia. Since 2022, she has been part of the pre-selection committee for documentaries in the Ambulante Tour, and of the selection committee for Documentary Short Film at the Morelia International Film Festival. Nicolas Philibert: Nicolas is one of the most outstanding contemporary documentary filmmakers. After studying philosophy, he turned to filmmaking and worked as an assistant director, collaborating with René Allio and Alain Tanner, among others. In 1978, he co-directed with Gérard Mordillat his first feature-length documentary, La Voix de son maître (His Master's Voice). After making several sports adventure documentaries for television, he began his career as a director of feature-length documentaries, which have been distributed in commercial theaters, including: The Louvre City (La Ville Louvre, 1990), The Country of the Deaf (Le Pays des sourds, 1992), The Least (La Moindre des choses, 1996), Return to Normandy (Retour en Normandie, 2007), Nénette (2010), and Of Every Moment (De chaque instant, 2018). His filmography as a director comprises more than 38 titles and his most recent film, Sur l'Adamant (2023), premiered at the Berlinale, winning the Golden Bear.
