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The Third Issue of FÓSFORO UNAM DIGITAL MAGAZINE OF FILM CRITICS Was Presented at the 23rd FICM

Berenice Andrade Medina

As part of the 23rd Morelia International Film Festival (FICM), the third issue of Fósforo UNAM: Revista digital de crítica cinematográfica (a digital magazine dedicated to film critic) was presented by Hugo Villa, general director of Film Activities at UNAM; Abril Alzaga, general director of Procine; film critic Erick Estrada, mentor to Fósforo contributors; and Demian Torres, critic for the magazine.

Created in 2024, Fósforo UNAM was born from the need to create a permanent space for young people venturing into film criticism, particularly participants in the Alfonso Reyes “Fósforo” Film Criticism Competition at the UNAM International Film Festival. 

“It's natural that a place like the Film Archive should contribute to cinematic reflection,” said Hugo Villa during the presentation.

“Fifteen years ago, there was concern about the lack of a new generation of critics to reflect on what cinema was offering us,” explained Abril Alzaga, former director of FICUNAM. “From the beginning, FICUNAM had planned to engage in film criticism. However, it stayed as a contest, and the winners' texts had no place to go [...] Having a specific film magazine at a time when there is a shortage of this kind of space seems great to me."

Erick Estrada explained that the magazine draws on young critics, all of whom are students from different fields, which means that the magazine is nourished by diverse perspectives. On this matter, Hugo Villa reminded us that the legendary critic Jorge Ayala Blanco was trained as a mechanical engineer. 

This third edition of Fósforo UNAM: Revista digital de crítica cinematográfica explores the detils of the 23rd FICM.