Taboada Tabone, Francesco

He received a master’s degree in Mesoamerican Studies from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). In addition to his film work, he has developed a career as an environmental activist and was a member of the People’s Council of Morelos. His feature length documentary triptych Los últimos zapatistas, héroes olvidados (2003), Pancho Villa, la revolución no ha terminado (2006) and 13 pueblos en defensa del agua, el aire y la tierra (2008) uses oral memory to communicate historical moments. Mexican film critic Jorge Ayala Blanco said in La justeza del cine mexicano that Francesco Taboada has become at 35 years of age “the top documentary filmmaker of our revolutionary history” (Mexico City, UNAM, 2011, p. 305). His work has been shown at more than 70 film screenings and festivals around the world, including three editions of the Morelia International Film Festival (FICM). His first documentary Los últimos zapatistas, héroes olvidados (2003) received the Jury Award and the Best First Film Award from the Cuban Film Press Association (ACPC-FIPRESCI) at the 6th International Documentary Film Festival Santiago Álvarez in Memoriam, Cuba; the prizes for Excellence in Independent Film and Best Documentary awarded by the television channel Once TV at the 9th Latino Film Festival, Santa Cruz, California; and the Best Documentary Award at the 8th Chicano Film Festival of Los Angeles, California, among others. He competed at the 4th FICM with his second documentary feature Pancho Villa, la revolución no ha terminado (2006), winner of the Best Documentary Award at the 1st Iberoamerican Documentary Film Festival of Memory (FMDI), Tepoztlán, and the 1st Cancún Riviera Maya International Film Festival, Mexico; an Honorable Mention for the José Rovirosa Award 2007 of the UNAM Film Archives; the Best Documentary Project award at the 6th “Santiago Álvarez in Memoriam”, among others. He participated in the 5th FICM with his short fiction film ¡Vámonos a la Revolución! (2007), co-directed with Rodrigo Aroca, which was also presented at the 3rd Short Shorts Film Festival Mexico (SSFFM) and the 15th Cinemad Independent and Cult Film Festival of Madrid. His third documentary 13 pueblos en defensa del agua, el aire y la tierra (2008) received the Best Documentary on the Environment award at the 26th Bogotá Film Festival (Bogocine), Colombia; the Jury Special Award at the 12th Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival (LALIFF), California; and the Rigoberta Menchú award at the 18th Festival Présence Autochtone, Montreal, Canada, among others. His fourth feature length documentary Tin Tan (2009) won the Binational Award and Second Place for the Best Hispanic Documentary at the Bi National Independent Film Festival El Paso Texas & Juárez, Chihuahua, Mexico - United States. At the 9th FICM, he competed with his short fiction film El mensajero (2011). His fifth feature length documentary Maguey (2013) won the Best Documentary Award at the 4th Álamos Mágico International Film Festival (FICAM), Sonora, Mexico.