On June 7, 2023, the 27th edition of the Mix Film and Sexual Diversity Festival will begin, which brings together for this occasion almost a hundred international film projects whose focus is on the LGBT community. The purpose of the event is to create a dissemination platform within the reach of several generations of filmmakers who “join the effort for improvement, not only in the cultural and artistic offer of our screens, but also in the social well-being of the country in its set”, according to an official statement.
Next, we will tell you everything you need to know about the upcoming edition of this festival that claims to be the oldest in Mexico City.
Opening ceremony
The opening ceremony of the 27th edition of the Mix Festival will take place on Wednesday, June 7, 2023 at the Teatro de la Ciudad Esperanza Iris, with the presentation of a fragment of the musical work Everyone is talking about JamieTwo of the same actors will lead: Joaquín Bondoni and Nelson Carreras.
The opening function will be A thousand clouds of peace surround the sky, love, you will never finish being love, on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of this iconic LGBT-themed Mexican film directed by Julián Hernández and produced by Roberto Fiesco. Both personalities will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award during the same ceremony.
In addition, in terms of tributes, the activist Juan Jacobo Hernández will be distinguished with the Mix Recognition for his Contribution to the Community, thanks to his work as a pioneer and founder of the LGBT Movement in Mexico.
official selection
Within the 2023 Mix Festival, the official selection in competition for the Mariposa Award includes the following feature films:
- almamulaby Juan Sebastián Torales (France/ Argentina/ Italy, 2023)
- the shakersby Marco Berger (Argentina, 2022)
- Lost Boys / Paradiseby Zeno Graton (France/ Belgium, 2023)
- muttby Vuk Lungulov-Klotz (USA, 2023)
- we will never be a partby Amelia Eloísa (Mexico, 2022)
- Orlando: My Political Biographyby Paul B. Preciado (France, 2023) – Winner of the Teddy Award Documentary 2023
- All the colors of the world between black and whiteby Babatunde Apalowo (Nigeria, 2023) – Winner of the Teddy Award Fiction 2023
The shows will be open to the general public and will take place at the Cinépolis Diana in CDMX. A jury made up of the Maltese will be present bartholomew sammut, organizer of the Teddy Award and Manager Programmer of the Panorama section of the Berlinale; the Guatemalan Mauricio Escobarmovie producer white cadejo and cherry; the Mexican Carlos Bonfil, writer and film critic; the Mexican Siobhan Guerrerophilosopher and host of the program The 41 setbacks of the heteronorm in Mexicoand the Mexican Gabriela Martinezcultural journalist.
Mexican Rose
This section includes national productions that will only have their premiere in CDMX. For example, feature films My girlfriend is the revolutionby Marcelino Islas; kenyaby Gisela Delgadillo, and 90 days to July 2by Rafael Martínez-García, which will also be screened at Cinépolis Diana.
Within this section, there will also be two retrospectives dedicated respectively to Hugo Argüelles and Xavier Villaurrutia, emblematic Mexican playwrights whose pen also ventured into writing film scripts.
Platinum and Supernova Sections
This includes a variety of “recently made” films from Germany, France, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Israel and Taiwan. To name a few:
- In bedby Nitzan Gilady
- I am not a mistakeby Rachel Rusinek and Eyal Ben-Moshe
- The swimmerby Adam Kalderón
- Lost Boys / Paradiseby Zeno Graton
- you can’t stay hereby Todd Verrow
- Who does the sky belong to?Sabian Baumann
- when the weather roaredby Connie Cocchia
- The fragrance of the first flowerby Angel Ihan Teng
- Partiesby Ignacio Rogers
Headquarters
The venues of the Mix 2023 Festival are Cinépolis Diana, Esperanza Iris City Theater, Cineteca Nacional, University Cultural Center, José Martí Cultural Center, Casa del Lago, Xavier Villaurrutia Cultural Center, Chopo Cinematograph, Somos Voces Bookstore, Casa Frida, Casa Xochiquetzal and the Guillermo Bonfil Batalla House of Original Languages, among others.
In addition, within the framework of this 27th edition of the festival, Channel 22 will broadcast Mexican feature films and a retrospective of winning short films from past editions. For example, hill of the crossby Constantino Escandón; Luisa/Smuack!by Alejandra Sánchez; Roadsby Denise Quintero, and or be an elephantby Ulises Pérez Mancilla.
Other functions and activities
At Cinépolis Diana, as part of the Spotlight section, the film will be screened I’m a boy, by Lorena Zilleruelo (Chile / France, 2022); documentary film where the camera illustrates the difficult transition of a transgender person throughout their teenage years. Its protagonist, Bastian, will be present at the function.
Also at Cinépolis Diana, there will be a discussion about the documentary filmmaker and video artist Víctor Jaramillo (The night opens its flower) and his work on sexual diversity in Cuba. Another conversation will deal with the international vision around LGBT Productions and Festivals in the world.
On the other hand, Festival Mix 2023 will host an exhibition called España Diversa, with the support of the Embassy of Spain and the Centro Cultural España. There, there will be a review of several Spanish film classics that involve personalities such as Eloy de la Iglesia, Jaime Chávarri, Pedro Almodóvar, Carmen Maura, Ángela Molina and the Mexican Alaska.
In addition, in association with Pierrot Films, a post-production contest for national short films on sexual diversity will be held, with the aim of stimulating the production of LGBT-themed films. The details will be announced on June 7 on the festival website.
And finally, at the Cinépolis Diana facilities, a “brief and concise” exhibition will be set up on the history of the LGBT movement in Mexico, curated by the cultural promoter Salvador Irys.
Keep an eye on Festival Mix 2023 from their website for any updates.
Antonio G. Spindola I have very bad memory. Out of solidarity with my memories, I choose to lose myself too. Preferably in a movie theater.