The process of creating and experiencing film consists of ideas that linger, evolve, take flight, intertwine, or build nests with grand purposes—such as that of the Guadalajara International Film Festival (FICG), which continues to solidify its position as the most important film event in Latin America and one of the leading platforms for Mexican and international cinema.
Now in its 41st edition, to be held from April 17 to 25, 2026, the FICG will bring together—as it does every year—prominent celebrities, filmmakers, and professionals from the audiovisual industry, as well as major national and international film offerings that audiences can experience at the nearly 30 venues that bring the festival to life.
“The University of Guadalajara has historically maintained a very strong commitment to the art of cinema through scientific and humanistic research, but also through training professionals in film appreciation, filmmaking, and everything related to this important art form. “For us, it is very important that this event reaffirms the university’s dedication to cinema, imagination, aesthetics, and also film criticism,” said Héctor Raúl Solís Gadea, executive vice president, speaking on behalf of Karla Alejandrina Planter Pérez, president of the University of Guadalajara.
Tributes
The FICG will present the Mayahuel, an international tribute to American director, screenwriter, and producer Darren Aronofsky, known for films such as *Requiem for a Dream* ( 2000) and *Black Swan* (2010). As part of the activities surrounding his appearance at the Festival, there will also be special screenings of some of his films.
In addition, the career of actress Luisa Huertas—spanning more than 50 years—will be honored; she will receive the Silver Mayahuel Award for Mexican Cinema and will present a book chronicling her career to an audience of film enthusiasts.
Other figures to be honored include Elena Vilardell, Technical and Executive Secretary of the Ibermedia Program (FICG Industry Tribute), and Spanish actress Lola Dueñas (Maguey Lifetime Achievement Award), whose career includes notable films by Pedro Almodóvar such as *Talk to Her* ( 2002), *Broken Embraces* (2009), and *I'm So Excited!* (2013).
Opening Ceremony and Benefit Galas
The FICG41 kicked off with *Moscas*, directed by Fernando Eimbcke, the recent winner of the Ecumenical Jury Prize at the Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale). The Mexican director’s fifth feature film tells the story of Olga, who lives across from a hospital in a massive apartment complex, where she leads a solitary and strictly organized life—until she meets a nine-year-old boy with whom she forms an unexpected bond.
Eimbcke is one of the most influential directors in contemporary Latin American cinema, and his debut film, *Temporada de patos* ( 2004), was the top prize winner at the Guadalajara International Film Festival, taking home nine awards at the 19th edition. At the 23rd edition, the filmmaker also received the Mayahuel Award for Best Director for *Lake Tahoe* ( 2008).
Other premieres, scheduled as part of the Benefit Galas, include *Michael* (2026), directed by Antoine Fuqua, about Michael Jackson’s life from his early days; *Lobby Bar* (2026), by Natalia López Gallardo, director of *Manto de Gemas* ( 2022); Árva (2025), the latest film by László Nemes, winner of the Oscar for Best International Feature Film for *Son of Saul* ( 2016); the debut films Light Pillar (2026) by Xu Zao and Hold Onto Me (2026) by Myrsini Aristidou; as well as La gang (2025) by Carol Rodríguez Colás and Marina Rodríguez Colás, Obsession (2026) by Curry Barker, *Renacer* (2025) by Gustavo Loza and *Rosebush Pruning* (2026) by Karim Aïnouz. All are premiering in Mexico.
The organizations that will benefit from the total proceeds from ticket sales are Danza Aptitude Arte y Discapacidad, A.C., Colectivo Pro Derecho de la Niñez, A.C., Cruz Rosa, A.C., Juntos Cambiando Vidas, A.C., Mi Gran Esperanza, A.C., Fundación PAS, A.C., and Terapia Integral para Niños con Autismo, A.C. Tickets cost 250 pesos and can be purchased at the box office of the Cineteca Universidad de Guadalajara or on the venue’s website.
“We at the University of Guadalajara Foundation are convinced that cinema is much more than art and storytelling; it is also, above all, a powerful tool for raising social awareness. And it is precisely in this spirit that we have been proudly promoting this program, called Galas a Beneficio, since 2007. “Our goal today is to invite you to join us in this effort through this film series,” said José Trinidad Padilla López, president of the University of Guadalajara Foundation A.C.
It should be noted that the FICG40 Benefit Galas raised 462,602 pesos, which provided the participating organizations with a direct grant of 66,086 pesos to strengthen their social projects.
What's New at FICG Industry
FICG Industry is at a special juncture, as the region’s most important film business hub has experienced significant growth, with 1,414 projects registered. Of particular note is the success of the new fantasy genre call for entries, which, in its inaugural edition, attracted 227 submissions.
In addition, the first edition of FICGeneración will take place. This program will give aspiring filmmakers a firsthand experience of a film festival through a guided immersion in the other programs that make up this edition. It consists of two components—pre-event training and hands-on experience during the festival—and involves universities, schools, and institutes that offer degree programs in film or audiovisual communication.
The Guadalajara Construye program is celebrating 20 years of supporting films in post-production that are seeking funding for their completion and subsequent distribution; meanwhile, DocuLab: Documentary Laboratory is marking its 18th anniversary alongside Talents Guadalajara. This year, Talents Guadalajara is centered on the theme “Vulnus América: Open Perspectives on Wounded Territories,” which invites participants to consider cinema as an ethical stance and an act of solidarity. And FICGames once again opens its doors to the intersection of film and video games with its third edition.
New Section in Programming
Panorama Frontera is also part of Corto, a new section created in collaboration with the GuadaLAjara Film Festival (GLAFF), the Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival (LALIFF), and the San Diego Latino Film Festival (SDLFF), which will showcase short films from U.S. festivals dedicated to promoting Latino cinema.
Panorama Frontera en Corto joins out-of-competition programs such as Panorama Internacional, Son de Cine In-Edit (dedicated to the intersection of film and the music industry), and Showcase de Series, which have enriched the FICG’s film lineup alongside the Official Competition, divided into 10 sections: Mezcal Award, Ibero-American Fiction Feature Film, Ibero-American Documentary Feature Film, Maguey Award, Made in Jalisco, Socio-Environmental Film Award, International Animated Feature Film, Rigo Mora Award, and Ibero-American Short Film.
It is worth noting that FICG40 more than doubled its overall attendance, with a total of 289,777 people (compared to 94,004 at FICG39), of whom 39,773 attended screenings. There were a total of 297 screenings, featuring 210 films and six series. The breakdown of films was 114 in competition, along with 65 feature films and 12 short films out of competition.
“Public funding for the 41st edition totals 16 million pesos from the University of Guadalajara. The Jalisco state government will contribute 7 million pesos; the Guadalajara city government, 6 million; and the Zapopan city government, 2 million,” said Guillermo Arturo Gómez Mata, president of the Board of Trustees of the Guadalajara International Film Festival, who also added that this year they are awaiting a response from Profest regarding 2 million pesos in federal funding.
With new objectives, the goal of the 41st edition is to surpass previous attendance figures by screening more than 200 films and featuring the activities that have come to define the Festival, such as master classes and exhibitions like “41 Years of Posters from the Guadalajara International Film Festival,” which will trace the visual history of the FICG through its official posters at the galleries on Paseo Chapultepec, and “Correspondences: Orozco–Eisenstein,” which will showcase at the MUSA (University of Guadalajara Museum of the Arts) excerpts and stills inspired by the dialogues that emerged between filmmaker Sergei Eisenstein and muralist José Clemente Orozco.
The FICG’s first exhibition in the galleries along Paseo Chapultepec, which took place during the last edition, drew a crowd of 188,000 people. “That brought us much closer to the city,” said Estrella Araiza Briseño, executive director of the Guadalajara International Film Festival.
15 Years of the Maguey Award
In 2012, the Guadalajara International Film Festival took a visionary step in support of diversity and queer cinema. Following in the footsteps of the most important and prominent film festivals (Berlin, San Sebastián, Venice, and Cannes), the FICG spearheaded the creation of the first queer film award in Mexico and Latin America, thereby establishing and presenting the Maguey Award.
From its inception, this award gained international prominence and recognition, immediately establishing itself as one of the Festival’s strongest sections. Now, with an outstanding lineup and the recognition of leading figures in the queer industry and culture, the Maguey Award celebrates its 15th anniversary and honors diversity in all its forms under the theme “Queerciañera,” with the program and details to be announced soon.
Official image of FICG40 and FICG Minuto
Ricardo Luévanos’s creativity takes flight at the FICG, with the Guadalajara-based artist serving as the creator of this year’s official poster. Luévanos drew inspiration from the ideas and manifestations of the creative mind.
“The gaze, as an element, is the most important thing to me; it represents introspection—that moment when one looks within oneself for the path to follow as an idea begins to take shape. Weaver birds are capable of building the most elaborate nests with skill and patience, which serves as an analogy for the creation of a film project. Several birds appear in the composition, coming and going: each one represents an idea that may remain, be transformed, or be abandoned,” explains the artist about this work.
To complement the FICG41 campaign, Mango Films and Eduardo Ávila created FICG Minuto, which consists of five videos starring Guadalajara-based actor Cristo Fernández. Each black-and-white video references the films *Cronos* ( 1992), *El complot mongol* (2018), *Pelo malo* (2013), *Quebranto* (2013), and *No nos moverán* (2024) by reenacting a scene from each one.
In this way, the Festival invites the public not only to share their own stories, but also to become part of the story of this film event by creating their own stories through sharing cinematic moments, dreams, ideas, and those feelings that cinema knows how to and can evoke.
HIGHLIGHTS OF FICG40
- Opening Gala featuring *Moscas* by Fernando Eimbcke
- Book presentation on Luisa Huertas’s career, featuring the actress and producer, director, researcher, and promoter Roberto Fiesco
- Exhibitions: “41 Years of Posters from the Guadalajara International Film Festival” and “Correspondences: Orozco–Eisenstein”
- Queerciañera: 15 Years of the Maguey Award
- First edition of the "Panorama Frontera" out-of-competition section at Corto
- Special screenings featuring the honorees
- First edition of FICGeneración, a program by Industria
- TV Series Showcase
CHARITY GALA EVENTS
Orphan by László Nemes
The Gang by Carol Rodríguez Colás and Marina Rodríguez Colás
Hold Onto Me by Myrsini Aristidou
Light Pillar by Xu Zao
Lobby Bar by Natalia López Gallardo
Michael by Antoine Fuqua
Obsession by Curry Barker
Rebirth by Gustavo Loza
Pruning Rosebushes by Karim Aïnouz
FICG40 STATISTICS
General Information
- Total attendance: 289,777
- Total screenings: 297
- Movies and TV series shown: 210 (6 series)
Breakdown of Movies
- Films in competition: 114
- Feature films out of competition: 65
- Charity Galas: 7
- Films: Guest of Honor: 41
- Short films outside the competition: 12
- Outdoor events: 22
- Screens on display: 28
Social Media
- People reached on social media (FB, IG, X, Google, Spotify, X): 8,707,739
- Impressions on social media (FB, IG, X, Google, Spotify, X): 23,462,561
- Social media interactions (FB, IG, X, Google, Spotify, X): 1,903,326
Master Classes and Panels
- Number of lectures: 26
- Attendance: 8,331
Exhibitions
- Number of exhibitions: 7
Industry Programs
- Market screenings: 13
- Accredited attendees and industry guests: 1,473
- Industry Meetings Participants: 1,015
- Industry Meetings: 2,861
PRESS MATERIALS
https://drive.google.com/drive/u/1/folders/1UFRpUg2Dp8DufuuvDjrSaVOzfmBSJfbS
Enjoy the 41st edition of the Guadalajara International Film Festival!
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