The Monterrey International Film Festival has a clear focus on worldwide filmmaking. We seek to provide screens and audiences for international cinema to support our belief that a dialogue and exchange promoted by films is a strong way to promote cultural understanding.
This year, we are very happy that Canada, a country that has long been a friend of Mexico, accepted our invitation to be our Guest Country for 2011. This allows us to open a special space for Canadian filmmakers and their films, and create an opportunity to tighten the bonds in the realm of culture and the exchange of goods that benefit the soul and the mind.
Canada has a strong film industry and shares with Mexico the enormous challenge and opportunity of living in the immediacy of Hollywood. As commercial partners we have struggled to protect our film industries, and both have a similar share of the film market, but most important, we have allowed the emergence of very personal and interesting filmmakers.
In the coming months in collaboration with the Canadian Embassy in Mexico and Canadian film institutions, we will put together a strong film program that will attempt to give us a wide panorama of contemporary filmmaking in Canada. We are very proud to open the activities of the coming months with the presentation of Incendies, directed by Denis Villeneuve, nominated for an Oscar® for best foreign language film, but especially a magnificent adaptation of Wajdi Mouawad’s play of the same name.
We have great expectations of this collaboration. We are very thankful for the efforts that the Canadian Embassy in Mexico has made and to the Canadian sponsors that support the program.
