This Saturday morning, the mural “The Night of the Iguana” was inaugurated in Bahía de Banderas, Puerto Vallarta. This work pays tribute to the John Huston film shot there in 1964 and which put the city on the international map. The event brought together actors, actresses, and cultural representatives, including Jaqueline Bracamontes, Cristo Hernández, Andrés Zuno, Aarón Díaz, Michelle Rodríguez, and Ximena Sariñana.
During the event, Michelle Fridman Hirsch, Jalisco’s Secretary of Tourism, highlighted the importance of linking the film’s legacy with the state’s current tourism scene. “Jalisco is a great destination for its beaches, and celebrities like Canelo and Alejandro Fernández are always key figures in the state. Furthermore, Vallarta is the most Mexican beach; it’s charming,” she stated.
Read: Madonna will release a new album in 2026; this much is known
The official recalled that the relationship between Puerto Vallarta and cinema is not new. More than fifty productions have been filmed in the region, ranging from feature films to series and international projects. “Of course, The Night of the Iguana is one of the most iconic, but many have been, and that’s why it made perfect sense for us to bring the Ariel Awards ceremony,” he stated.
In that sense, he emphasized that for the first time in its history, the awards from the Mexican Academy of Cinematographic Arts and Sciences will be held in a beach destination, and Puerto Vallarta was the chosen one. “The Ariel Awards have only been held in Mexico City in three editions, and all three have been in Jalisco: twice in Guadalajara and now in Vallarta,” he recalled.
Beyond the official ceremony, Fridman Hirsch emphasized the importance of extending the experience to public spaces. “Something that was very important to us was not only to keep the ceremony inside the convention center, but to be able to take it to the streets, leaving a little piece of this reconnection with Vallarta’s film history in different places,” she noted.
To this end, local artistic collectives and creators are working on murals linked to films shot in the region. “We currently have four murals, starting with The Night of the Iguana and another titled Beverly Hills Chihuahua. We are also developing a tourism product to visit locations,” she explained.
The project is complemented by the restoration of the historic center and the island in the Cuale River, spaces that will be transformed into an art district with murals, sculptures, and activities related to the seventh art. “It’s a great excuse to hold an event that will put us in the eyes of the world and that will help us, as we know so well how to do in film, change the narrative of what Jalisco and Puerto Vallarta are,” the secretary concluded.
Source: informador
