Ten years after its inception, the Mérida and Yucatán International Film Festival (FICMY) has established itself as one of the best in Mexico and solidified its position as a major showcase for Ibero-American cinema.
“In the 10th edition, we had eight feature films and 17 short films from Ibero-America competing, along with eight feature films and several invited films from around the world,” stated Karla Paola Medina, director of FICMY.
The Festival, held from November 25 to 30, shone with the presence of directors, producers, and actors who received the Golden Chichén and Golden Jaguar awards, as well as honorable mentions, following the extensive work of the national, international, press, and university juries.
The Short Film Race also solidified its position as one of the best platforms for promoting filmmaking in Southeastern Mexico, registering 13 participating groups who walked the red carpet during the premieres.
This platform further solidifies the presence of cinema in Southeastern Mexico, with over 23 awards granted by the Ministry of Culture and the Arts, private initiatives, and the Yucatecan Institute of Entrepreneurs, ranging from 50,000 to 250,000 pesos.
Karla Paola Medina explained that FICMY 2025 concluded with great success, as film enthusiasts celebrated the participating teams with standing ovations. These teams shared beautiful and thought-provoking life stories that resonated with audiences at the Cines Siglo 21, Cinemex, and the National Film Archive (Cineteca Nacional), located in the Armando Manzanero Theater.
The participation of every director, producer, cinematographer, screenwriter, and crew member from Ibero-America in these two decades of FICMY celebrations is both moving and encouraging to the festival organizers, “because it means we are on the right track and will continue to move forward.”
The promotion of local, national, and international productions allowed for the creation of screening routes in various movie theaters throughout Yucatán, with ticket prices ranging from 50 to 60 pesos. “We offered festival prices so everyone could enjoy the films; several will premiere this December and others in January.”
The film production workshop also served as a showcase for learning and professional development, “as participants received guidance on screenwriting, adaptation, budgeting, and everything necessary for the production of short films.”
The satisfaction of reaching 10 uninterrupted years is immense for Karla Paola Medina, who affirmed that 2025 brought renewed success thanks to the young people from various universities.
“Now, we are waiting for confirmation from everyone who supported us in the 10th edition of FICMY to launch the next call for entries, which will run from February to March,” he stated.
Isaac Basulto, head of the FICMY Lab Short Film Race platform, agreed that in this 10th edition, the Film Festival has solidified its position as a talent incubator, “beyond the excellent programming it always brings to the region.”
In fact, he considered the Short Film Race to be the only formal laboratory in southern Mexico that gives filmmakers the opportunity to showcase their work, based on the legends, stories, principles, culture, voices, and sense of belonging of the Yucatán Peninsula region.
In these first 10 years, he explained that the Short Film Race has grown as a project, “there were around 40 teams registered, and although the idea was to select 8 to 10 groups, in the end we chose 13.”
He expressed his surprise at noticing that this year young filmmakers were keen to use more advanced technology and technical equipment in their films, “which is why we offered guidance and workshops emphasizing legal certainty for contracts and industry formats.”
“Yucatán is fertile ground for talent and filmmakers, and we must support them,” asserted Isaac Basulto.
The awards gala, held in Room 5 of the Siglo 21 Cinemas in Mérida, was overflowing with emotion: directors from Brazil, the Dominican Republic, Chile, Mexico, and Spain expressed their surprise and thanked the Mérida and Yucatán International Film Festival for the Golden Chichén Award via video messages.
The awards and honorable mentions from the Short Film Race also delighted the audience, who were captivated by the 13 short films, although Arrullo was the official winner.
The young students from Universidad Modelo thanked FICMY and Isaac Basulto, director of the Short Film Race and head of the short film platform, for helping them fulfill their dream.
Adiós Mixo, Érase una vez… un cerdo, Cuando todo el mundo soñó con el fin, Dónde descansarán los muertos, and La última noche en Misnebalam were among the other winners, and several more received honorable mentions.
Source: yucatan.quadratin
