The inaugural edition of the Guadalajara International Film Festival opened on March 10, 1986. It was organized by the University of Guadalajara in cooperation with the Secretariat of Foreign Affairs and a number of film schools and other related organizations. The festival was officially granted international status in 2002.
The Guadalajara International Film Festival focuses on new films made by Mexican and international independent filmmakers. Every year the festival welcomes delegates from other significant film festivals from around the world which has helped the Mexican film industry to gain a strong international presence in the last two decades.
FICG has also helped to give the careers of some Mexican artists a second wind. They include Ismael Rodríguez, Katy Jurado, Jorge Fons, Felipe Cazals, Ignacio López Tarso, Silvia Pinal, Jaime Humberto Hermosillo, María Félix, Gabriel Figueroa, and Arturo Ripstein.
FICG is a competitive film festival. Its competition is open to Ibero American films (films from Mexico, Latin America, Spain and Portugal) that have not been screened in Mexico. The best Mexican film in the competition is awarded with the Mezcal Award. Awards are also given out in the following sections: Ibero American Narrative (Feature), Ibero American Documentary, Ibero American Short Film, Rigo Mora Award for the best Mexican animated short film, Maguey Award for the best LGBT-themed film.
In addition to the official selection in competition, the festival showcases a number of films in parallel sections. They include Guest of Honor, International Panorama, Gala, Europe New Trends – San Sebastian, Son de cine, Environmental Movies, Films for Kids, Culinary Cinema. The Guadalajara International Film Festival also hosts a variety of industry events including a film market, training labs, and more.
Photo: ficg.mx