Tucson's fourth annual celebration of south-of-the-border cinema features the Arizona premiere of "Miss Bala," Mexico's Oscar entry for foreign-language film.
Produced by Gael Garcia Bernal, Diego Luna and Pablo Cruz, "Miss Bala" is the most anticipated film at this year's Tucson Cine Mexico.
"People have been telling me they heard an interview on NPR, or read about it in The New York Times," said Vicky Westover, who directs the festival and the Hanson Film Institute at the University of Arizona.
The film, praised by Times reviewer Manohla Dargisa as a "first-rate art-house thriller," was released in larger markets last month. Still, the festival may be the only time it screens in Arizona.
"Miss Bala" is the latest effort by director Gerardo Naranjo. "He's probably one of the hottest Mexican directors working now," Westover said. "I think he's the next one to break through and work at an international level."
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This year's festival has a special focus on Mexico's women directors. Half the feature-length films, and all of the shorts, are directed by women. Several plan to attend Cine Mexico.
"There's been this sort of rise of women directors in Mexico, and I want to hear from them on why they think that is," Westover said.
Cine Mexico is one of only two festivals outside of Mexico that focus exclusively on Mexican film.
All of the films are in Spanish with English subtitles. And all of the screenings are free.
The festival is presented by the Hanson Film Institute and the Consulate of Mexico in Tucson, in association with New York-based Cinema Tropical and the Ambulante Documentary Film Festival based in Mexico.
Tucson Cine Mexico
Today
• 7 p.m. - "Perdida" ("Lost in Time") at Harkins Spectrum, 5455 S. Calle Santa Cruz, with director Viviana Garcia Besne and producer Alstair Temps.
Friday
• 5 p.m. - "Shorts Program: Directed by Women," films only, at Harkins Spectrum.
• 7 p.m. - "Miss Bala" at the Fox Tucson Theatre, 17 W. Congress St., introduced by Julian Levin of the Mexican production company Canana Films.
Saturday
• 2 p.m. - "La Maleta Mexicana" ("The Mexican Suitcase"), with director Trisha Ziff.
• 5 p.m. - "Paraisos Artificiales" at Harkins, with director Yulene Olaizola.
• 7 p.m. - "Shorts Program: Directed By Women," with a conversation with Carlos Gutierrez, director of Cinema Tropical; Ambulante's Elena Fortes, and directors Yareli Arizmendi, Viviana Besne, Trisha Ziff and Yulene Olaizola. At the Tucson Museum of Art, 140 N. Main Ave.
• 8 p.m. - "Acorazado" at Harkins.
Sunday
• 3 p.m. - "El Velador" ("The Night Watchman") at Harkins.
• 6 p.m. - "Hidalgo: La Historia Jamas Contada" ("Hildalgo, The Untold Story"), an epic starring the Oscar-nominated Demián Bichir ("Che," "A Better Life," and "Weeds") and Ana de la Reguera ("Nacho Libre," "Cowboys and Aliens"). This will show on Harkins' largest screen, seating 400.
More about the films at tucsoncinemexico.org
