Chilean filmmaker Juan Pablo Sallato’s black-and-white fiction feature debut “Red Hangar” made a significant impact at the 41st Guadalajara Film Festival (FICG). The film, which explores previously hidden details of the military coup that removed President Salvador Allende from power in Chile, swept all categories in the Ibero-American section.
In the Best Performance category, Nicolás Zárate, the lead actor in “Red Hangar,” shared the award with María Magdalena Sanizo for her role in “The Condor Daughter.”
At the festival’s closing ceremony on Saturday, April 25, Zárate emphasized the importance of reflecting on history to create a better future, particularly in times when fascism is on the rise.
The Red Hangar Courtesy of Villano Prods.
In the Premio Mezcal section, which highlights Mexican films, “Querida Fátima” stood out by winning the awards for best film, director, and audience choice. The documentary addresses the ongoing issue of feminicide in Mexico, spotlighting the story of 12-year-old victim Fatima and her mother Lorena Gutiérrez’s appeal to President Claudia Sheinbaum. Gutiérrez noted, “Justice is built through listening. For so long, no one listened to us—until now.”
Elena Vilardell, the technical and executive secretary of Ibermedia, was honored with an industry tribute for her dedication to promoting collaboration among Ibero-American countries.
Reflecting on her career, Vilardell stated, “All the good things that have happened in my program over more than 28 years have happened in Guadalajara… The program was born here.”
FICG Board President Guillermo Arturo Gómez presented an international tribute to “Black Swan” director Darren Aronofsky. Aronofsky, expressing his admiration for Mexico, described it as his preferred destination. He remarked on the importance of storytelling, calling it “humanity’s original technology” and a crucial element that makes us better. He expressed gratitude for the reminder to continue creating.
The festival concluded with the screening of Chilean director Maite Alberdi’s docu-fiction hybrid “A Child of My Own.” Set in Mexico, the film follows Alejandra, a woman who pretends to be pregnant, leading to a psychological and social crisis that becomes a media sensation.
Alberdi shared her reaction to the story, saying, “When I first heard this story, I could hardly believe it. Reality can be more astonishing than fiction.”
The 41st Guadalajara Film Festival was held from April 17 to 25.
FICG Industry Spreads the Largesse
The centerpiece of the industry section, Guadalajara Construye, awarded five prizes to the Argentine-Spain co-production “Poor Daniel,” ensuring its completion. Directed by Argentine actor and playwright Santiago Gobernori, who adapted his own stage play, the film explores the upheaval in a couple’s life when the woman’s brother returns from a psychiatric clinic.
The 22nd Co-Production Meeting, showcasing projects in development from Latin America and Spain, distributed numerous awards in kind. Genre drama “The Whisperer” (“La Susurradora”), directed by Ale García and Carla Sierra, received two major awards. “The Other Side” from Colombia’s Rhayuela Films, which premiered Jaime Osorio’s “The Awakening” at the festival, also claimed two significant prizes.
The focus on horror-themed projects highlights the growing interest in genre films in Mexico and Latin America. The Colombian-French co-production “Name and Surname” from Franco Lolli’s Evidencia Films, a producer of Cannes-selected “La Perra,” received the largest award from BDC Prods, valued at $350,000, covering pre-production, production, and post-production costs.
Iberfest Launches
Aiming to enhance cooperation among themselves, 11 Ibero-American film festivals, including Guadalajara, Chile’s Sanfic, Malaga, Lima, Rio, Buenos Aires, São Paulo, Morelia, Havana, and Bogota, launched Iberfest at FICG. Bogota’s Andres Bayona stated that this initiative will improve communication among festivals, potentially leading to the sharing of costs, equipment, and materials whenever possible.
Malaga’s Juan Antonio Vigar commented, “This breaks an urban myth that says festivals compete with each other. It’s true that we all want the best programming, but for some time now we’ve learned that collaboration and the meeting of shared intentions always allow us to go further in achieving our goals. Unity makes strength.”
©FICG / Ana Cristina Rodrígue
Chile Brings Out the Big Guns
Chile took center stage as the Country of Honor at FICG, featuring panels, tributes, masterclasses, and celebrations. Among nearly 100 delegates were filmmakers Pablo Larrain, Sebastian Lelio, and Maite Alberdi, along with Daniel Laguna, executive secretary of Chile’s Audiovisual Development Fund. Discussions on revitalizing Mexican-Chilean co-productions were also held. A festival highlight was a Masterclass by Fabula’s Pablo and Juan de Dios Larrain, moderated by Netflix’s Francisco Ramos, VP of Latin American Content.
“I Was Told: ‘Ballet Fans Don’t Like Horror and Horror Fans Don’t Like Ballet,’” Said Darren Aronofsky About “Black Swan”
Darren Aronofsky captivated a large audience at his Masterclass with stories and advice about the challenges of creating his acclaimed films “The Wrestler,” “The Whale,” and “Black Swan.” He recounted the decade-long search to cast “The Whale,” ultimately selecting Brendan Fraser for the Oscar-winning role. Despite success with “The Wrestler,” Aronofsky faced difficulty securing funding for “Black Swan.” He shared a film executive’s comment, “Ballet fans don’t like horror and horror fans don’t like ballet.” Nevertheless, the film earned Natalie Portman an Oscar and four other nominations. The session ended with Aronofsky and moderator Gonzalo Lira leading an audience jump, creating one of the festival’s most memorable images.
Film Incentives in Mexico, Portugal, and Spain
During a panel on film incentives in Spain, Mexico, and Portugal, industry leaders discussed funding opportunities and co-production avenues. Portugal’s combination of national funds and rebates, Spain’s support throughout the filmmaking process focusing on emerging female directors, and Mexico’s new incentives program, offering up to a 30% tax credit, were highlighted. Filma Jalisco’s cash rebate was also noted for attracting foreign shoots. These incentives not only provide financial support but also foster international collaboration, with co-productions serving as a creative force for culturally resonant storytelling across borders.
LATAM Screenings Unveiled
Addressing the persistent issue of theatrical distribution in Latin America, a new regional release initiative for Latin American cinema was introduced at the festival. Led by producer and distributor Guillermo Blanco, the initiative plans to coordinate releases across the region, with four films being shown consecutively, one per week, in each country, following a touring model. Blanco explained, “the same four titles will move from one territory to the next, replicating their theatrical release in each market, with a standard two-week run per film.” The initiative will begin with the heist thriller “Abracadáver” by Mexico’s Pancho Rodríguez, which was screened during the festival’s opening weekend, marked by a tribute to the director who passed away in November 2025.
FICG 2026 Winners:
Mezcal Award
Best Mexican Feature Film: “Querida Fátima,” Lorena Gutiérrez, Su Kim, Jesús Quintana Vega, Rodrigo Reyes and Dawn Valadez
Best Direction: “Querida Fátima,” Lorena Gutiérrez Rangel, Su Kim, Jesús Quintana Vega, Rodrigo Reyes and Dawn Valadez
Best Cinematography: Diego Tenorio for “City of the Dead” (“Ciudad de muertos”)
Best Performance: Oustin de León for “I Am Mario” (“Soy Mario”)
Audience Award: “Querida Fátima” by Lorena Gutiérrez Rangel, Su Kim, Jesús Quintana Vega, Rodrigo Reyes and Dawn Valadez
Youth Jury Award: “La misma sangre,” Ángel Ricardo Linares Colmenares
Ibero-American Fiction Feature Film
Best Ibero-American Fiction Film: “Red Hangar,” (“Hangar rojo”)
Special Mention: “Nunkui,” Verenice Benítez
Best Debut Feature: “Barrio triste,” Stillz
Best Cinematography:”Red Hangar”
Best Direction: Juan Pablo Sallato for “Red Hangar”
Best Screenplay: Luis Emilio Guzmán for “Red Hangar”
Best Performance: Ex aequo Nicolás Zárate for “Red Hangar” and María Magdalena Sanizo for “The Condor Daughter”
Ibero-American Documentary Feature Film
Best Ibero-American Documentary: “Scarlet Girls” (“Niñas escarlata”), Paula Cury
Special Mention: “Flowers for Antonio” (“Flores para Antonio”), Elena Molina and Isaki Lacuesta
Best Direction: “Scarlet Girls” (“Niñas escarlata”), Paula Cury
Best Cinematography: “The Fabulous Time Machine” (“A fabulosa máquina do tempo”) Eliza Capai (Brazil)
Maguey Award
Best Film: “Feito pipa,” Allan Everton
Honorable Mention: “Our Body is a Star that Expands” (“Nuestro cuerpo es una estrella que se expande”) Semillites Hernández Velasco, Tania Hernández Velasco
Jury Maguey Award: “I Am Mario” (“Soy Mario”), Sharon Kleinberg
Best Performance: Yuri Gomes and Teca Pereira for “Feito pipa”
International Animated Feature Film
Best Animated Feature: “Coração das trevas,” Rogério Nunes
Made in Jalisco
Best Jaliscan Feature Film: “El círculo de los mentirosos,” Nancy Cruz Orozco
Best Jaliscan Short Film: “Mi lugar favorito,” Alejandro Hidrogo Arechiga, Luis Zamarroni, Mariana Salazar and Sergio Campestre
Socio-Environmental Film Award
Best Socio-Environmental Film: “Black Water,” Natxo Leuza
Genre Cinema
Best Film: “Alpha,” Julia Ducournau
Special Mentions: “Motherwitch,” Minos Papas; “Hablando con extraños,” Adrián García Bogliano
Ibero-American Short Film
Best Short Film: “Tres,” Juan Ignacio Ceballos
Honorable Mention: “Replikka,” Piratá Waurá and Heloisa Passos
Rigo Mora Award
Best Animated Short Film: “Una vez en un Cuerpo,” María Cristina Pérez González
Honorable Mention: “El fantasma de la quinta,” James A. Castillo
FEISAL
Best Film: “Oca,” Karla Badillo
FIPRESCI
Best Film: “Aquí se escucha el silencio,” Gabriela Pena and Picho García
