Tonight, the long-awaited Morelia International Film Festival 2013 kicks off with several simultaneous 3D screenings of Alfonso Cuarón's first film in seven years! Yes, I'm talking about the universally acclaimed space movie Gravity, starring Sandra Bullock and George Clooney. All tickets for Gravity are already sold out, but today it opens in the rest of Mexico as well.
I'm getting ready to make my very first trip to Morelia and cover for ScreenAnarchy as many films and events as possible. It's going to an insane week, with brand new Mexican cinema, a strong presence of Cannes 2013 films (including a Critics' Week selection), the Mexican premiere of highly anticipated auteur works, and the visit of Cuarón himself, Robert Rodriguez, Danny Trejo, Bruno Dumont and (guest of honor) Alejandro Jodorowsky.
If you're going to Morelia, ScreenAnarchy has ready for you a terrific list that for sure will make the trip worthwhile. You can find ScreenAnarchy's 10 picks for Morelia 2013 in the gallery below!
Blue Is The Warmest Color October 19 (3:45 PM), 24 (11:30 AM) & 26 (6:15 PM)
Morelia usually premieres in Mexico the Palme d’Or winner and this year won’t be different. Based on Julie Maroh’s graphic novel, Abdellatif Kechiche’s Blue Is The Warmest Color is obviously a must-see in Morelia!
The first screening is sold out but you can still book tickets for the other two.
Blue Jasmine October 19 (9:15 PM), 22 (3:45 PM) & 24 (9:15 PM)
I'm aware Woody Allen’s Blue Jasmine gets wide distribution in Mexico next month, but I love Allen and watch each and every one of his movies as soon as possible. Also, To Rome with Love was for me incredibly disappointing, so I’m genuinely excited with all the great feedback Blue Jasmine has been receiving. The October 19 screening is sold out, but you can book tickets for the others.
Inside Llewyn Davis October 19 (7:15 PM), 22 (12 PM) & 26 (10 PM)
Joel and Ethan Coen’s new film… enough said. Book tickets here (first screening already sold out).
Like Father, Like Son October 19 (11 AM), 24 (2 PM) & 25 (1:15 PM)
Dusting Chang said Like Father, Like Son is one of the year’s best, and it won the Jury Prize at Cannes 2013.
Our Heroes Are Dead Tonight October 19 (4:20 PM) & 25 (11:30 AM)
Brian Clark’s ScreenAnarchy review for Our Heroes Are Dead Tonight has a killer title: “The Agony, Ecstasy of Masked Wrestling Gets Film Noir Treatment”. Plus, the picture above is amazing, right?
The Act of Killing October 21 (2:15 PM)
My first Morelia schedule draft leaved out Joshua Oppenheimer’s documentary The Act of Killing, thinking the Blu-Ray is available next month (November 19). Then I reconsidered: I already missed it in Mexico City (at FICUNAM and CCC’s Escenarios) and this might be the final chance to watch on the big screen one of the best reviewed and most awarded films of year, not to mention praised and supported by masters Werner Herzog and Errol Morris. I now have my tickets booked and you can do the same here.
Don't forget to read Jason Gorber's ScreenAnarchy review.
The Dance of Reality October 23 (9:15 PM & 11:59 PM), 24 (10:10 PM) & 26 (1 PM)
Morelia is offering the Mexican premiere of Alejandro Jodorowsky’s first film in 23 years with the director in person. Bad news is that the October 23 screenings are sold out, still you can book for the others and/or the Jodorowsky retrospective with El Topo, Fando and Lis, The Holy Mountain and Santa Sangre. Morelia will try to have Jodorowsky in every showing.
The Grandmaster October 19 (4 PM), 20 (1:20 PM) & 24 (2:15 PM)
The best news is that Morelia screens the Hong Kong 130-minute version of Wong Kar Wai’s newest!
The Selfish Giant October 24 (1:15 PM) & 25 (11 AM)
Winner of the Special Jury Prize for Best European Film at the Cannes 2013 Director’s Fortnight, this British film “evokes the energy, and the attention to cultural detail, of Ken Loach's early work”, according to TIFF. Just see the picture above and, indeed, it looks in the vein of Kes, an all-time favorite of mine.
Morelia offers with the same ticket both The Selfish Giant and the 20-minute British short L’Assenza, which has an interesting synopsis: “A man becomes obsessed with his double in an Italian film of 1961. In the tradition of supernatural tales of possession, here the protagonist is possessed by an Italian art film. This is a film about the fascination that cinema exerts on us —a fascination implicitly narcissistic, morbid and dangerous.”
The Spirit of ‘45 October 22 (9:45 PM) & 23 (11:15 AM)
Speaking of the great Ken Loach, his new documentary comes without any buzz and I suggest giving it a shot. While not a big connoisseur of Loach’s work, I love Kes, like I said, and the more recent Looking for Eric too. Here’s the festival’s official synopsis for The Spirit of ‘45:
“A documentary about the spirit of unity, which buoyed Britain during the war years and carried through to create a vision of a fairer, united society.”