Within the framework of the activities of the FIC Monterrey 2017, Cinépolis Nuevo León Cinema Gala was held in Cinépolis Las Americas, where 9 short films by state filmmakers were screened. These were: A ticket, s’il vous plait, Refill, El hombre bueno, Pasajero, Goldfish, Lo muerto, Contra natura, Ese último segundo and Quiero hablar contigo.
Before the screening, Narce Ruiz, Programming Director at FIC Monterrey, welcomed the audience, and emphasized that this year marks the tenth anniversary of this competition. She also explained that over time, the filmmakers have improved the quality of their work: «We have seen an evolution, a management of the technique that was not previously seen, is becoming stronger», she explained.
Subsequently, the directors of each short film received recognition for their participation, and each briefly presented the theme of their film to the audience.
José Luis Solís, director of El hombre bueno, emphasized that an important element in his film is the northerner landscape: «It is a story that I always wanted to tell about the north, the landscape and aesthetics of the north. It was a story that my father told me from an early age and I wrote it”, he explained.
Another theme that the filmmakers approached in Monterrey was sexual orientation, which has not been sufficiently addressed in Mexico, according to director Rodrigo Martín. In his short film Goldfish he tells the story of a young man struggling to accept his bisexuality. In this respect, the director mentioned: «It is a short film that talks about this person who struggles to accept his bisexuality, in many countries of Europe is already normal and the subject has circulated a lot, but in Nuevo Leon there is an audience that seeks to see themselves on the screen. We want to believe that our short will move them.»
The nine short films are part of the Official Selection of FIC Monterrey 2017, and will compete in the categories of Best Mexican Short Film and Best Short Film in Nuevo Leon. The awards will be given at the Awards Ceremony on Wednesday, August 30th, at the Theater of the Center of the Arts.