Mexico announces films vying for Oscar and Goya representation

The Mexican Academy of Cinematographic Arts and Sciences (AMACC) has unveiled a list of seventeen films that will compete to represent Mexico at the upcoming Academy Awards and Goya Awards. The announcement on Monday marks a crucial step in the selection process for international recognition.

Among the prominent contenders is 'Cenizas en la boca,' an adaptation of Brenda Navarro's novel directed by Diego Luna. Also generating buzz is 'Moscas,' by Fernando Eimbcke, which garnered attention at the Berlinale and won the Ecumenical Jury Prize at its 76th edition. David Pablos's 'En el camino,' a film that recently led nominations for the Ariel Awards and gained international acclaim at the Venice Film Festival, where it won best film in the Horizons section, is another strong candidate.

The diverse selection includes Gael García Bernal's third directorial effort, ‘Hombre al agua,’ and Joaquín del Paso's ‘El jardín que soñamos,’ which debuted at the Berlinale and later received an award for best Ibero-American film at the Málaga Festival. Other notable films include ‘La reserva,’ a past winner at the Morelia International Film Festival (FICM), and entries from directors like Jonás Cuarón, son of Alfonso Cuarón, with ‘Campeón Gabacho.’

Ernesto Martínez Bucio's ‘El diablo fuma (y guarda las cabezas de los cerillos quemados en la misma caja)’ is also in contention, having recently secured eight nominations at the Ariel Awards and winning best first feature at the Berlin International Film Festival. Notably, only three of the seventeen registered feature films are directed by women: Karla Badillo's 'Oca,' Fernanda Tovar's 'Chicas tristes,' and Maite Alberdi's 'Un hijo propio,' a co-production between Mexico and Chile. The horror genre is represented by Emilio Portes's 'No dejes a los niños solos.'