Literary and cinematic dystopias often tell us without a doubt that machines and artificial intelligence are predisposed to replace humanity and eventually cause its demise. Thus, the innate fear that human beings profess in the face of such technological advances is not an unusual fear but originates from a survival instinct that has slowly seeped into our unconscious given the media oversaturation.
Now that this imaginary is part of our lives and is advancing at an increasing pace, there are two options: to fear the unknown or to learn everything about it to use it as a complementary tool. The second option is the one that Sara Hoch vote and implement in the #26 Edition of the Guanajuato Film Festival.
The controversy is faced by taking the bull by the horns and so the Festival Director decided to use AI for absolutely the entire event: The graphic design of the official poster, the festival announcement video, the voice-overs that appear in it and even the very outfits that Sara will wear have been generated through AI.
If there is one thing that has consistently characterized GIFF, it is that they are not afraid to face changes and prefer to join them before it is too late. This is famously the case when they began to accept digital formats in their calls or when the pandemic was booming, holding the festival in a completely digital way allowed its prevalence and strengthening.
Pioneers, unapologetic and brave as we know them, the Guanajuato Film Festival will be held this 2023 from July 20 to 31 in 3 cities: León, Irapuato and of course, San Miguel de Allende.
In our country, they will be presented from 24 to 27 July in several venues, the main one being the El Nigromante Cultural Centre. Here we can expect the screening of the opening film Smoke Sauna Sisterhood by Anna Hints, which is about the Estonian tradition of steam baths.
Diversity will continue to be fundamental in the festival's selection, with a selection aimed at children as well as a selection focused on erotic cinema.
As a festival directed by a woman, GIFF reaffirms its support for women in the film industry with the Women in Film Showcase highlighting “Las Abogadas: Attorneys on the Front Line of Migrant Crisis” which tells the story of 4 women dedicated to the legal defense of refugees directed by the American Victoria Bruce as well as “Resistencia Rotular” the short documentary in which Pamela Fink's vision portrays the imminent danger of extinction that the popular Mexican graphic identity is going through due to the imposition of the work of the government that will be broadcast on June 27 at the Santa Anita Theater.
Another particularity of the festival worth highlighting is that El Taller del Chucho a través del tiempo will be presented in the 3 cities where you can admire the creations of characters and sets by Guillermo del Toro's team from Guadalajara for the creation of his award-winning Pinocchio.
Among those honored for their enormous career at the festival are the outstanding producer Tita Lombardo (Amores Perros, Babel, On The Road), the actress Arcelia Ramírez (Guten Tag Ramón, La Civil, Cilantro y Perejil) and the director Luis Estrada (El Infierno, La Ley de Herodes, La Dictadura Perfecta).
International guest Joan Baez is expected to premiere her autobiographical documentary Joan Baez: I am Noise.
The guest country on this occasion is Switzerland, with whom it is planned to strengthen working ties in order to make co-productions and overcome the stereotypical image that the European country stands out only for its Alps, but also for its multicultural nature.
They also plan to hold a university rally where students will have just 48 hours to create a short film and compete among their peers to demonstrate in practice what they have learned throughout the year.
Another of the conferences that will take place exclusively in San Miguel will be given by cinematographer Stephen Goldblatt, whose lens stands out for having photographed films such as Closer, The Help and The Hunger.
So, cinephiles, the time to get on board with the future is now and we cannot think of a better opportunity to see this creative duo between humanity and the artificial demonstrated with this festival that promises to bring the future to our screens.
