Guanajuato International Film Festival (Festival Internacional de Cine Guanajuato)

Guanajuato International Film Festival

Festival Internacional de Cine Guanajuato

Also known as: GIFF
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Free public screenings and intensive filmmaker training shape the Guanajuato International Film Festival (GIFF) in Mexico. The festival dates back to 1998 and presents Mexican and international shorts and features across fiction, documentary, animation, experimental cinema and virtual reality. Its programmes extend to horror screenings in cemeteries through Cine entre Muertos, immersive technologies in Epicentro, and children’s cinema in Niños en Acción. The university Rally challenges student teams to make a short film in 48 hours, while Identidad y Pertenencia supports documentary production rooted in Guanajuato.

The 2026 edition runs from 24 July to 2 August: Guanajuato Capital hosts the programme on 24–28 July, followed by San Miguel de Allende on 29 July–2 August. Industry activities include project mentoring through the GIFF Incubator.

Country

Mexico

Categories

Animation, Documentary, Experimental, Feature, Short, Student, Virtual Reality

Awards and prizes

International juries grant prizes and recognitions in the competitive categories. Awards may include trophies, cash, equipment and in-kind services from festival partners, including post-production and distribution support.

Festival rules

The 2026 call accepts short films up to 30 minutes including credits and features longer than 45 minutes, completed after 1 January 2025. Entries are submitted through FilmFreeway with a digital screener and an electronic press kit. Screeners must be in Spanish or English, or subtitled in either language. Music videos, commercials and political propaganda are excluded. Selected films must supply the required Spanish and English subtitles; separate technical requirements apply to virtual reality works. Feature films must not have secured theatrical distribution in Mexico. Consult the official call for the complete conditions.

Contacts

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