This November 2021, Los Cabos will give you the opportunity to experience an amazing celebration filled with magic and dreams. Each year, Los Cabos hosts an International Film Festival where thousands of people from around the world gather to celebrate cinema and its brilliant creators. This year, the 10th annual Los Cabos International Film Festival takes place from November 10th to the 17th. During this week, the city will gather the most talented filmmakers from Mexico, United States, and Canada, as well as from different corners in the world, not just to showcase their work in front of an audience filled with filmmakers, industry experts, performers, and film aficionados, but to network at a variety of exclusive galas and parties and to exchange ideas and opinions about one of the most beautiful forms of art. The Los Cabos International Film Festival is the perfect space to express yourself in a city full of joy, art, and wonderfully warm weather! Cabo is one of Mexico’s most visited destinations by North Americans, making it the perfect location for the festival.
The Los Cabos International Film Festival was founded in 2012 by a group of Mexican and American filmmakers with the purpose of unifying the North American film culture and promoting the North American cultural commercial trade in one unique festival that celebrates each one’s cinematic vision.
The festival has grown a lot in since its establishment in every possible way: its importance, the number of attendees, and the size of the festival itself. Going from 5,000 guests in the festival’s first year to around 17,000 attendees in the last editions of the Los Cabos International Film Festival, each year attracting even more renowned film industry names.
The Screenings
There is a full screening schedule throughout the Los Cabos Film Festival. All the festival programming is free and online, which you can view here: https://en.cabosfilmfestival.com/programasyhorarios.
The Los Cabos International Film Festival offers different screening experiences depending on your current mood, starting with the option of catching a screening at one of the most luxurious theaters in town while having a custom-made cocktail. That is just the beginning of a full week of unique presentations. If you are digging the Cabo vibe, if you feel relaxed and are looking to chill, the festival hosts the Theater at the Beach, this environmental initiative is a screening looking to immerse spectators into a full Cabo experience at Medano Beach, Mexico’s most beautiful beach.
If you prefer mystery and suspense, the After Dark section features horror, sci-fi, and thriller films late at night with a selection of amazing independent movies that will cause shivers down your spine.
Cine Para Todos or “Films for Everyone” is an open-air film screening taking place at different public squares throughout Cabo, the best part is that it is completely free with the purpose of promoting the film culture with the local public, giving them a chance to have encounters with the performers and filmmakers of the films they just watched.
The Contests
The film festival never rests throughout its three week-long run, it is filled with galas and awards. The Los Cabos Film Festival honors the best films and filmmakers in different categories in a series of competitions, but overall, they are separated into two main contests.
Competencia Los Cabos
Competencia Los Cabos or “Los Cabos Competition” accepts entries from Mexico, USA, and Canada, where each one of the selected films is screened and judged by a panel of industry experts. This competition promotes diversity and collaboration between the American cultural commercial partners.
In 2020, the Official Selection winner of this award was Never Rarely Sometimes Always by Eliza Hittman.
Mexico Primero
This section celebrates local films and filmmakers, promoting Mexican independent films and studio cinema, since the Los Cabos International Film Festival features many world premieres of Mexican films and some international films.
The greatest judge in the prestigious panel is YOU! One of the many awards given at the Los Cabos International Film Festival is an audience choice award. Many filmmakers consider this category the best one since their films are made for the audience’s enjoyment.
The Fun Goes Beyond the Screen
The Los Cabos International Film Festival offers a great variety of activities to give you the chance to celebrate our connection to storytelling in different ways. Some of them are the galas and the parties, but also unique panels, pitch sessions, keynote speakers, a meet mart, master classes, and the Film Critics contest.
The VIP Galas
This particular festival is a great way to network with some of the top industry professionals. The setting is perfect, it mixes the magic of movies and the magic of the Mexican coast through a variety of amazing daily galas and parties organized by the festival, but the opening and closing nights feature the two most glamorous cocktail parties of the Los Cabos Film Festival. The number of renowned attendees at the galas is impressive; Los Cabos meets Hollywood in the exciting galas hosted by the festival.
In any of the mixers, you will be able to mingle with stars, writers, producers, and all kinds of industry members. Whether you are a filmmaker or a movie aficionado, that’s one of the most amazing experiences you may have. Who knows… maybe you’ll even find film funding for your next movie!
When one of the most beautiful destinations hosts a forum through this festival that gathers so many people from USA, Canada, and Mexico, the fun never stops. It is common that the nights when the festival is not hosting a party, the attendees gather at the local bars and restaurants to keep sharing stories and to expand the collaboration between Mexican cinema and other countries.
Past Editions
Many filmmakers choose Baja International Film Festival to promote their stories, in 2012 the festival screened the Oscar-nominated film “NO”, starring Gael Garcia Bernal and directed by Pablo Larraín. Also, Rise of the Guardians by Paramount Pictures was a film included in the festival’s catalogue. The same year welcomed acclaimed personalities such as Edward Norton, Matt Dillon, Melissa Lo, and Octavia Spencer, all of them were award recipients. All of that was just on the first edition of the festival! Since then, the guests and personalities visiting Cabo San Lucas for the festival has increased. Top names such as Diego Luna, Guillermo Arriaga, Reese Witherspoon, Jared Leto, and Ewan McGregor, were all among them. The 6th edition saw the beginning of expanded workshops and parties. That year, renowned actress Nicole Kidman was the recipient of the 2018 Los Cabos International Film Festival Outstanding Work in Cinema tribute award.
If you are a filmmaker with a film you want to showcase, you’re still in time to submit your film through cabosfilmfestival.com! If you’re a movie lover that wouldn’t want to miss out on the festival, you’re also in time to plan your trip to Cabo in November to experience the celebration of the magic of movies!
