TIFF to Celebrate History of Mexican Cinema with Guest Co-Curator Guillermo Del Toro

Following the remarkable success that contemporary Mexican filmmakers have had at the Toronto International Film Festival, the organization is pleased to announce that TIFF Cinematheque is celebrating the nation’s rich cinematic history with a unique retrospective co-curated by Academy Award–winning director Guillermo del Toro and Diana Sanchez, TIFF’s International Programmer for Spain, Latin America, and the Caribbean.

Sui generis: An Alternative History of Mexican Cinema offers a unique overview of Mexican cinema spanning six decades, from the Golden Age of the 1930s and ’40s to the brink of its contemporary renaissance in the 1990s. The series comprises 25 films — including a number of rare and archival prints — and features introductions by Sanchez and special guests Arturo Ripstein and Paz Alicia Garciadiego.

“When the opportunity arose to co-curate a history of Mexican cinema with Guillermo del Toro, I jumped at the chance,” said Sanchez. “We are thrilled to offer Toronto the opportunity to see — on the big screen — the calibre and diversity of works that have been produced in Mexico for decades, and that have clearly influenced the current generation of Mexican masters. We are also pleased to present such a distinctive retrospective, filled with hidden gems and classic titles alike.”

“The series not just explores some of the films that most influenced myself and the current generation of filmmakers working today in Mexico, but it also reflects the depth and the richness of my country’s cinema: genre, auteurist efforts, and independent film,” said del Toro. “Many of the films we present are by filmmakers who are unafraid to play with themes, with social mores, with genre-bending stories. It speaks to a diversity and idiosyncrasy that is uniquely Mexican"

Sui generis: An Alternative History of Mexican Cinema runs from February 28 to April 6, 2019 at TIFF Bell Lightbox, on the heels of the theatrical run of Alfonso Cuarón’s ROMA, which screened in 4K Dolby Atmos to packed houses during the film’s opening weekend.

The programme is made possible thanks to the generous support of Tequila Tromba.

The full TIFF Bell Lightbox Winter 2019 lineup, including this series, will be available at tiff.net on December 5.

Tickets go on sale for TIFF Members on December 5, and to the general public on December 12.

TIFF prefers Visa.

About TIFF

TIFF is a charitable cultural organization whose mission is to transform the way people see the world through film. An international leader in film culture, TIFF projects include the annual Toronto International Film Festival in September; TIFF Bell Lightbox, which features five cinemas, major exhibitions, and learning and entertainment facilities; and innovative national distribution program Film Circuit. The organization generates an annual economic impact of $189 million CAD. TIFF Bell Lightbox is generously supported by contributors including Founding Sponsor Bell, the Province of Ontario, the Government of Canada, the City of Toronto, the Reitman family (Ivan Reitman, Agi Mandel and Susan Michaels), The Daniels Corporation and RBC. For more information, visit tiff.net.

TIFF is generously supported by Lead Sponsor Bell, Major Sponsors RBC, L’Oréal Paris, and Visa, and Major Supporters the Government of Canada, the Government of Ontario, and the City of Toronto.

TIFF Cinematheque is generously supported by the Ontario Creates and Canada Council for the Arts.