Thursday, October 16, 2014

Getting the Most out of Morelia's Film Fest

With each passing year, El Festival Internacional de Morelia (FICM) grows in reputation and Twitter followers.  Here are some insider tips to get the most out of Morelia’s Film Fest (October 17th to the 26th).

Tickets, tickets, tickets
There are several ways to get tickets, directly online at Morelia's Film Fest's official site,  Cinepolis Centro or Plaza Las Americas.  You can buy a cinebono: 4 tickets for $140MXN at Centro and Las Americas but you still have to exchange each ticket for a ticket to the particular film you want to see.  There are also free screenings, the first slated on the program is Roberto Galvadon's 1947 La Diosa Arrodillada in Plaza Benito Juarez. Events programmed in Patzcuaro, a real gem in Michoacan's repertoire of colonial towns, also appear on the festival's official website.
Cinepolis Centro FICM 2013

"The Most"
Time to spare before the film starts? Want to run casually into or rub elbows with actors, directors, producers, glitterati inc. who are also at FICM? Make sure you hangout downtown, past party venues have included La Casa Grande, defunct restaurant La Conspiracion, and Palacio de Gobierno, where this year's inaugural party is most likely to take place. 

Past party sites and celebrity sightings include local hot spots like Tata Mezcaleria (rumors have that Tata has already been reserved for several production parties), El Abrevadero, SAK and La Monina (usefully located across the street from Cinepolis Centro), El Jardin de las Rosas, Los Portales where you can find one of Morelia's most talked about restaurants, Lu, located in Hotel Casino. 

Last year I ran into Alfonso Cuaron at Casa Grande. Visit its sister business, Trico, a delicatessen/restaurant,  for coffee, desert, tasty food or a drink at the sidewalk cafe
El Abrevadero (watering trough) is where you can find several of Morelia's bars, cantinas, eateries and night clubs

However,  the best answer I've heard so far as to how to get the most out of FICM came from a local resident and former FICM collaborator (who shall remain anonymous).  How can you get the most out of Morelia's Film Fest? "See all the films you can.

Which film did you enjoy seeing the most? Who did you run into at FICM? Share your comments here below.

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