MACABRO FICH PRESENTS THE OFFICIAL PROGRAMMING FOR THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY

MACABRO solidifies its position as the most important horror film festival in the country
More than 130 films will be screened, including 24 national premieres and 6 world premieres
29 Mexican films and 25 countries are participating
Macabro LAB presents a rich selection of filmmaker training programs
More than 30 national and international guests
MACABRO FICH will take place from August 12 to 23 of this year

Mexico City.- Solidifying itself as the pioneer festival in the promotion of horror and fantasy cinema in Mexico, the Mexico City International Horror Film Festival, MACABRO, presents the activities for the celebration of the event's 25th anniversary, which will take place from August 12 to 23 of this year across 20 physical venues and one digital platform.

Throughout its history, MACABRO FICH has been fundamental in paving the way for Latin American genre cinema, providing it with an unprecedented projection platform. Its relevance also lies in its drive for the recognition of various key figures within the horror film industry. Likewise, as part of the event's programming achievements, these two and a half decades have seen the decentralization and democratization of access to films that previously found no place in traditional theaters.

In this way, MACABRO FICH has become an indispensable and fundamental pillar that transforms the audiovisual landscape, connecting creators with audiences and redefining horror culture in Mexico.

For this edition, a total of 137 films will be screened: 53 feature films, 24 national premieres, 2 Latin American/North American premieres, 6 world premieres, 84 short films, 29 Mexican films, 7 allied institutions, and 25 participating countries.

For these reasons and many more surprises, MACABRO FICH hereby presents its official programming for its 25th anniversary celebration:

INTERNATIONAL HORROR FEATURE FILM SELECTION

Adorable Humans (Denmark, 2025)

Direction: Anders Jon, Michael Kunov, Kasper Juhl, Michael Panduro

Camp (Canada, 2025)

Direction: Avalon Fast

Corporate Retreat (United States, 2026) Mexico Premiere

Direction: Aaron Fisher

Dead Eyes (Australia, 2026) Mexico Premiere

Direction: Richard E. Williams

Frankie, Maniac Woman (United States, 2025) Mexico Premiere

Direction: Pierre Tsigaridis

Heritage (France, 2026) Latin American Premiere

Direction: Baptist Agostini-Croce

IAI (Japan, 2026) Mexico Premiere

Direction: Zenzo Sakai

Interior (Germany, 2025) Mexico Premiere

Direction: Pascal Schuh

Mag Mag (Japan, 2025) Mexico Premiere

Direction: Yuriyan Retriever

Marama (New Zealand, United Kingdom, 2025)

Direction: Taratoa Stappard

Meat Kills (Netherlands, 2025) Mexico Premiere

Direction: Martijn Smits

The Curse (Japan, 2025) Mexico Premiere

Direction: Kenichi Ugana

The Demonatrix (United States, 2025) Mexico Premiere

Direction: Aurelio Voltaire and Jeff Ferrell

The Fence (Russia, 2025) Latin American Premiere

Direction: Dmitry Davydov

The Ghost Game (South Korea, 2025) Mexico Premiere

Direction: Dong-wan Son

The Red Mask (United States, 2025) Mexico Premiere

Direction: Ritesh Gupta

The Theater is dead (United States, 2025) Mexico Premiere

Direction: Katherine Dudas

IBERO-AMERICAN HORROR FEATURE FILM SELECTION

Amor de madre (Mexico, 2025) Mexican Premiere

Director: Luis Urquiza Mondragón

Basement games (Chile - Germany, 2026) World Premiere

Director: Lucio A. Rojas

Buffet libre (Spain, 2026)

Director: Zoe Berriatúa

Covil (Beyond the nest) (Brazil, 2026) Mexican Premiere

Director: Rodrigo Lages

Encantador (Argentina, 2025) World Premiere

Director: José María Cicala

GAUA (Spain, United States, 2025) Mexican Premiere

Director: Paul Urkijo Alijo

Insecta (United States - Uruguay, 2026) Mexican Premiere

Director: Martín Florio

Laberinto dos Garotos (Brazil, 2025) Mexican Premiere

Director: Matheus Marchetti

La frecuencia Kirlian (Argentina, 2025) Mexican Premiere

Director: Cristian Ponce

Herança de Narcisa (Brazil, 2025)

Director: Clarissa Appelt, Daniel Dias

Historias sobrenaturales (Chile, 2026) Mexican Premiere

Director: Mauricio Corco

Virtuosas (Brazil, 2025) Mexican Premiere

Director: Cíntia Domit Bittar

The Whistler (Venezuela - United States, 2026) Mexican Premiere

Director: Diego Velasco

FANTASY, SCI-FI AND THRILLER FEATURE FILM SELECTION

Casa 12 (Mexico, 2025) Mexico Premiere)

Director: Carlos Poblano Maldonado

GODZILLA EN SANTA FÉ (Argentina, 2025) World Premiere

Director: Alexander Duré

Cuento siniestro (Mexico, 2026) Mexico Premiere

Director: Vadir Sottelo

BagWorm (United States, 2025) World Premiere

Director: Oliver Bernsen

Body Blow (Australia, 2025) Mexico Premiere

Director: Dean Francis

La cosa en la niebla (Spain, 2025) Mexico Premiere

Director: Chedey Reyes

African Kung Fu Nazis II - Bum Bum! (Germany - Ghana - Japan, 2025) Mexico Premiere

Director: Sebastian Stein, Samuel Ninja-Man Nkansah

Armageddon Road (Canada, 2026) Mexico Premiere

Director: Karen Lam

Santa Zeta (Spain, 2025) Mexico Premiere

Director: Antonio Muñoz de Mesa

The Trek (South Africa, 2026)

Director: Meekaaeel Adam

Violence (Canada, 2025) Mexico Premiere

Director: Connor Marsden

Remanente (Brazil, 2026) Mexico Premiere

Director: Kapel Furman

The Arbiter (United Kingdom, 2025) Mexico Premiere

Director: Marc Price

FOCUS: THREE VISIONS OF THE GENRE IN IBERO-AMERICAN CINEMA

Demian Rugna

Director and screenwriter specializing in fantasy and horror cinema. In 2007, he directed his first feature film, based on his short film of the same name, "The Last Gateway", which was chosen as one of the 10 best horror films of 2007 by the website Buried. In 2008, he wrote the original screenplay for "They Want my Eyes". His second film as a director was "Malditos Sean!", co-written and co-directed with Fabián Forte, and released in 2013. His third feature film, "No sabes con quien estas hablando", is a dark comedy that parodies fantasy cinema and behind-the-scenes television.

In 2017, he released his fourth film titled "Aterrados", based on one of his short films called "Tiene Miedo"; and in 2019 he developed the remake of his own film "Aterrados" produced by Guillermo del Toro for Searchlight Pictures, a project that was postponed due to the pandemic. In 2022, the director participated in "Satanic Hispanics", an anthology of horror stories by several Latin American directors, where he premiered "También lo vi", while simultaneously filming "Cuando acecha la Maldad", his fifth feature film which won the Best Film award at the Sitges Film Festival and was chosen as the Best Horror Film of the year by the website Rotten Tomatoes.

Demian Rugna will be in Mexico presenting:

No sabes con quién estás hablando (Argentina, 2016)

Synopsis: Romano and Juan plan the perfect crime: to cause a heart attack in an old gypsy to whom they owe a lot of money. To do this, they devise many stupid strategies that constantly fail and only cause entanglements with the gypsy's mafia family.

Cuando acecha la maldad (Argentina, 2023)

Synopsis: In a remote village, two brothers find a demon-infected man who is about to give birth to the disease itself. They decide to get rid of him, but all they manage to do is spread chaos.

Paul Urkijo Alijo

One of the most brilliant and personal directors of contemporary fantasy and horror cinema in Spain. His passion for Basque mythology, dark folklore, and fantasy narrative completely defines his visual and thematic style. After cutting his teeth in short films with highly awarded titles, he made the leap to feature films in 2017 with Errementari (The Blacksmith and the Devil). This debut film, mentored by Álex de la Iglesia, captivated critics with its astonishing production design and its ability to bring traditional Basque folktales to life.

His definitive breakthrough came in 2022 with Irati, an ambitious historical and fantasy production set in the 8th century. The film not only became a box office hit in the Basque Country, but also garnered five Goya Award nominations and triumphed at the Sitges Film Festival. Urkijo's cinema stands out for its use of the Basque language, an impeccable epic atmosphere, and a deep respect for the legends of his homeland. Currently, he is considered a key filmmaker for understanding the rise of peripheral fantasy and genre cinema with its own identity.

In addition to the presentation of his most recent feature film, Gaua, Paul will present a short film program preceded by the talk MYTHOLOGY, SWORD AND SORCERY IN FANTASY CINEMA WITH PAUL URKIJO and Xabier Uría García from the Caostica Festival, in which they will discuss the creative process of the author who has placed Basque mythology on the international map of fantasy cinema, where there will be no shortage of references and common similarities with Mayan, Mexica, and other indigenous mythologies.

Gigi Saul Guerrero

Acclaimed Mexican-Canadian director, screenwriter, and actress, recognized as a fierce and innovative voice in contemporary horror cinema. Co-founder of Luchagore Productions, she has earned the nickname "La Muñeca del Terror" (The Horror Doll) thanks to her visceral style that intertwines Mexican culture with gore and suspense. She has directed notable projects for major studios, including feature films like Culture Shock (Blumhouse/Hulu) and Bingo Hell (Amazon Studios), as well as episodes for popular television series. Her talent has been celebrated internationally, placing her on prestigious lists such as Variety's Latinx filmmakers to watch. Her work constantly challenges genre conventions by using horror as a powerful tool for social critique and cultural representation.

Gigi will present at Macabro:

Culture Shock (United States, 2019)

Synopsis: A young Mexican woman in search of the American Dream crosses illegally into the United States, only to find herself in an American nightmare. Tenth episode of the horror anthology series Into the Dark

Short Films by Gigi Saul Guerrero

DEAD CROSSING - 6 minutes

LA HORA MARCADA - 38 minutes

EL GIGANTE - 14 minutes

SPLIT DECISION - 4.5 minutes

VHS85 - 21 minutes

MISTRESS OF BONES - 11 minutes

EL LAZO DE PETRA - 11 minutes

MACABRO LAB PRESENTS: TRAINING, INDUSTRY AND REFLECTION

Fear has technique: How to write horror that really works?

Everyone thinks they know what is scary, but very few know how to write it. Horror is not born from a monster or a jump scare: it is built. In this masterclass you will learn the narrative principles that turn an idea into a story capable of unsettling the reader or viewers long after they have left the movie theater or closed the book. An invitation to discover that fear, rather than an instinct, is a craft.

Taught by Sandra Becerril

Considered one of the most important writers and screenwriters of the horror genre in Latin America, nominated for the Ariel 2015 and 2020 for Best Adapted Screenplay, Doctor Honoris Causa by the Ibero-American Congress of Education in Peru, member of the Mexican Academy of Cinematographic Arts and Sciences, member of the Editorial Board of the Directorate of Publications in Coneculta (2021) and of the National System of Creators for film screenwriting, Active member of the Horror Writers Association (Bram Stoker Awards) and president of the LATAM branch; screenwriter for HBO LATAM. The first Latin American screenwriter to write for the masters of horror in Hollywood.

Narrating Fear: Content creators, the new dissemination platform for Mexican horror

At Macabro we recognize the formation of new audiences as a key part to strengthen the interest in horror and science fiction cinema. That is why, in collaboration with specialized content creators, we present the talk "Narrating fear: Content Creators, the new dissemination platform for Mexican Horror", a space for dialogue that invites reflection on the new ways in which audiences discover, consume and share cinema. During the conversation, the role of digital platforms and the research and dissemination work carried out by these creators to spread classic and contemporary horror cinema will be addressed.

PARTICIPANTS:

- Los Horrorama: Dengue & Mike Sandoval

- Miedo Mismo: Andrea Canizales

- Haxan Podcast: Sam Maelstrom

Moderated by Alan Huerta, events and alliances coordinator of Macabro FICH

High-performance workshop: Optimization of cinematographic resources

You don't lack budget, you need a strategy. José Texeira, a filmmaker with two decades of experience and an Academic of the Academy of Cinematographic Arts and Sciences of Spain, reveals the keys to executing high-impact productions with limited resources. Based on the success story of his latest feature film "Un día cualquiera", Texeira demonstrates how a production shot in a single location managed to conquer the Gran Vía in Madrid and be acquired by Prime Video. This session analyzes the roadmap that led this smart-budget film to star in its exclusive premiere at the Capitol Cinemas and its subsequent release in commercial theaters.

Macabróstica Presents: Colors, textures and shapes. Master Class on costume design in fantasy cinema with Nerea Torrijos

Nerea Torrijos has been working in the film world for over a decade. She has created the costumes for all the films by director Paul Urkijo ‘Errementari’ (2017), ‘Irati’ (2023) and ‘Gaua’ (2025), among others. Winner of the Goya in 2021 for Akelarre, she has been nominated several more times for films such as Irati (2023), 20,000 Species of Bees (2024) or Gaua (2026). In 2015 she began her collaboration with director Paul Urkijo, first in his short films and then in all his films. Errementari (2017), best costume design award at FilmQuest Utah USA, Irati (2023) and Gaua (2025). Among her latest works, Karmele (2025) by Asier Altuna and the latest music videos of the Puerto Rican artist RESIDENTE (2025) stand out. With whom in 2024 she won a LATIN GRAMMY for best music video with “313”.

In this masterclass, Nerea Torrijos will explain how work is done in the film world, she will tell what the costume process of a movie is like. She (abre en nueva pestaña) will focus mainly on fantasy genre projects. The (abre en nueva pestaña) talk will cover the look of fantasy through clothing, its textures, colors and shapes. And how costumes build identity, speak about the characters and their narrative arcs.

In 2015 she began her collaboration with director Paul Urkijo, first in his short films and then in all his films. Errementari (2017), best costume design award at FilmQuest Utah USA, Irati (2023) and Gaua (2025).

Presented in collaboration with Caostica

The creation of fantastic worlds: Production design masterclass with Laura Aguerrebehere

Laura Aguerrebehere (La Plata, Argentina, 1982) is an art director and illustrator. She graduated as a Professor of Plastic Arts with an orientation in Scenography from the National University of La Plata and has been developing her work in cinema since 2004. With an extensive career in fantasy cinema, she has participated as an art director in emblematic titles of Argentine horror such as Cuando acecha la maldad —work for which she received the Martín Fierro Cinema Award for Best Art Direction—, Aterrados, No sabés con quién estás hablando, Malditos sean, La Corporación, Cosa e Mandinga, Bruno Motoneta among other productions. She has also worked as a set decorator, scenographer and costume designer in numerous feature films and series, collaborating with renowned directors such as Damián Rugna, Fabián Forte, Benjamín Naishtat and Gonzalo Calzada.

FANTASTIKA presents: Co-producing with Mexico under the new legislation

With the recent reform to the cinematography law, a series of changes have occurred from which greater financial certainty is expected for joint projects, but it also makes cross-border collaboration schemes more flexible under a multicultural, multilingual perspective and with strict respect for labor rights. In this talk we will discuss the tools that grant unprecedented legal certainty to creators, independent producers and major studios, as well as the possibilities of co-production within this framework.

Taught by: Diana Tita Martínez Chiapas, Director of Support for Cinematographic Production within the Mexican Institute of Cinematography (IMCINE).

Presented by Fantastika: Ibero-American Co-production Forum for Horror and Fantasy Cinema (www.fantastikaforum.com (abre en nueva pestaña))

GUESTS

National: Verónica Merchant, Robertos Sosa, Mayra Hermosillo, Martha Claudia Moreno, Luis Urquiza, Sandra Becerril, Lex Ortega, Gigi Saul Guerrero, Vadir Sottelo, Helena Puig.

International: Paul Urkijo Alijo, Nerea Torrijos, Demian Rugna, Laura Aguerrebehere, Aurelio Voltaire, Decker Sadowski, Martín Florio, Clarissa Appelt, Daniel Dias, Karen Lam, Kate Kroll, Brian McCaig, Meekaaeel Adam, André Sigwalt, Dean Francis, José Texeira, Rodrigo Lages, Ritesh Gupta, Kearin Coonan, Luke Bramley, Thomas Affolter, James C. Williamson, Uri Singer and Sasha Lane

VENUES

City Theater "Esperanza Iris"

Cineteca Nacional México

Cineteca Nacional de las Artes

Museo Panteón de San Fernano

Library of Mexico

Center for Digital Culture

Cinematógrafo del Chopo

Casa del Cine

Facultad del Cine

Cultural Center of Spain

Casa de Carranza Museum

Museo del Risco

Audiovideorama

Futurama Cultural Center

Cine Villa Olímpica

FARO de Oriente

FARO Cosmos

Cine Victor Manuel Mendoza

Cinemas WTC

Circo Volador

Digital Venue

nuestrocine.mx (abre en nueva pestaña)

Over the course of 25 years, MACABRO has consolidated itself as a meeting space between contemporary and independent cinema and cinematographic memory, fostering the revaluation of classic and cult cinema with a historical perspective. Likewise, it has constantly promoted Mexican and Latin American creation, accompanying the emergence of new talent and strengthening the dialogue between creators, audiences and the industry.

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Check the full MACABRO FICH program at: www.macabro.mx

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PRESS CONTACT

CYNTHIA URIBE

cynthia@sintoniacomunicaciones.com

55 1320 3820