Presentations

Presentation Edna Campos

Hotels have always been ideal settings for horror films: spaces steeped in history, secrets, and strange presences that invite mystery. This year, Macabro opens its doors to Hotel Macabro, a place where every hallway leads to unknown worlds, disturbing characters, unsettling stories, and nightmares in multiple formats.

As the emblem of this edition, we pay tribute to one of the most revolutionary films in horror cinema: Psycho, by Alfred Hitchcock, which marks 65 years since it changed the course of film history.

This year, Macabro opens its doors to institutions such as the Museo del Chopo, the UNAM Film Library, and the Centro de Capacitación Cinematográfica (CCC). From the latter, we present the collection of feature films and short films “Fantásticos del CCC,” which takes a look at the history of the prestigious film school and the students who dared, on the one hand, to delve into darkness and, on the other, to make fantastic films. Names such as Busi Cortes (+), Carlos Carrera, José Buil, Jorge Michel Grau, and Michelle Garza. Emilio Portes, a graduate of this institution, will also receive recognition for his career, which has given us much humor and terror. His most recent film, No dejes a los niños solosIt will be the grand finale of a retrospective in his honor.

The Hotel Macabro celebration will feature an unprecedented national presence in the history of the festival with the country premiere of Muertamorfosis, The first film made entirely with AI, created entirely by Lex Ortega, with the collaboration of Gigi Saul Guerrero. The Dark and #Ratswill have their world premiere, while the magical realism of El diablo en el camino by Carlos Armella, will also have its first performance in our country.

On the international front, guests at the Hotel Macabro will be able to enjoy a healthy dose of horror and B movies with films such as Catch a Killer, It needs eyes, Succubus, Tinman’s Road, Pater Noster and The Mission of Light, or the first horror film directed by a woman in Saudi Arabia, Three. Folk horror cinema in Shaman, Witte Wieven or An Taibhse.

The festival would not be complete without its space for industry, training, and reflection, with talks and meetings on genre cinema during the first 25 years of this century. In addition, activities will be presented within the framework of the Ibero-American Horror and Fantasy Co-production Forum, Fantastika.

The image for this edition is the work of the talented design team of Diego Álvarez and Roxana Ruíz, creators of the Macabro posters for almost two decades. This year, they surprise us with an illustration that combines black, pink, blue, and yellow to bring the spirit of this Macabro Hotel to life... And yes, pink has never been so macabre.

Edna Campos Tenorio

General Director and Founder of Macabro.

 

Presentation by Alejandro Montes Santamaría

Discussing the relevance of a Horror Film Festival today may seem unnecessary. However, 24 years ago, those of us who were fans of the monstrous, grotesque, and terrifying had to defend this genre as a totally valid cultural expression.

The Macabro Festival would be the first of its kind in Mexico. It raised its voice and opened a window to highlight these artistic expressions, which have always existed in cinema, even though they had been downplayed. Today, 24 years after its first edition, #MacabroFICH has become a benchmark for discovering the cutting edge of what is being produced—and I would dare to say—it gives us a glimpse into the future of horror and terror productions.

As a self-confessed fan of the genre, I am thrilled to know that Macabro is reaffirming its commitment to Mexican cinema and that we will be able to see a number of national premieres, as well as a talk between Mexican directors who will discuss their vision of the current state of national horror cinema. This year, Macabro joins in the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Museo del Chopo, a venue that has always been present in the activities and setting of many national productions of the genre. For this reason, Alejandro Jodorowsky's film LA MONTAÑA SAGRADA will be screened.

In addition, we will be able to see a selection of short and feature films from the Centro de Capacitación Cinematográfica (CCC), which is also celebrating its 50th anniversary.

Something I will always appreciate about a festival like MACABRO is the opportunity to see the best of international productions, especially Latin American short films. But I also celebrate the fact that this year, extreme American cinema is back with pure horror and gore films, allowing us to celebrate the 65th anniversary of a classic like Psycho.

As every year, the academic and industry aspects will be covered, with a discussion to mark the centenary of the birth of American writer Richard Matheson, led by Sandra Becerril, who will be joined in the discussion by Matheson's son. The San Fernando Cemetery, a traditional venue for the festival, will be the setting for the screening of three films based on Matheson's texts: Omega Man, Duel, and The Shrinking Man.

I have had the privilege of enjoying the friendship and collaboration of Edna Campos and her entire team since 2011, when we began combining Macabro activities with the AURORA Festival in the city of Guanajuato, which celebrated its twentieth anniversary in its most recent edition.

May this 24th edition of MACABROFiCH serve as a preview of what awaits us in 2026, when we will be celebrating our 25th anniversary. Let the party begin!

Alejandro Montes Santamaría

Director of Aurora: Guanajuato International Horror Film Festival and visual artist.