• In the first cycle, 45 short films were presented by students from various academic institutions located in Tijuana.
• The next cycle of screenings will continue once the Ministry of Health considers it safe for the public.

TIJUANA, BAJA CALIFORNIA, MEXICO.- Friday, April 3, 2020.- The Secretariat of Sustainable Economy and Tourism (SEST) through the Subsecretariat of Tourism and the Baja Film Commission developed a series of projections called “Emerging Talent”, which in its first five editions presented 45 short films directed by students from film schools related to audiovisual production, according to what was commented by Mario Escobedo Carignan, Head of the SEST.

In November 2019, the Baja Film Commission convened several educational institutions with careers aimed at or related to audiovisual production, and in alliance with Mamut Brewery Co., events were scheduled to socialize and showcase the talent of young creators of the State. The first cycle was conformed by the Universidad de las Californias Internacional (UDCI), CUT Universidad de Tijuana, Universidad Iberoamericana Tijuana Campus, Universidad Autónoma de Baja California (UABC) Tijuana Campus and the University of Advanced Technologies (UNIAT) Tijuana Campus.

"We must support students to find spaces to display their work, there is a lot of talent, they are making impressive short films," said Ivette Casillas Rivera, Undersecretary of Tourism.

The projects presented belong to different genres and techniques, being mostly fiction and animation, which were enjoyed by a diverse audience that filled the projection room in all the presentations of the cycle.

"The people’s response has been very positive, in addition to the general public, relatives of the directors, their colleagues and their teachers come to see their work," Casillas stressed.

Of the 45 short films presented, 55% correspond to female directors and the remaining 45% to men. "The selection is made by the school, we supervise the design with the marketing area of ​​the SEST and we organize the event, the promotion and announcement to the public is made among all those involved", commented Javier Espinoza, Baja Film Commissioner. Regarding the idea of ​​the “Emerging Talent” cycle, he added: “Mamut's marketing manager approached me and asked me to schedule some movies for him one day of the week in the place, to which I told him that there was a lot of material from young creators in the universities and outside of them, we could try that and he said yes ”. 

Some of the short films presented are exercises for school assignments, others were generated thanks to rallies organized by schools and some more are just beginning their cycle at film festivals in the country and abroad. Once the Ministry of Health considers it safe for the general public, the cycle of screenings for “Emerging Talent” will be reschedule, and will include works by students of the Xochicalco University and those of the UABC´s Bachelor's degrees in Communication and Plastic Arts, among other institutions, in addition to opening a cycle for directors not enrolled in schools and looking for venues to replicate it in other cities of the State.