- Twenty-five short films were screened internationally at forty-five festivals and exhibitions.
Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico.- December 15th, 2021.- Twenty-five short films made by Baja California talent were screened at festivals worldwide in 2021. These projects were selected in forty-five events held in fifteen countries. The documentary “Defend the Asylum” directed by Andrés González participated in six events and at the San Diego Latino Film Festival it won First Place in the Migrant Voices Film Challenge. For its part, "Obāchan" by Nicolasa Ruiz was named Best Documentary Short Film at Shorts México, the largest short film festival in Latin America, and won the Documentary Program of the Cinema Imaginarios Festival.
“El Fuerte Se Cae” by Kenia Amaya, was the winner of the Best Regional Fiction Short Film of the Human Film Festival and was the first place as Best Regional Short Film of the Ensenada Film Festival (FENS). “Horas de Expreso” by Marlon Morales, was part of the San Diego and Monterrey festivals, as well as being a finalist in Buenos Aires, and being part of the representative sample of Baja California exhibition “Miradas Locales”, along with “Defend the Asylum","La Última Frontera / The Last Frontier" by Áxel Núñez, and "Al Final de la Noche / At the End of the Night" by Rodrigo Álvarez Flores. Another short film by Morales (“Hypocrisis”) received the Zoom Narratives award at the International Film Festival with Alternative Media (FICMA).
The award for Best Horror Short Film at the Macabro Festival was received by “Insolación” by Rogelio Sánchez Toledo, who also participated in Monterrey and Shorts México. The second place for Best Short Film in the Nespresso Talents México competition went to Enrique Aguirre Nuñez, with the animation piece entitled “Corazón”. The audience award for the 48 Hours University Rally of the Guanajuato International Film Festival was received by Jair Chang with “Estrella”. The Best Regional Documentary Short at the Humano Film Festival was “Jornalero” by Paola Manzano; at the same event where “Pola” by Víctor Estrada also debuted, this last one also participated in the FENS together with “Canta, Viejo Loco” by Joaquín Cariño, “Pay de Limón” by Tomás Jacob Escalante, “Hado” by Alejandro Morales Reyes, with these last two receiving the second and third places as Best Baja California Short Film, respectively.
Arturo Campos' “Perdón” debuted as a part of the compilation “Desayuno Continental Vol. 1” and the later participated along Diana Trejo's “Riders” at the San Diego Latino Film Festival; the latter was also selected by the LA Latinx Film Festival and Matera Sport Film Festival, in Italy. “Los Renegados” by Braulio Medina was part of the Corto Creativo programs of the International University of the Californias (UDCI) and the FENS. “A-Pagar” by Roberto Ledesma received the award for Best Actor in the Amaetur Category for Leo Aldair Huerta at the Caligari International Horror Film Festival in Spain. The Honorable Mention of the Red Snow Latin American Competition went to Eduardo Ortíz for “Se Escribe con B”.
At the Osaka International Film Festival, “Adagio” was selected; directed by Rolando Hernández Cruz, and produced by Caleb Triana, who directed “No Soy Como Tú”, a semi-finalist at the Lonely Wolf London International Film Festival. The finalist for National Fiction Short Film at the International Animal Film Festival was "Humano" by Alan Obregón. With twelve mentions at festivals, Sergio Nolasco's “Elder Leaves / Hojas of Sauco” received the award for Best International Short and Best Photography for Marco Aurelio Célis at the Gona Film Awards in India; likewise, the honorable mention “Message of Hope” at the Tokyo International Short Film Festival, and recognitions at the Moscow, Paris, Prague and Venice Beach festivals.
To conclude, the project produced by Yadira Rodríguez in Tijuana locations, “Dial Home” received the jury award for Best Documentary Short Film at the San Francisco Film Festival for its director César Martínez Barba; this short film was also selected for the San Sebastian, Camden, Hot Springs and Double Exposure festivals.