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Morelia is a spectacular 16th-century colonial city with approximately 650,000 inhabitants. It has its own international airport and is situated strategically in the center of Mexico, connected by modern highways to Mexico City (3.5-hour drive), Guadalajara (3.5-hour drive) and Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo (4-hour drive). The Morelia International Film Festival is open to the public and welcomes visitors from throughout Mexico and around the world. Our mission is to promote a new generation of Mexican filmmakers and to serve as a unique meeting point between Mexican filmmakers, the public of Michoacán and the international community of film-lovers. Getting to Morelia: See the online English-language Frommer’s 2006 Guide for information on traveling to Morelia: The information included in the Frommer's Guide is subject to change. For travel questions including bus and limo transportation, don't hesitate to consult with your travel agent, or with the English-speaking travel agency Viajes Tardan in Mexico City (5255/5514-6752 and 5255/5525-8179). The Morelia International Film Festival offers the hotel information listed here as a helpful guide. The Morelia International Film Festival does not work directly with these hotels and is not responsible for the services they provide.
Trip Advisor: If for any reason the hotels listed above do not meet your needs, please contact any of the following travel agencies, who will be happy to help you find a good option for you. Please be sure to tell the travel agent you are interested in attending the festival so they can help you obtain any special discounts that might be available. 
PHILLIPS TURISMO INTERNACIONAL, S.A. DE C.V. Once you arrive in Morelia, make sure you pick up a free copy of the official film schedule and a map of Morelia at any of the Festival venues upon arrival.
We suggest you buy a copy of the catalogue to find out about this year's films, special guests, conferences, round tables, and other events. Internet: Drugstores: Information: Screenings: The festival’s films are exhibited in downtown Morelia at the Cinépolis Centro movie theatre, the festival’s main site, as well as at its alternate sites, Cinépolis Plaza Morelia and Cinépolis La Huerta, each located a short cab-ride from downtown. There are free screenings at the Palacio Clavijero as well as free open air screenings at the Plaza Benito Juárez. Moreover, the festival offers a series of free screenings at the Teatro Emperador, a 1930's-era cinema palace in downtown Pátzcuaro, which is a 40-minute cab-ride from Morelia. Many film screenings, especially those in competition, will afterwards have a question-and-answer session with the directors of the films. Screenings at Cinépolis Centro, Cinépolis Plaza Morelia and Cinépolis La Huerta require ticket purchase. In general, the films in competition are in Spanish with English subtitles, and most of the international features are subtitled in both Spanish and English. Please consult the Festival Hand-Program to make sure the film you are going to watch is available in a language you speak. Tickets: In order to make the festival’s films accessible to a wide audience, we offer tickets at a significant discount from regular movie-ticket prices (less than US$3 per ticket). It is also possible to buy packs of four tickets (less than US$10) for an additional discount. Seats are subject to limited availability. Please arrive at least 15 minutes before show time. Festival screenings are not preceded by promotional trailers for other films. Seats cannot be reserved. Tickets can be bought at the ticket-counters the day of the screening, or in advance online at: (find the film you wish to see and click the “Compra Reserva” button to the right of it, then follow the instructions). Events: In general, conferences, round tables, and exhibits described in the catalog are free, with no ticket required. Space is usually limited, so admittance is granted on a first-come first-served basis. Things to do in Morelia
Set against a stunning backdrop of perfectly preserved colonial buildings, Morelia is one of the most vibrant cultural destinations in Mexico. A walk down its streets leads to a fascinating discovery of the city's 15th and 16th century architecture. Begin at Benito Juárez square, where you will see the city's magnificent rose-tinted quarry stone cathedral, which was begun in 1660 and completed in 1744. The Cathedral's monumental organ, a treasure in itself, has 4,600 pipes and was built at the beginning of last century. Catch the spectacular "light and sound" show during the weekends, or admire the cathedral's beautiful lighting every night of the week. Continue towards the Templo de la Merced, a baroque temple built in 1604 by the Mercedarians, or make your way to the Museo de Artesanías (Arts and Crafts Museum), which displays an important collection of crafts, sells a wide selection of pieces from all over the country, and hosts exhibits, conferences and trade fairs. The Museo del Dulce (Candy Museum) will give you an idea of how Morelia's famous confections --the dulce de leche (a slow-cooked, thickened combination of milk and sugar), morelianas (thin wafers of caramelized sugar) and several types of ate (paste or jelly made from fruits such as guavas or sour pears)-- were prepared in vice royal times. You can also watch a video that will give you a complete history of candy-making in Morelia, see scale models of the city's old houses, or enjoy a tour by one of the museum guides dressed in period costume. Continue your walk toward the Fuente de las Tarascas and the aqueduct, which consists of 253 high stone arches. Built to supply the city with water, the aqueduct was commissioned by the bishop Fray Antonio de San Miguel in 1785. Built at the end of the 18th century, The Palacio Municipal's main attraction is its octagonal patio. Also worth a visit are the Templo and Conservatorio de Música de Las Rosas (the Music Conservatory); the Clavijero Palace, a Jesuit collage turned government building and cultural center, home to many of the FICM's activities; the Public Library, also one of the Festival's main venues; and the Crafts Market, where you can find quality craft products at affordable prices. You can find good restaurants under the portales (arcades). The capital of the state of Michoacán has much more to offer: for more information, visit: Frommer’s Guide Official Morelia website: Spanish-language tourism information about Morelia from the city government: www.visitmorelia.com Official Michoacán website: Patzcuaro
Some festival attendees prefer to spend a part of the festival, or all of it, in Pátzcuaro, which is a 40-minute drive from Morelia on a four-lane highway. The festival holds special screenings in Pátzcuaro’s downtown cinema palace, the Teatro Emperador. Pátzcuaro was a religious center of the pre-Columbian Purépecha civilization. Thanks to the utopian ideals of a 16th Century Catholic Bishop, Don Vasco de Quiroga, Pátzcuaro and the neighboring Purépecha villages were assigned separate crafts, such as pottery-making and coppersmithying, which the native people carry on with pride to this day. Don Vasco remains a beloved figure, and his statue stands tall in the center of Patzcuaro’s main plaza. The old Purépecha deities and their frequent musical and colorful festivals were incorporated into the local Catholic rites, and today Pátzcuaro is renowned for its almost-constant native religious festivals, most famously the Day of the Dead at the end of October. Hotels in Patzcuaro | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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