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The Morelia International Film Festival Kicked Off Its 24th Edition with CAMPEÓN GABACHO by Jonás Cuarón

The Morelia International Film Festival (FICM) launched its 24th edition with the film Campeón Gabacho, directed by Jonás Cuarón.

The ceremony was attended by the Mexican director, as well as Alejandro Ramírez, President of FICM; Cuauhtémoc Cárdenas Batel, Vice President; Daniela Michel, founder and Director of the festival; Marcelo Ebrard, Mexico’s Secretary of Economy; Claudia Curiel de Icaza, the federal government’s Secretary of Culture; Daniela Alatorre, director of the Mexican Institute of Cinematography (IMCINE); Roberto Monroy, Michoacán’s Secretary of Tourism; and Alfonso Martínez Alcázar, mayor of Morelia.

Before the screening, Jonás Cuarón spoke about his history with FICM and Campeón Gabacho: “I’ve been coming to Morelia since my first film; the audience here always fascinates me. Campeón Gabacho is a film that will make you laugh, it will make you cry, and I’m really excited to watch it with the Morelia audience.”

Winner of the Audience Award in the Narrative Spotlight category at the 2026 South by Southwest Festival, Campeón Gabacho tells the story of Liborio—played by Juan Daniel García Treviño—a young migrant who crosses the Rio Grande to escape Mexico's harsh reality and find a better life in the United States, eventually settling in a Latino neighborhood in New York. With his fists, his love, and his words, he confronts cultural barriers and prejudices that threaten his hopes, becoming a hero in a foreign land.

During the Opening Ceremony, Secretary of Economy Marcelo Ebrard talked about why he supports FICM: “[The festival] seems very important to me in terms of the country’s economic future—and, of course, its culture and identity—but we need to support the film industry and all aspects of the creative industries. I must tell you that this festival is very, very well-known around the world. I have repeatedly emphasized that the Morelia International Film Festival is likely one of Mexico’s most effective and positive initiatives on the global stage.”

He also reiterated the commitment to the audiovisual communities that project their own narratives and showcase national talent. “We are here to support this great initiative, to congratulate the creators, as well as the team that has made it possible, and to reaffirm the government’s support.”

Michoacán’s Secretary of Tourism, Roberto Monroy García, said: “For more than two decades, this festival has achieved something extraordinary, and it is a space where Mexican cinema finds itself while also connecting with the world.”

Before the Opening Ceremony for the 24th FICM, celebrities such as Michoacán singer-songwriter Marco Antonio Solís, directors Carlos Cuarón, Manolo Caro, Juan Antonio Bayona, and Juan Carlos Rulfo; producer Nicolás Celis, Aura Xilonen, author of the novel Campeón gabacho, and actresses Ofelia Medina, Fernanda Castillo, Altaír Jarabo, and Natasha Dupeyron; as well as actors Juan Daniel García Treviño, Diego Boneta, Martín Barba, Patricio José, and Luis Curiel, along with other prominent figures.

This 24th FICM will feature live screenings in Morelia at Cinépolis Morelia Centro, Cinépolis VIP Plaza Las Américas, the Mariano Matamoros Theater, the Melchor Ocampo Theater, the Michoacán Regional Museum, and Plaza Benito Juárez, as well as in Pátzcuaro at the Emperador Caltzontzin Theater, and through free virtual screenings on nuestrocine.mx, provided by the Mexican Institute of Cinematography (IMCINE).