AWARDS GIVEN IN THE "CUTTING ACROSS BORDERS 2" GLOBAL COMPETITION FOR SHORT FILMS SHOT WITH CELL PHONE CAMERAS

• The award ceremony took place during the 10th Morelia International Film Festival.

The Foreign Ministry’s Institute for Mexicans Abroad (IME); the Film Training Center (CCC); Cinepolis Foundation and the International Film Festival of Morelia report that the award ceremony for the “Cutting Across Borders 2" global contest for short movies shot with cell phones was held today at Michoacana University.

The contest, organized by CONACULTA’s Film Training Center and the Institute for Mexicans Abroad, invited young Mexicans or youths of Mexican descent between 15 and 36 years old living abroad to submit a short film shot with a cellular phone of no more than three minutes that tells a migrant’s story. The competition was designed to encourage these youths to creatively express aspects of their everyday lives abroad.

The selection committee, appointed by the Film Training Center and the Institute for Mexicans Abroad, chose five short movies from the United States, three from Canada, three from Asia-Pacific, three from Africa and Oceania, three from Europe and three from Latin America and the Caribbean. These movies were put on the Mexico Networks webpage www.redesmexico.mx and were voted on by Mexicans living around the world. The films receiving the most votes were awarded first, second and third place. In addition, the selection committee awarded an additional first place award to the Best Short 2012.

The winners of the contest, by vote, were:

• First Place: "Exile." Country: United States. Director: Dario Rodriguez

• Second place: "About the Dead in Manila." Country: Philippines. Director: Sara Nazareth Victoria Torres

• Third place: "I hope." Country: France. Director: Esteban Zúñiga.

Best video as chosen by the Selection Committee:

• "I’ll Be Back in a Minute; I`m Going for Tortillas.” Country: Sweden. Director: Valeria Saavedra Becerril.
 
The award ceremony was attended by the winners; the Executive Director of the Institute for Mexicans Abroad (IME), Javier Diaz de León; CCC Director Henner Hofmann; the Executive Director of the Cinépolis Foundation, Lorena Guillé; the academic adviser of the Morelia International Film Festival, James Ramey; and representatives of the contest’s sponsors.

The IME thanks the Film Training Center for its invaluable support, the important contributions of the Cinepolis Foundation, the Morelia International Film Festival, the UN Population Fund and the United Nations, and the sponsorships of SONY, AVID and KODAK, all of which made it possible to hold the contest.

The Foreign Ministry’s IME has various programs and projects for Mexicans living abroad. In the cultural and artistic fields, the IME promotes programs for Mexican communities abroad, through which it seeks to strengthen their sense of identity and belonging to Mexico and to give them pride in their roots and rich cultural heritage.

These programs help improve the development of Mexicans in their host societies, and help them maintain their ties with Mexico while at the same time expressing to the people who live in their towns the cultural wealth of their country of origin.

In this spirit, in August 2011, the second year of the "Cutting Across Borders" international festival for short films shot on cell phones was announced. Its goals were:

1. To help migrants reassess the image they have of their daily lives.

2. To encourage recognition of artistic talent among the members of the Mexican communities abroad.
 
3. To learn about success stories from the submissions of members of the Mexican communities living abroad that can be spread through the media in Mexico and abroad.

4. To learn about the concerns and needs of youths regarding education, health and safety through these short films. In particular, the films can be a way to address issues such as sexual and reproductive health.

The contest participants were required to:

1. Be a Mexican citizen or of Mexican descent and live in a country other than Mexico.

2. Submit a completed short film recorded with cell phone lasting no longer than three minutes, which could be edited on the computer.

3. The film had to tell the migrants’ stories, creatively reflecting their work, profession or daily life and showing the way in which they are contributing to the development of their host societies and / or towns of origin, and what they are doing in terms of the arts, culture, sciences, technology and sports, among others. The movies could also reflect the concerns and challenges faced by young migrants regarding education, jobs, health and safety.