Victoria Westover — Hanson Arizona Film Institute’s Tucson Cine Mexico

Victoria Westover, Hanson Film Institute Director Carlos (Xabiani Ponce de Léon) and Gera (José Antonio Toledano) in Esto no es Berlín/This Is Not Berlin (2019) Santo’s films, while iconic, were beloved by audiences but despised by film critics.

 

In this previously recorded episode (Feb. 14, 2020), we hear from Vicky Westover, Director of the Jack and Vivian Hanson Arizona Film Institute, who talks to us about the Mexican film festival she’s been running in Tucson since 2004; Tucson Cine Mexico.  Tucson Cine Mexico is the longest-running festival of contemporary Mexican cinema in the United States.  We talk about the “exceptional moment” of Mexican cinema that spurred the dream of Tucson Cine Mexico, and turns out to be the gift that keeps on giving. Beyond the “root” of the festival, we talk about the goals for programming, how the festival’s exceptionally diverse audience was and is engaged, and how it became a renown festival among Mexican directors (hint: excellent hospitality).

While the festival couldn’t be held in person this year, Tucson Cine Mexico is launching an Online Catalogue where you can browse through a list of all films from past Tucson Cine Mexico festivals that are available online to rent or stream.

To hear all this and more, listen to the full-length podcast by clicking above! (To listen to the mini program, click below!)

https://kxci.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Victoria-Westover-Mini.mp3