From Almada to Irritu: Sundance Institute's Partnership with Mexican Storytellers Has Birthed Countless Cinematic Classics

By Stephanie Ornelas

When it comes to Mexican cinema, Sundance Institute's roots run deep. From groundbreaking films, to Oscar-winning directors, and Institute Labs designed to support Mexican artists, the Sundance Institute (and the Sundance Film Festival) has been the birthplace to some major Mexican classics - Like Water for Chocolate (1993), Sin Nombre (2009), Real Women Have Curves (2002), and Y tu mam tambi n (2001) are just a few.

And though several Mexican artists are now staples in Hollywood for their American-made films, it's their independent Mexican projects that have always won the hearts of Sundance Film Festival jurors and audiences. Acclaimed directors like Alfonso Cuar n, Alejandro Gonz lez I rritu, Guillermo del Toro, and Natalia Almada all have strong ties with the Sundance Institute.

Sin Nombre premiered at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival. Mexican directors' storytelling has evolved in so many wonderful directions, particularly the last few years, says Ana Souza, programmer for the Sundance Institute and Sundance Film Festival. It's been exciting to see the innovations and the narratives and wider perceptions moving away from a singular idea of what a Mexican film can look like.

Audiences might recall when Teresa Sanchez won the World Cinema Dramatic Special Jury Award during last year's Fest for her role as a struggling tequila factory owner in Dos Estaciones (2022). The film, supported by the Sundance Institute, was acquired by CinemaGuild this past April and is currently screening in select theaters around the United States and Canada. Interestingly enough, the film serves as a powerful allegory for the struggle many filmmakers encounter in getting their projects made, whether in Mexico, the United States, or any other country.

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