First Annual Baja International Film Festival Launches, Announces Call For Entries

Cannes, Venice, Park City, Cabo

Baja International Film Festival Set to be the Cannes of Latin America

MEXICO CITY, July 17, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- From November 14-17, 2012, leading filmmakers and film enthusiasts from Mexico, the U.S. and around the world will gather in the beautiful Pacific resort of Los Cabos for the first annual Baja International Film Festival.

The first international film festival in Mexico to be a true collaboration between the U.S. and Mexico, the Baja International Film Festival will stand alongside world renowned events like the Cannes Film Festival, Venice Film Festival and Sundance. The program will include screenings of Feature Films, Documentaries, Short Films, and Student Films, as well as nightly galas, award ceremonies, panel discussions and filmmaker receptions, and will feature the work of leading filmmakers from Mexico, the U.S., and around the world. The inaugural Baja International Film Festival has strong support from film industry leaders and is proud to have acclaimed actor, Academy-Award nominee, and environmental activist Edward Norton as an advisor to the festival.

Rodolfo Lopez-Negrete, Chief Operating Officer of the Mexico Tourism Board, said "The Baja International Film Festival will not only raise the profile of Mexico's film industry and filmmakers, it will also bring visitors and investment to Los Cabos, one of Mexico's leading tourist resorts, reinforcing its reputation as a world class, luxury destination."

In addition to the Mexico Tourism Board, the festival is endorsed and supported as the Official Festival of Los Cabos by the State of Baja California Sur, and the Los Cabos Tourism Bureau.

Baja International Film Festival co-founders Scott Cross and Sean Cross also founded the Colorado Film Institute and the Vail Film Festival, named by Moviemaker magazine among the "Top Ten Destination Film Festivals in the World."

The Festival is founded and run by a bi-national team of experienced film and business managers. They share a passion to bring the two cultures together through film. The Festival represents a true collaboration between Mexico and the U.S. and will serve as a bridge between the U.S. and Mexican film industry. The organizers' goal is to showcase the best filmmaking from around the world and grow the Baja International Film Festival into the Cannes Film Festival of Latin America.

The Baja International Film Festival is currently accepting film entries for the inaugural event to be held from November 14-17 in Los Cabos, Mexico.

The festival accepts films from all countries and will award prizes for Best Film in each category, an Audience Award, and a special prize for Best Mexican Film. For submission information, please visit the festival website at www.bajainternationalfilmfestival.com.

Just a short flight from Los Angeles, Los Cabos is well known as a favorite vacation spot for Hollywood's A-list stars. George Clooney, Jennifer Aniston, Cameron Diaz and Leonardo DiCaprio are just a few of the celebrities regularly spotted enjoying the pristine beaches, luxurious hotels and unsurpassed hospitality of one of Mexico's premier resorts.

For more information on the Baja International Film Festival, visit www.bajainternationalfilmfestival.com or email info@bajafilmfest.com.

Media Contacts:

Jennifer Risi
Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide
jennifer.risi@ogilvy.com 
+1 646 240 6297

Rachael Rees
Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide
rachael.rees@ogilvy.com 
+1 646 250 7366

SOURCE Mexico Tourism Board