After surviving the four-and-a-half hour van ride from Mexico City into Guanajuato, Mexico, with eight strangers from the world over, we made our way to the Expresion en Corto International Film Festival at 1 a.m. Radium’s Jonathan Keeton and I had traveled there to speak about visual effects at the festival, which featured a series of workshops, discussions, alternative screenings and festivities. The festival has grown significantly since its inception in 1998, with this year’s attendance recorded at 49,034.
The target audience was young people (20- to 35-year-olds) beginning a career in film or media. The festival was packed with experienced directors, producers, government officials, legendary Mexican film artists, students, sponsors such as Kodak, and national and international media.
It struck us how eager the students were about learning and specializing in the field of film. What struck us even more was that the Mexican government was willing to support this event and others of its kind, both financially and culturally. It was amazing to see students learning advanced skills in CG modeling and animation at such an early stage in their education.
The Consulate General, Maria Elena Saucedo, had approved monies to cover all expenses for Jonathan, myself, several other speakers, and accepted filmmakers. She felt strongly about having a diverse group of people at the festival to trade experiences cross-culturally. Each day we interacted with people from Spain, Chile, Canada, the U.S. and Mexico, with our entire trip completely subsidized by the government of a developing nation. This cross-cultural support in the film community does not seem to happen in far richer countries such as the U.S., and this prompted us to broaden our perspectives regarding arts education.
The festival coordinator, Sarah Hoch, who is also the Film Commissioner of Guanajuato, broadcast the speaking panels on national radio. She meets daily with film crews, clearing Mexican locations for international film projects such as the HBO film Pancho Villa, and the Robert Rodriguez feature Once Upon a Time in Mexico. The industry is starting to thrive and the government is ensuring that it will.
Upon returning home, I was contacted by the University of Mexico City’s film department director. He asked if we could work together as mentors to students in the visual effects department, critiquing their work and making occasional trips to speak at the University and the FOX lot, where they are also teaching. He mentioned that the Mexican government approved this collaboration and cleared funding to cover traveling costs and teaching fees for Radium creatives.
Mexico’s universities, film commissions and students are being introduced to endless opportunities with the help of government funding, while U.S. film commissions are losing funding and closing down on a daily basis. Other countries are advancing with their knowledge and skill sets while the U.S. is forced to sit and watch it happen—hitting obstacles at each turn.
About 50 percent of the shoots Radium attends for visual effects are out of the country. Why? Because other countries are making it much easier. Perhaps it is time for the U.S. to take note and start supporting arts education rather than deeming it an elective.
