Baz Luhrmann’s ‘Elvis’ Opens Guadalajara Festival
variety.comAnna Marie de la Fuente Baz Luhrmann’s “Elvis,” described by Variety as “a fizzy, delirious, impishly energized, compulsively watchable 2-hour-and-39-minute fever dream,” is set to open the 37th Guadalajara Int’l Film Festival (FICG) on June 10.The biopic starring Austin Butler as Elvis opposite Tom Hanks as his controversial manager, received a rousing 12-minute standing ovation at Cannes, the longest at this year’s edition.The Festival closes June 18 with Mexico’s own musical icons, Los Tigres del Norte, in the documentary “Los Tigres del Norte: Historias que contar,” by Carlos Pérez Osorio (“Las Cronicas del Taco”), with its band members descending on Guadalajara to present it.
The documentary debuts on Prime Video the day before but it’s all about bringing back the in-person theatrical experience, said festival director Estrella Araiza.FICG has managed to push through the pandemic and the current government’s indifference to culture and subsequent budget cuts.
Nevertheless, it sees an uptick in attendance this year, but not quite at pre-pandemic levels yet. “We’ve had to space out our guests as some hotels are still not operating at full capacity,” noted Araiza.
The festival’s industry section will still be a hybrid given that some travel restrictions are still in place. Master Classes will be available online after the festival wraps.
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