The presence of one of international film’s hottest talents has given an air of glamour to this year’s Gothenburg Film Festival, showing that while the festival might have a niche reputation it has earned international respect. This year’s festival has a Mexican feel to it with Motorcycle Diaries star Gael García Bernal DJ-ing to a crowd of adoring fans and movie buffs at the opening party. Bernal was in Gothenburg to introduce his directorial debut film Deficit and gave two masterclasses – one on new talent, and one with partner Pablo Cruz on the film-making process. “Bernal is a superstar....

I just found some pictures of Gael promoting his new upcoming film “Mammoth” in Sweden with the cast and director and the first still of the movie: GALLERY LINK - Promoting “Mammoth” in Sweden (January 2008) - Mammoth Stills And I’ve uploaded a sneak peek of the video conference in Sweden:

Mexico City – Actors Gael García Bernal and Diego Luna will present for the first time this year their “Ambulante” tour of documentaries in Mexican jails. “They are four prisons, some of them are federal, but not all, they will be three male [prinsons] and one female,” said Elena Fortes, director of Ambulante. Different genres of documentaries will be projected in the jails, which will have to have prior approval by penitentiary authorities. “There still, what we can show is subject to approval,” she indicated. The programming includes movies such as Rigo, A Total Confession by Víctor...

Mexico’s new generation of helmers will be in the spotlight at the 31st Gothenburg Film Festival, which kicks off Jan 25. Gael Garcia Bernal, who is in Sweden shooting Lukas Moodysson’s “Mammoth,” will be on hand to introduce his first effort as a helmer, “Déficit.” Altogether, 12 new films by young Mexican helmers will be screened. Eight compete in the Nordic Competition. They are Jens Jonsson’s dark comedy “King of Ping Pong” (which has its world premiere at Sundance); Tomas Alfredson’s vampire movie “Let Me In”; Natasha...

After two resolutely uncommercial films, Swedish helmer Lukas Moodysson is back with his biggest film yet. “Mammoth,” starring Gael Garcia Bernal and Michelle Williams, is set for a September world premiere. Bernal plays a U.S. businessman who goes on a business trip to Thailand, where things happen that rock his world. Moodysson does not want to reveal more about the plot. With its budget of 70 million Swedish kroner ($11 million), “Mammoth” is by far the biggest and most expensive film Memfis Film has produced. “Mammoth” has so far shot in Thailand and in the...

Bernal’s bustling. With luck, we’ll see some of his new work Stateside. Gael Garcia Bernal, 29, was the toast of the town during the recent, 31st annual Sao Paulo International Film Festival. He was starring in Hector (“Kiss of the Spider Woman”) Babenco’s darkly unsettling relationship drama “The Past,” presenting another film, the rural Mexican fable “Cochochi,” through the Mexico City production company (Canana Films) he founded last year with his “Y Tu Mama Tambien” co-star Diego Luna, and unveiling his directorial debut, “Deficit.” In...

Gael celebrating the two years of Canana Films: Thanks to Heather To make movies in Mexico is not an easy work, for that reason Gael Garcia, Diego Luna and Pablo Cross celebrated the second anniversary of their production and distribution company CANANA. “This second year, and like every year, has been a renovation process; as a trip. A path of what we have done and what we want to do; always questioning and looking for new things; mainly, trying to support new voices, new directors and movies of low budget. “’Ambulante’ has been incredible, and CANANA is about to release several films;...

Three pictures of the Festival Internacional del Nuevo Cine Latinoamericano that happend yesterday at La Habana: Thanks a lot to Nik Diego Luna and Gael García join the days of Fasting for Food Independence; they demand to withdraw corn and beans from the NAFTA commercial agreement. Actress Jesusa Rodríguez took part in the Fast for Food Independence promoted by 300 integral organizations of the National Campaign in Defense of Food Sovereignty and the Recovery of Mexican Land. In the Angel of Independence Monument of the capital, the first of five days was carried out to demonstrate the...