FICG 42 Guadalajara Film Festival, 6 to 13 March 2027

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MEXICO · FILM FESTIVAL

The 42nd Guadalajara International Film Festival, known as FICG 42, runs from Saturday 6 March to Saturday 13 March 2027 in Guadalajara, Mexico. Panama is the guest of honour, and the organisers have not yet announced venues, ticket prices or an on-sale date.

For visitors from the United States, the dates are fixed, so flights and a flexible hotel can be planned now. Wait for the programme before booking screenings or choosing a neighbourhood.

FICG 42 Dates and Place

The organiser, the Festival Internacional de Cine en Guadalajara (FICG), sets its 42nd edition for Saturday 6 March to Saturday 13 March 2027. Its call for entries repeats the same dates.

The festival takes place in Guadalajara, the capital of the western state of Jalisco. No change, move or cancellation of the dates has been announced as of 2 November 2026.

What the Guadalajara International Film Festival Is

FICG calls itself the longest-running film festival in Mexico and the most solid in Latin America. Its stated focus is Mexican and Ibero-American cinema, meaning films from Latin America, Spain and Portugal.

The festival also runs an industry side with a film market, training programmes and project showcases. Public screenings are separate from these professional events, which use accreditation.

Panama as Guest of Honour

Each edition names one guest country, and for FICG 42 it is Panama. Guillermo Gómez Mata, president of the FICG board, announced it on 15 September 2026 in Toronto with Arianne Benedetti, Panama’s vice minister of culture.

The organiser says Panama’s presence will include heritage cinema, new releases, industry programmes, training, master classes and art exhibitions. Benedetti said the festival lets Panama show “the growth, diversity and identity” of its audiovisual industry, and no Panamanian film titles are published yet.

Tickets, Prices and Venues

The festival’s FAQ says the general public can attend, and that screenings require a ticket bought at the box offices. It also offers free parallel activities, and says their time, place and date can change at the last minute, so check ficg.mx the day before.

No ticket seller page, prices in pesos or US$ and on-sale date exist for FICG 42 as of 2 November 2026. Venues are also not announced, so no address can be given yet.

Films, Prizes and Subtitles

The competition has sections for Mexican features, Ibero-American fiction, Ibero-American documentaries, international animation, LGBTQ+ stories (the Maguey Award), Jalisco films and socio-environmental films. The documentary section is recognised by the US Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, so its winner can be considered for an Oscar nomination.

The best Mexican film wins MXN 500,000 (about US$26,600 at MXN 18.82 per US$ on 31 October 2026) for its producer. The rules require English subtitles on Spanish-language films, Spanish subtitles on English-language films, and both on films in other languages.

Dates to Watch Before March

Entries for feature films closed on Saturday 31 October 2026, and the organiser will publish the official selection in January 2027 on ficg.mx. The exact January day is not given.

A separate call for Guadalajara Construye 21, a showcase for up to six unfinished Ibero-American fiction films, stays open until Friday 27 November 2026. Entries close at 23:59 Mexico central time.

What It Means for You

Visitors can book flights and a flexible hotel now, since the dates are fixed and the programme will fill the city’s cinemas for a week. Because venues are unknown, avoid non-refundable rooms until the screening list is public.

Visa and entry rules depend on your passport, so check them with Mexican authorities before you buy tickets. For other things to do in town, see the Guadalajara city page and our Guadalajara guide for November 2026.

What Is Not Known

Venues, ticket prices, the on-sale date, the film lineup and the age ratings of individual films have not been published. No Panamanian titles, guests or opening-night details are announced either.

Whether the festival will keep the same week structure and timetable as past editions is not stated by the organiser. Read more in our Guadalajara explainer and on the Mexico hub.

More: Mexico news in English, every day from The Rio Times.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is FICG 42 in Guadalajara?

FICG 42 runs from Saturday 6 March to Saturday 13 March 2027 in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. The organiser has announced no changes or cancellations as of 2 November 2026.

How do I buy FICG 42 tickets?

The organiser says the public buys screening tickets at box offices. Prices, the venue list and the on-sale date are not yet announced, so watch ficg.mx.

Which country is guest of honour at FICG 42?

Panama is the guest of honour country. The organiser announced it on 15 September 2026 at the Toronto International Film Festival.

Are FICG films subtitled in English?

For films in the competition, the rules require English subtitles on Spanish-language films. English-language films need Spanish subtitles, and other languages need both.

When is the FICG 42 film lineup announced?

The organiser will publish the official selection in January 2027 on ficg.mx. It has not named an exact day.

Sources: Festival Internacional de Cine en Guadalajara, Panama guest of honour announcement (15 September 2026), 15 September 2026; Festival Internacional de Cine en Guadalajara, FICG 42 rules and call for entries, checked 2 November 2026; Festival Internacional de Cine en Guadalajara, call for FICG 42 (20 July 2026), checked 2 November 2026; Festival Internacional de Cine en Guadalajara, FAQ, checked 2 November 2026; Festival Internacional de Cine en Guadalajara, Guadalajara Construye 21, checked 2 November 2026; Festival Internacional de Cine en Guadalajara, official site, checked 2 November 2026.

This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief