Hola Mexico Film Festival brings Mexican cinema to local screens

The best of Mexican cinema will hit Los Angeles screens at the 17th annual Hola Mexico Film Festival.

“It’s an opportunity to watch the best films coming out of Mexico,” said Samuel Douek, founder and director of the festival. “Some of these films you may not have a chance to see anywhere else,” he added.

The festival, which mainly showcases the newest films out of Mexico, including documentaries, comedies and animated movies, returns Sept. 12-20 at various Los Angeles venues. It’s made up of more than 20 movies and will also include appearances by film actors and directors.

The festival opens at the Montalban Theater with the mockumentary “Autos, Mota y Rocanrol,” which is based on the Avándaro music festival of 1971, often dubbed “Mexico’s Woodstock.”.

“It’s a little bit like ‘The Office,’ where they’re talking to the people about what happened and it’s fantastic,” he said.

Douek said another highlight of the festival is the comedy “Mesa de Regalos,” which screens Sept. 13 at the Cinepolis Cinema in Pico Rivera and Sept. 14 at Regal Cinemas at L.A. Live. The film was a top box office film in Mexico.

“It’s about two friends that are single and they’re tired of being single but they don’t want to get married, they just want to move on with their lives but they have no money. So they figure out if they fake it and say they’re going to get married and if they fake their wedding they’re going to get money,” he said.

Other films on the lineup include flicks like “Corina,” which is about a young woman who suffers from agoraphobia and isolation.

“It’s a very cute story of someone who is very shy and it’s just a very touching and entertaining movie,” he said. The film screens Sept. 13-14 at Regal Cinema.

Hola Mexico Film Festival

When: Sept. 12-20

Where: The Montalban Theater 1615 Vine St., Hollywood; Cinepolis Cinema, 8540 Whittier Blvd., Pico Rivera; Regal LA Live, 1000 W. Olympic Blvd., Los Angeles; LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes,  501 N. Main St., Los Angeles

Information: www.holamexicoff.com/