Sarah Hoch

Jury Member

Sarah Hoch is the founder and executive director of the Guanajuato International Film Festival, held every year since 1998 in Guanajuato state’s San Miguel de Allende. One of the largest Mexican film festivals and an important platform for young Latin American filmmakers, the 2021 Guanajuato International Film Festival took place in the cities of Irapuato and León for the first time. Conceived in 1997, Hoch founded the festival as a response to the Mexican film industry’s crisis of a lack in film production. The Guanajuato International Film Festival has acted as a catalyst for a new generation of independent Mexican filmmakers, providing an alternative space for young creators to receive awards as well as professional consultations and co-production and financing opportunities. In its 24 years, the festival has brought emerging talents together with renowned film experts, including Tim Burton, Oliver Stone, Gaspar Noé, Spike Lee, and Bong Joon Ho, who have given Master Classes for filmmakers.

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