Martin Scorsese’s ‘The Irishman’ arrives at Los Cabos Film Festival
Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman arrived at the Los Cabos International Film Festival in 2019 for its Latin American premiere, and it has remained available to stream on Netflix since its original release. The story follows truck driver Frank Sheeran (Robert De Niro) as he becomes entangled with Russell Bufalino (Joe Pesci) and his Pennsylvania crime family before rising through the ranks to work with Teamsters leader Jimmy Hoffa (Al Pacino). Robert De Niro presented the film at the festival’s eighth edition, held November 13-17, 2019, giving the event a major headline moment centered on Scorsese’s crime epic.
Founders of Destinations in Paradise, David Coh and Howard Appel, spoke about the appeal of the location for festival guests. They noted that Cabo has served as a backdrop for films such as Troy and highlighted the luxury properties they manage, complete with private chefs, oceanfront access, swim-up pools, and additional amenities designed for visitors seeking comfort after screenings.
Festival Evolution Since 2019
The Los Cabos International Film Festival faced a cancellation in 2023 due to funding shortages. It returned in December 2024 with support from Mexico’s culture ministry and was briefly rebranded as Cinema Encounters in Mexico. The thirteenth edition took place December 10-14, 2025, and the fourteenth is scheduled for December 2026. Maru Garzón Polanco has continued in her role as artistic director through these recent editions, maintaining the festival’s focus on North American dialogue and regional production.
Recent Programming Highlights
The 2019 lineup featured Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman, Noah Baumbach’s Marriage Story, We Are Little Zombies, Greener Grass, Antigone, Anthropocene: The Human Epoch, and Proxima, along with world premieres from the Mexico Primero Competition. Later editions have kept the emphasis on North American co-productions and emerging Mexican voices. The 2025 program included tributes to prominent Mexican production designers, and the Gabriel Figueroa Film Fund has stayed active in supporting first features from regional filmmakers.
Industry Impact and Film Fund Updates
The festival’s industry platform was built to facilitate co-production deals and networking opportunities. After the hiatus, the Gabriel Figueroa Film Fund relaunched with a stronger focus on first features from emerging Mexican talent. New professionalization workshops were introduced for local filmmakers, and programming continued to stress co-production activity and regional industry growth. These efforts align with the goals Maru Garzón Polanco outlined in the original interview about strengthening production capacity in the area.
Audience and Community Engagement
Early editions placed heavier weight on industry guests and professional activities. Later programming added more events aimed at local Sudcalifornian audiences, including workshops for regional cineastes. The festival has kept its dual commitment to cultural tourism and industry programming, creating a balance that brings together visitors and community members during the event.
Maru Garzón Polanco described the festival’s beginnings as an effort to spark dialogue among Canada, the United States, and Mexico. She highlighted selective programming and an industry platform as the two defining pillars. She also pointed to Telluride as a model for the intimate scale the team wanted to preserve while still engaging with larger festival structures for inspiration on diversity and market activity.
When asked about a formative film experience, she cited Peter Greenaway’s The Cook, the Thief, His Wife and Her Lover. She recalled being struck by its visual precision, symbolic environments, and layered political commentary. She noted how the film’s chromatic choices and music reinforced its dramatic intentions and left a lasting impression on her understanding of cinema’s range.
She advised new filmmakers to take risks and combine control of cinematic language with aesthetic experimentation. She described cinematography as the element that most captivates her, citing decisions around light, color, perspective, and spatial geometry. On personal viewing habits, she said she looks for films dense enough to reward repeated viewings and to shift perspective on reality each time.
The five-year plan outlined in 2019 called for committed audiences, a stronger Film Fund, and recognition as a must-attend event for both professionals and cinephiles. The festival has resumed annual editions after the 2023 pause, and the continued activity of the Gabriel Figueroa Film Fund and regional workshops shows ongoing work toward those objectives. Maru Garzón Polanco has remained engaged with the event year-round, underscoring the demands of maintaining high-caliber programming and guest relations.
She mentioned Sean Baker’s films Tangerine and The Florida Project as notable American independent work, Tatiana Huezo’s poetic approach to violence and social issues in Mexico, and Sophie Deraspe’s strong female characters in Canadian cinema. These filmmakers reflect the festival’s interest in distinctive voices across North America. The partnership with Destinations in Paradise continues to position the event within a high-end tourism setting, offering private villas and oceanfront amenities for attendees traveling to the region for screenings and industry meetings.
The 2019 Latin American premiere of The Irishman and Robert De Niro’s presence gave the festival significant visibility. That moment reinforced the team’s commitment to securing major titles and high-profile guests. The festival’s return and subsequent editions have built on that foundation while adapting to funding realities and audience needs. Maru Garzón Polanco’s reflections on programming, industry support, and community reach remain relevant as the event moves forward with its fourteenth edition planned for late 2026.
