Manifesto
The World in Your Eyes
In the heart of Central America, land of volcanoes, ancient tongues, and restless stories, a beam of light pierces the dark, Guatemala opens its theaters to the world, a country that looks, listens, and allows itself to be seen, here, cinema is not mere projection, it is communion, and we believe in cinema as a universal language that transforms perception, unveils the unseen, and bridges the distance between cultures.
The Big Screen Experience
Cinema does not imitate reality, it reveals it, every storyteller who creates for the screen dreams of seeing their vision on the big screen, in a proper cinema, not confined to adapted spaces or diminished by distractions, for the seventh art was born to be experienced in the darkness of a theater, in collective silence, before an image that breathes, and the cinema hall is a sanctuary, a space built solely for its contemplation where time suspends and community begins.
The Synthesis of All Arts
Cinema is the synthesis of all arts: the literature of the script, the painting of the frame, the music of emotion, the dance of movement, the theater of bodies, the architecture of light and space, it deserves absolute reverence, for in it all creative forms converge into a single act of vision, and Guatemala Film Week stands as a window to international cinema, bringing the world’s stories to Guatemala and allowing Guatemala’s stories to speak back.
Celebrating Voices and Courage
The films we present carry no passports, only vision, courage, and soul, celebrating the plurality of voices and the boldness of creation, where every language and every form has a place, and we do not ask, “How much did it cost?”, we ask, “What does it dare to say?”, for cinema lives not in solitude, but in shared silence, when a theater holds its breath as one, when laughter and tears ripple through the darkness together, that collective, luminous, unrepeatable moment is the true measure of the art.
Cinema Rooted in Truth
We honor a cinema aware of its time, conscious of its impact, rooted in truth, and committed to reflection, for art does not exist apart from the world that inspires it, it exists to question, connect, and awaken, welcoming filmmakers, audiences, and stories with equal devotion. At Guatemala Film Week, we do not compete, we converse, we share, we celebrate, seeking resonance that lingers and images that remain long after the screen fades to black.
Respect for the Seventh Art
To the creators of the world, bring your stories, they will be seen as they deserve, on the grand screen, in reverent silence, and to the spectators, come with open eyes and listening hearts, for cinema is the only art experienced in complete silence, within a space built for its light, and within that silence, profound, shared, and luminous, the world begins to see itself anew. Guatemala Film Week, cinema as it was meant to be, on the big screen, in presence, with respect.
Signed by the Artistic Direction of Guatemala Film Week
Guatemala City, November 2025.
