The 53rd International Film Festival of India (IFFI) will screen at least seven Mexican films in a variety of categories as part of its celebration of international cinema, the organisers have said in a statement.

Mexico is known for celebrated filmmakers such as Alejandro González Iñárritu, Guillermo del Toro, Alfonso Cuarón and Carlos Reygadas, who have created world-class films and won countless international accolades.

At IFFI, the Mexican film Red Shoes will be competing with 14 other films in the International Competition segment, the winner of which is awarded the coveted Golden Peacock.

Directed by Karlos Eichelmann Kaisar, Red Shoes is a film about a farmer receiving the news of his daughter’s death and his struggles to bring her body home. The film was in contention for the Audience Award at Venice International Film Festival.

Another Mexican film, Island of Lost Girls, which is helmed by Ann-Marie Schmidt and Brian Schmidt, is also competing for the title of Best Debut Feature Director. The film tells a gripping tale of three sisters who get stranded in a marine cave where they have to battle for survival. Both the Fantasia Festival and the Moscow International Film Festival screened this movie.

The remaining five films of Mexican origin marking their presence at IFFI 53 are Blanquita, Sol’s Journey, Eami, Pinocchio and Huesera.

Conducted every year by the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, the IFFI aims to celebrate films, the stories they tell and the people behind them. The 53rd edition of the festival is scheduled to take place from November 20 to 28 in Panaji, Goa.