Tucson, AZ [June 2, 2017] – Vicky Westover, director of the University of Arizona’s Hanson Film Institute, was invited to speak at the 2017 Arizona-Mexico Commission Summit. The summit, for which 600 delegates convened in Scottsdale, brought together decision makers from both the government and private sectors to promote a strong, cooperative relationship between Arizona and Mexico. Ms. Westover joined Director of the Arizona Office of Film & Digital Media, Matthew Earl Jones, and Film Producer and President of Fábrica de Cine, Gastón Pavlovich, on a panel to discuss investment, branding and job creation in the film industry in the Arizona Sonora region.
Since its inception in 2004, Ms. Westover has developed the Hanson Film Institute into a vibrant hub cultivating the art and business of film and television in the region. A special focus of the Institute is Native American and Mexican filmmaking, and a signature program of the Institute is Tucson Cine Mexico, now the longest-running festival in the United States celebrating contemporary Mexican cinema. Over the years, the festival has played host to some 40 filmmakers from Mexico, screened more than 120 films, and attracted a culturally diverse audience of around 20,000. In addition to Tucson Cine Mexico, the Hanson Film Institute provides support for filmmakers in the region via workshops, location scouts, producing services and the facilitation of connections and introductions between filmmakers and industry professionals.
Vicky Westover said “I’m delighted to have served on the panel and have had the opportunity to inform business and government leaders about Tucson Cine Mexico and to participate in the dialogue about a vision for a lively Arizona-Sonora region film industry.”
Governor Doug Ducey and Sonora Governor Claudia Pavlovich hosted the 2017 Arizona-Mexico Commission Summit. The summit, titled “At the Crossroads of Opportunity,” consisted of distinguished speakers from strategic sectors of business and opportunity, discussing topics ranging from cross-border trade and investment to enhancing regional competitiveness and revitalizing the film industry in the ArizonaMexico region. Among the notable keynote speakers were Union Pacific Railroad President and CEO Lance Fritz, U.S. Customs and Border Protection Acting Deputy Commissioner Ronald Vitiello, ProMéxico CEO Paulo Carreño King, U.S. Senator Jeff Flake, Mexican Film Producer Gastón Pavlovich, and Aeromar Airlines CEO Andrés Fabre. The event was a continuation of the Governor’s efforts to highlight the importance of the Arizona-Mexico relationship.
For more details: https://www.azmc.org/2017amcsummit/
