Cinematographer Sara Purgatorio AMC CCS took part in Semana AMC 2026, organised by the Asociación Mexicana de Cinefotografía, which was held in Mexico City from 1 to 6 September. The historic Estudios Churubusco Azteca served as the event’s main venue, while several sessions took place in the THX auditorium at the Centro de Capacitación Cinematográfica.
Semana AMC offered six days of masterclasses, lectures, round-table discussions, workshops, screenings and professional meetings, alongside a major trade fair dedicated to technologies, products and services for film production. It provided an important opportunity for international learning and exchange, bringing together cinematographers, audiovisual professionals, industry companies and students.
Among the most distinguished guests were Guillermo Navarro AMC ASC, Academy Award winner for his cinematography on Pan’s Labyrinth, and Spanish cinematographer Javier Aguirresarobe AEC. Celiana Cárdenas AMC and Almudena Sánchez AEC also took part in the programme, while Bárbara Enríquez and María Sarasvati led a session devoted to the making of the series One Hundred Years of Solitude. Also in attendance were a delegation from the Japanese Society of Cinematographers and producer Glenn Gainor, formerly Head of Physical Production at Amazon MGM Studios and Sony Pictures Screen Gems.
Semana AMC 2026 – Masterclass with Guillermo Navarro AMC ASC
The meetings and round-table discussions addressed a wide range of topics, including the relationship between cinema and artificial intelligence, the dialogue between cinematography and music, film preparation, technological change, sustainable production and the role of the human element in the cinema of the future. Particular attention was also devoted to comparing different filmmaking traditions and fostering dialogue between international professional associations, including CCS and AEC.
The workshop programme included lens testing, monitor calibration, in-depth sessions on the relationship between light, texture and slow motion, discussions devoted to the transition from the set to post-production, and technical visits to the photochemical laboratory at Estudios Churubusco. The programme also featured the live demonstration masterclass ‘Producción Virtual en Vivo: Así es una filmación de principio a fin’, devoted to virtual production and virtual sets, which demonstrated the entire production process live, from preparation through to the final shoot. The full Semana AMC workshop programme is available here.
The training sessions were complemented by screenings of films including Corina, El imperio de los conejos, Arráncame la vida, Isleño, Travesía a los confines and Everest a oscuras. A particularly notable event was the screening of Pan’s Labyrinth, followed by a discussion with Guillermo Navarro. The trade fair also featured numerous international industry brands, including ARRI, Sony, Canon, Zeiss, Kodak, Blackmagic Design, Astera, Godox and FilmLight.
Sara Purgatorio’s masterclass
As part of this international programme, Sara Purgatorio AMC CCS gave the masterclass Independent Cinema: Building a Visual Language with Limited Resources on 6 September at Foro 2 of Estudios Churubusco.
The session offered a practical insight into independent filmmaking, showing how different cultural, economic and production contexts shape the creative and technical decisions involved in cinematography. The masterclass focused on several key areas:
- the differences between independent productions in different countries, their various organisational models, and the challenges and opportunities presented by international productions;
- the use of natural and diegetic light as primary narrative tools, together with collaboration between the cinematography and production design departments in shaping the film’s visual identity;
- the need to maintain aesthetic consistency throughout the entire project, even when working under constraints and with limited resources;
- the importance of preparation and pre-production, which are essential for defining a visual strategy and making the key creative decisions before arriving on set;
- choosing the equipment best suited to the narrative requirements of each project and making the most of the available resources without compromising image quality;
- managing resources and building a motivated, flexible crew fully committed to the film’s artistic vision.
The masterclass also explored the craft of independent filmmaking through case studies from films shot by Sara Purgatorio: Il lungo viaggio by Renato De Maria, Broken Land by Joseph Todd Walker and Lo Scuru by Giuseppe William Lombardo. The analysis of selected sequences provided an opportunity to explore the creative process, technical and narrative choices, and the relationship between the image, staging, production design and production.
The session concluded with questions from the audience and a reflection on the present and future of independent cinema, reaffirming that preparation, collaboration between departments and the ability to turn production constraints into creative opportunities are essential to developing an authentic visual language. The page dedicated to Sara Purgatorio’s masterclass is available here.
As a testament to the importance of the event and the dialogue established between the two associations, AMC co-presidentsDiana Garay and Alfredo Altamirano sent Collettivo Chiaroscuro anofficial letter of thanks, highlighting the strong response from the Mexican audience to Sara Purgatorio’s masterclass and expressing their hope for further collaboration between Mexico and Italy.
Leggi la lettera di ringraziamento dell’AMC al Collettivo Chiaroscuro.
