FESTIVAL PREMIERE
THE TRIBUTE
Director: Josué Sánchez Reyes
Driven by a desire to reunite with his father, a young man ventures into the forest to perform an ancient Nahuatl ritual. Guided by an elderly couple who promise to open a bridge to the afterlife, what begins as a desperate attempt at reconciliation soon transforms into an invocation. Amid candles, shadows, and memories, a presence reveals that summoning the dead can awaken something far worse.
CAST & CREDITS
Director
Josué Sánchez Reyes
Writer
Josué Sánchez Reyes
Producer
Itzel Elena Parra, Josué Sánchez Reyes
Key Cast
Alan Jesús Sánchez Arce, Sebastián Sánchez Marcial, Margarita Flores Pérez, Feliciano Sánchez Flores
DIRECTORS STATEMENT
THE TRIBUTE is a short fiction film born from my interest in revisiting elements present in my community, such as the use of Nahuatl and the practices associated with the Day of the Dead tradition.
Rather than literally representing a tradition, this project seeks to construct a narrative and atmospheric experience that explores the relationship between absence, grief, and the need for connection with a deceased family member.
The inspiration comes from community dynamics where the offering functions not only as a link to the dead but also as an act of communion among the living. From this idea, the short film moves away from a focus on horror to concentrate on the emotional tension that arises from this desire for connection.
-JSR, 2026
DIRECTORS BIO
(México, 2002) (México, 2002) Originario de las comunidades nahuas de San Isidro Buensuceso, en Tlaxcala, México; vive en San Miguel Canoa, Puebla, México.
Actualmente cursa el tercer Semestre de la Licenciatura en Cinematografía en CINEMA Escuela de Cinematografía y Medios Audiovisuales.
Participó en el cortometraje TECHIQ (2023) como codirector de fotografía y editor. Este corto fue nominado a los premios Ariel de la Academia Mexicana de Cine, producido con el apoyo del IMCINE por medio del ECAMC 2023.
Su cortometraje debut como director de ficción, “La Ofrenda”, ha sido seleccionado en una docena de festivales internacionales como VLAFF en Canadá y YOUKI en Austria. Obtuvo el Premio del Público en el Festival MITOTE de Cine Juvenil e Independiente 2026.
