Popular Autonomous University of the State of Puebla (UPAEP), Puebla, México

The Popular Autonomous University of the State of Puebla, commonly referred to by its official acronym UPAEP, is a Mexican higher education institution founded under Catholic inspiration by university students and teachers. It is supported by broad sectors of Puebla’s society, an effort that represents a model of authentic social solidarity. With its recent 50th anniversary, UPAEP currently offers 45 Bachelor degrees, as well as Masters and PhDs in face-to face, online and mixed formats.  

The Bachelor Degree in Film and Audiovisual Production was founded in 2009 to prepare professionals who create cinematographic and audiovisual works through the concept, planning and development of projects, by being trained in the written, visual and technological languages ​​of the audiovisual discipline, with a humanist vision that intends to understand cinema not as a goal in itself, but as a means to serve the intention – always bigger and more important – of a better México, through reflexive, respectful and conscious comprehension of the social context. 

Since 2013 we are proud to be members of the Federation of Schools of Image and Sound of Latin America (FEISAL), nowadays with a seat in the Directive Board. In turn, our program is accredited by the Communication Accreditation Council A.C. (CONAC) since 2017, guaranteeing our students to receive quality education.  

The curricular map contemplates the vertical articulation of the study plan in thematic axes: Directing, Producing, Screenwriting, Editing, Cinematography, and Sound, which are gradually addressed in the integration of the subjects by semester. The thematic axes belong both to the theory and practice of cinema, as well as to subjects aimed at achieving the institutional profile.   

Additionally, six transversal filming processes, both fiction and documentary, are carried out throughout the program, in which the processes of the project development industry are followed, contemplating generation of production folders and pitching before both internal and external judges. In addition to this, students are accompanied in these processes by the joint work of the teaching staff. Through personalized attention, the professors provide advice in their area of specialty to each of the projects. 

The academic program has nine learning outcomes which will be developed during the student’s university itinerary. At the end of their educational process, students will be able to: 

  • Generate fictional stories or documentaries with an ethical and humanistic sense to achieve a significant experience for the viewer.  
  • Design comprehensive audiovisual projects, from the idea to its commercial exploitation.  
  • Develop content for the field of cinema and audiovisuals.  
  • Lead audiovisual and film work teams to complete projects.  
  • Make strategic decisions that guarantee the conclusion of the audiovisual and cinematographic work.  
  • Adopt positions consistent with his thought and audiovisual work.  
  • Produce quality cinematographic and audiovisual works, for a more humane conscience of society. 
  • Evaluate realities in their environment to document them as projects.  
  • Work collaboratively on audiovisual projects. 

The curricular map allows students to select elective subjects from two possible terminal lines: Artistic-Conceptual and Artistic-Technical, in the last three semesters. The first terminal line includes the areas of directing, scriptwriting and producing, and the second line includes cinematography, sound and post production, editing is present in both lines, bonding them. By promoting the integral comprehension of the creation, development, pre-production, production and post-production of an audiovisual project, we aspire to generate filmmakers who empathize and understand the work of all cinematographic areas. 

Finally, to complement all the learning of the students, our BFA has the Film and Communication research group, which promotes the research work of teachers in order to bring updated or new knowledge to the classroom. 

Degree Levels & Specializations 

Our BFA’s length is nine four-month periods. In their third year of undergraduate study students can choose to specialize in one of the two terminal lines mentioned above.  The language of studies for the program is Spanish with guest lectures in English. The tuition fees, both for residents and nonresidents, is around €3,600 Euros per cycle (we have 9 of them). In our last admission period in 2022, the number of enrolled students was 40, of which 27 were male and 13 females. At this moment we have a total of 203 students, of which 124 are men and 79 women. 

UPAEP’s admission criteria to all programs consider an admission exam with a battery of different tests: psychological, knowledge and skills. Interviews also take place when considered necessary. Our theory/practice ratio is very balanced (50/50) considering that all UPAEP students, of all programs, must study subjects such as ethics, catholic humanism, contemporary world, reading-writing, entrepreneurism, etc. And the same goes in regard to the “film subjects” by itself: a very balanced amount of theory/practice (45/55). 

In order to graduate, the student can shoot a short fiction, documentary or animation film, complete a production portfolio or write a feature film script. Additionally, the student can graduate by obtaining an outstanding final grade in his/her performance throughout the career, as well as pursuing postgraduate studies. Students’ graduation obligations are: achieving a passing grade (7.0 to 10) in all subjects of the program; completing 480 hours of social service and 240 of professional practices; and presenting a “professional exam” before three juries, where he has to explain and defend everything related to his final degree project. 

Successful Graduates (alphabetically)  

Augusto García, Cinematographer. Has worked in different award-winning narrative short films, documentaries, music videos and commercials. In 2022 he studied MFA in Cinematography at the American Film Institute Conservatory (AFI). https://www.augustogarciadp.com/about/ 

Carlos Trujano, Director/Screenwriter. His work has been nominated for nine Crystal Screen Awards (Mexico), the 2017 Diosa de Plata Award (Mexico) and in more than 15 film festivals 

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm6859146/awards/?ref_=nm_ql_2 

Enrique Parada Centeno, VFX/Producer. He has worked in a variety of feature films: Cygnus (2017), La carga (2017), La Diosa del Asfalto (2020) among others. 

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm7758073/?ref_=nv_sr_1?ref_=nv_sr_1    

José Luis Fernández Ojeda, Director/Screenwriter/Producer. His short Dionisio Juglar was nominated for the 2019 Diosa de Plata Award (Mexico).  

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm7355113/?ref_=ext_shr_lnk 

Mariana Martínez Gómez, Director/Screenwriter. Her short Franco was nominated for the 2019 Diosa de Plata Award (Mexico) and for the Fribourg International Film Festival (Switzerland). 

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm8017891/?ref_=ext_shr_lnk 

Octavio Sánchez Avendaño, Sound Designer. He has worked on a variety of feature films, television series, and short films: Huachicolero (2019), Hasta los dientes (2018), Marvel Lucha Libre Edition (2022). 

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm8057649/?ref_=tt_rv    

Rodrigo Durán, Producer. He has being nominated in Shorts Mexico with his work Sin Rastro (2017), as well as at the MIX Mexico Film and Video Festival with the short film Perspectivas (2017). 

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5679746/awards/?ref_=nm_ql_2 

Vianey Conde Salamanca, Sound Designer. Some of the films in which she has worked are the following: El tigre y la flor (2017), Los días más oscuros de nosotras (2017) among others.  

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm7120530/?ref_=tt_rv    

Links to Student Films:  

Hiro. Dir. Ana Urrutia (8′, 2017)  

https://vimeo.com/798519133?share=copy 

Entre el cielo y la tierra. Dir. Ana Urrutia (10′, 2018)  

https://vimeo.com/329842717?share=copy 

Ya vuelvo. Dir. Francisco Casillas (7′, 2018)  

https://vimeo.com/798949756?share=copy 

Getsemaní. Dir. Carlos Trujano (23′, 2016)  

https://vimeo.com/851405802?share=copy 

La resurrección del Doctor Maldad. Dir. Pablo Montiel (10′, 2020) 

https://vimeo.com/851408119?share=copy 

 

María Fernanda Herrera Morales

María Fernanda Herrera Morales graduated from the UPAEP where she studied the BFA in Film and Audiovisual Production and MBA in Direction and Marketing. Her work as a screenwriter has been awarded in a variety of calls and festivals, national and international, among which are: The Ibero-American Script Residence, the Bolivia Lab, the International Film Festival of America, Shorts Mexico, the Stimulus to Innovation and Artistic Development by the IMACP, among others. She is currently the Director of the BFA in Film and Audiovisual Production, providing students with an updated perspective in screenwriting.
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