DIRECTOR STATEMENT
"Barefaced" is a short film born out of the need to confront a moment in my life that I am not proud of. It is an exploration of anguish, despair, and regret, but also of learning and the possibility of moving forward. I believe that mistakes always stay with us, shaping us and, in a way, becoming part of who we are. Through this story, I seek to reflect on the duality between what we show and who we truly are, and how, despite everything, we must continue with our lives, hiding behind a mask.

DIRECTOR BIO
Joaquín Eduardo Arce Cabrera (Sinaloa, México, June 19, 2002) is a filmmaker interested in exploring reality through different cinematic techniques and perspectives. His foray into cinema began with Descarado (2023), a stop-motion animated short film created after moving to Guadalajara, conceived as a visceral and symbolic piece.

He later co-directed Esaú (2023) alongside Emilio Fuentes and Juan Diego Acosta, a documentary short that addresses forced disappearance through the testimony of a father. His most recent work, Oculto (2024), co-directed with Nubia R. Magallón, is an experimental short film that fuses painting and cinema into an abstract audiovisual work.

In 2026, he will premiere "La Estampida", a horror short film that seeks to raise awareness about the situation of animals in a world where being born human defines destiny.