Abstract
The history of Mexican cinema belongs to the most interesting ones even in an international context. This text presents a brief outline.
The first film screenings in Mexico were taking place from 1896. One of the most important early pioneers was Salvador Toscano.
The only film from the silent era which has acclaim up until today for its artistic quality is El autómovil gris (1921, The Grey Automobile). The first attempts to make a sound film appeared in 1929.
In the thirties, a new generation of directors appeared who created conditions for the so-called "golden era" of Mexican cinema (1942-1953). The second "golden era" in the seventies is represented by names like Felipe Cazals, Arturo Ripstein, or Paul Leduc.
The nineties brought in a stream of so-called "New Mexican Cinema" which was accompanied with important legislative and economical changes. With the coming of the new millennium, Mexican cinema was affected with a deep crisis which brought in a new aesthetics as well as new names.