COLEF's Frontier Image Memory Project

The COLEGIO DE LA FRONTERA NORTE a.k.a. COLEF (Northern Frontier College) is a scientific research and high level teaching institution, specialized in the study of the day to day problems in the Mexico-USA Border region. COLEF's primary goal is to transform the knowledge it gathers and generates into a vast resource for the planning and decision making that will contribute to the improvement and development of the region.

COLEF's Frontier Image Memory is a project that turns this institution into a center of graphical and historical reference of occurring events in United States-Mexico border. To this date it stores more than 25 thousand digital archives, along with printed material and slides.

Here are some examples of their vast image library:

Borders and fences

Migrants

Border cities

Border crossings

Border people

Border symbols

Industry and development

Nature

Rio Bravo (Bravo River)


If you are interested in any of the images shown (or others not shown), please contact: foto@colef.mx

Happy Birthday TIJUANA..!

Coat of Arms of the City of Tijuana

Motto: Aquí empieza la Patria (The homeland starts here)

Tijuana is 119 years old today..!

Tijuana Panoramica
(click image to enlarge)
Source: Wikipedia/AlejandroMI92

A brief history of its foundation courtesy of Wikipedia

The land where the city of Tijuana would be built was originally inhabited by the Kumeyaay, a tribe of Yuman-speaking hunter-gatherers. Europeans arrived in 1542, when the Spanish explorer Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo toured the coastline of the area, which was later mapped in 1602 by Sebastián Vizcaíno. In 1769, Juan Crespí documented more detailed information about the area that would be called the Valley of Tijuana. Junípero Serra founded the first mission of Alta California in San Diego.

More settlement of the area took place near the end of the mission era when José María Echendía, governor of the Baja California and Alta California, awarded a large land grant to Santiago Argüello in 1829. This large cattle ranch, Rancho Tía Juana ("Aunt Jane Ranch"), covered 100 km² (40 sq mi).

In 1848, as a result of the Mexican-American War with the United States, Mexico lost all of Alta California. Tijuana acquired a new and distinct character and purpose on the international border. The city began to shed its cattle ranching origins and developed a new socio-economic structure.

1889 marked the beginning of the urban settlement, when descendants of Santiago Argüello and Agustín Olvera entered an agreement to begin development of the city of Tijuana. The date of the agreement, July 11, 1889, is recognized as the founding of the city.

UDC builds it’s own Movie Theater

UCD's Movie Theater - Main Entrance
(click on image to enlarge)

As a prelude to the start of the first term of UDC’s FILM SCHOOL, the "University of the Californias" (UDC) in Tijuana has began construction of its own Movie Theater, which will have an approximate capacity of 400 people seated in cinema type upholstered armchairs. It will also house a small audio-visual hall for conferences and presentations.

Architect Héctor Ortiz Peimbert, Coordinator for the Architecture and Civil Engineering School of the UDC, is the man in charge of this project and he has stated that the theater will be properly equipped with a digital projection system and a 35mm film projector. He also commented that the first stage of this project will be inaugurated at the end of August 2008, and concluded by the end of the year.

The DEAN of UDC, Ing. Antonio Carrillo Rodriguez pointed out that “This movie theater will be an open space where we will showcase film projects from all over Latin America and the Caribbean, we want to serve as hosts for Mexican Cinema Exhibitions and to be a space for the independent film directors who often do not find support in commercial movie theaters”.

He also comments that this is one of many actions that the UDC will undertake to support Latin American Cinematography.

Recently the UDC signed an agreement with the New Latin American Cinema Foundation, presided by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, and has made a commitment to encourage and promote Mexican and Latin America Cinema, in combination with already existing agreements with the San Diego Latino Film Festival , the Santiago de Chile Short Films Festival and others festivals in France.

Jorge Camarillo, Head of the Communications Sciences Faculty of the UDC, mentioned that this new area will also serve as a classroom and for workshops related to Acting, Staging and Lighting, once its open and ready for the first term of the UDC's Cinematography School in the month of September 2008th.

UCD's Movie Theater

400 people capacity

Digital and 35mm film projection

(click on image to enlarge)

Gone but not forgotten

SERGIO MOLINA

(1945 - 2008)

Sergio Molina, actor, writer, cultural promoter, and former National Film Commissioner of Mexico, passed away this Sunday June 29th at the age of 63 due to complications derived from pulmonary emphysema.

He was an active supporter of Mexico's Film Industry and for the last 10 years he worked nonstop to promote and develop film incentives to further the growth of Film Production in Mexico.

As head of the Mexican National Film Commission, Sergio Molina organized eight editions of EXPO LOCACIONES (Mexico’s National Locations Expo) and consolidated an effective network of State Film Commissions throughout Mexico.

During his last term as National Film Commissioner, the City of Tijuana applied and joined the National Film Commissions Network and after certification of being in full compliance with the rules and regulations, our city was recognized as Mexico's First City Film Commission.

Left to Right: Me, Gabriel del Valle (Baja State Film Commissioner) and Sergio Molina, at the Baja California and Tijuana Exhibit, in the 2007 Locations Trade show in Santa Monica, CA.

DON SERGIO (as we affectionately called him here in Tijuana) was a very charming, energetic and sometimes controversial man and I am sure no one will ever doubt where his heart truly was... In Cinema!

May he rest in peace.

PRIMERA PLANA (Front Page) shoots pilot episode in Tijuana

"PRIMERA PLANA" (Front Page) is a 1 hour crime drama/police procedural television series, similar in style and format to the highly rated C.S.I. series. This pilot is being shot in 35mm and it's intended audience is the Spanish speaking population of México and the U.S.A.

It's stars are GABY VERGARA, RAFAEL AMAYA and JUAN BAPTISTA, who are very popular Latin American soap stars as well as accomplished movie actors.

Gaby Vergara (top), Rafael Amaya (left) and Juan Baptista (right)

PRIMERA PLANA is being produced by JUAN CARLOS OCHOA and it is written and directed by RENE BUENO, with ALBERTO LEE as Director of Photography. Filming started this Monday May 30th. and it will wrap this Friday July 4th.

Camera crew setting up the next shot

Director Rene Bueno reviews the next shot (wearing white shirt and jeans)

Heriberto "La Gorda" Luzanilla, one of Baja's best and funniest GAFFERS