Puerto Vallarta Hosts Premiere of 'Sundown' Gustavo Rivas-Solis - Visit Puerto Vallarta
April 5, 2016

On April 14, the Puerto Vallarta Tourism Board will host the premiere of the movie Sundown with its celebrity cast and celebrated director Fernando Lebrija.
 
Sundown is the latest motion picture to be entirely shot in Puerto Vallarta; adding to some 30 US film productions that have taken place in the destination. As an effort to promote the city’s Hollywood connections, including its long tradition of attracting film productions and its appeal to Hollywood celebrities who continue to find secret getaways in the city, the tourism board's public relations agency, LATITUDE, will be bringing over 30 media from the US and Canada, including CNN, Variety Magazine, Latina Magazine, Beverly Hills Magazine Online, Atkins Report, Tripatini, Upscale Magazine, Valley Scene, Modeliste, Let's Go, DFW! and a group of social media influences and celebrities.
 
While in Puerto Vallarta, celebrity guests and media will experience the destination’s luxury offerings, gastronomy, nightlife and visit some of the city’s most secluded and coveted spots.
 
Sundown, by Mexican director Fernando Lebrija, is scheduled to open in the US and Canada on May 14, is one of two films premiering this year that were partly funded by the State of Jalisco’s new filming commission (COFIEJ) and was almost completely shot in Puerto Vallarta. The other film, the Sundance Festival favorite Mr. Pig, was directed by Diego Luna and staring Maya Rudolph and Danny Glover.
 
The city of Puerto Vallarta has a deep historical connection with Hollywood. Its position as an international tourist destination was framed when filming of John Huston’s Night of the Iguana came to its shores and with it one of the most talked about love affairs of the past century, that of Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton; placing the then small coastal town in the eye of a paparazzi storm with media from all parts of the world reporting on all aspects of the couple’s life and with it Puerto Vallarta.
 
Since then, the city has continued to attract celebrities to its shores. Celebrities such as Lady Gaga, Eva Longoria, Gwenyth Paltrow, Zendaya, Chris Tucker, Sofia Vergara and Joe Manganiello have strolled the cobblestone streets of Puerto Vallarta’s markets, taco stands and Malecon with ease and little fanfare. The city’s secluded surroundings and laid back feel is a respite from the Hollywood lifestyle and provides personalities some much needed privacy and downtime.
 
With the establishment of COFIJ, more national and international films are expected to be filmed in Puerto Vallarta in the upcoming years, already confirmed is Venezuelan model and actress’ Marjorie De Sousa’s latest film Como Va.

Puerto Vallarta’s combination of perfect natural light, year-round summer weather, lush picturesque locations and colonial-era setting has attracted film makers and movie stars since 1963 when John Huston brought his cast and crew to Puerto Vallarta to film Tennessee Williams’ “Night of the Iguana.” Since then more than 30 major Hollywood productions have been filmed in the destination, each considered to be a major contributing factor to the growth of travel by American and Canadians.
 
Some of the popular movies that have been filmed in Puerto Vallarta are: The Night of the Iguana (1964) • The Domino Principle (1977) • Herbie Goes Bananas (1980) • Caveman (1981)• Down Twisted (1987)   • Firewalker (1986) • Predator (1987) • Revenge (1990) • Gunmen (1993) • Blind side (1993) • Kiss me Goodbye (1982) • Puerto Vallarta Squeeze (2004) • Kill Bill 2 (2004) • A Chihuahua in Beverly Hills (2008) • Dinoshark (2008) • Sharktopus (2010) •  Limitless (2011)
 
Cinema fans visiting Puerto Vallarta should not miss the following film locations:
 
El Malecon: Before the 2011 Bradly Cooper flick, Limitless, featured Puerto Vallarta’s iconic colonial boardwalk in its high-speed chase, Tinsel Town had already shown El Malecon in Robert Shaw’s 1976 thriller,  “Swashbuckler”, the  Harvey Keitel feature “Puerto Vallarta Squeeze” and 2008’s “Beverly Hills Chihuahua” where its arches starred alongside major international stars. Visitors will find the Malecon both tranquil and romantic, making for the perfect setting for a nice afternoon walk or sunset stroll while enjoying the many arts and crafts markets, gigantic statues and sculptures that decorate its sidewalk, and free outdoor entertainment, including live music, theater, mimes, and the flying dancers of Papantla. Many award-winning local restaurants, renowned for their unique fusion cuisine are located right off of the boardwalk.
 
Mismaloya Beach: made famous by one of Hollywood’s most controversial films, John Huston’s the “Night of the Iguana” (1964), this tropical paradise, where the verdant jungle vegetation of the Sierra Madre mountains meets the crystal clear waters of Banderas Bay, is now a favorite among adventure fans who can practice sport fishing and diving in front of the impressive rock formations called los Arcos (the arches). Mismaloya was also the location for Arnold Swarzenegger’s 1987 action blockbuster  the “Predator.” Visit El Eden Eco Park and its surrounding rain forest and water fall in the middle of the dense jungles of the Sierra Madre where the crashed helicopter can still be seen at the set of the “Predator.”
 
Additional information on Puerto Vallarta is available at Visit Puerto Vallarta.

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