Nationalism and regionalism have been fundamental in the building of ideological, imaginery and aestheticre sources in Mexican film industry. This essay examines the origins and the different reasons that determined these characteristics, identifying some of their variations and giving example staken from relevant expresions of this seventh art produced in Mexico during the period 1930 to 1960. Finally it establishes a critical reflexión on the essencialistic principles of the “mexicanidad” that is one of the fundamental basis of this cinema.