Thelma, directed by Josh Margolin and starring June Squibb, Fred Hechinger, Parker Posey and Richard Roundtree (in his final film role) will open the 41st Miami Film Festival taking place from April 5-14, 2024. The Festival will close with Ezra, directed by Tony Goldwyn, who will be in attendance on Saturday, April 13.
The 2024 Miami Film Festival lineup will celebrate more than 165 feature narratives, documentaries, and short films of all genres, from over 31 countries worldwide.
MFF will open with the Magnolia Pictures film Thelma. Josh Margolin’s American comedy film follows a grandmother who embarks on a quest to recoup her money after she loses $10,000 in a phone scam. The film stars June Squibb, Fred Hechinger, Richard Roundtree, Parker Posey, Clark Gregg, and Malcolm McDowell. Director Josh Margolin and producer Zoë Worth will be in attendance to introduce the film.
The Festival will close with Bleecker Street’s Ezra, starring Bobby Cannavale, Rose Byrne, Robert De Niro, Vera Farmiga, Whoopi Goldberg, and Rainn Wilson. From director Tony Goldwyn, Ezra follows Max Bernal, a stand-up comedian living with his father, while struggling to co-parent his autistic son Ezra with his ex-wife. When forced to confront difficult decisions about their son’s future, Max and Ezra embark on a cross-country road trip that has a transcendent impact on both their lives. Ezra is an endearing and often funny exploration of a family determined to find their way through life’s complexities with humor, compassion, and heart.
The screening of Ezra will be preceded by a presentation of the Festival’s Art of Light Award to director Tony Goldwyn.
Alison Brie will also be a recipient of The Art of Light Award. Brie recently starred in Freelance opposite John Cena, Somebody I Used to Know which she co-wrote and executive produced, Emerald Fennell’s Promising Young Woman, Horse Girl which she co-wrote and produced and Happiest Season. Brie is currently in production on Together which she is starring in and producing alongside Dave Franco.
In addition to the Art of Light honorees, director Greg Kwedar will be honored with the Impact Award for his film Sing Sing, which will be screened at the Festival. The Impact Award is presented to Kwedar in recognition of his film’s considerable impact in advocating for dignity, healing, and rehabilitation within our criminal justice system. Kwedar’s additional credits include Jockey, which garnered a Film Independent Spirit Award nomination and Transpecos, which won the 2016 Audience Award at SXSW.
MARQUEE screening
Three MARQUEE screening presentations will be presented with directors in attendance for post-screening Q&As. These include:
- Dear Jassi (India, directed by Tarsem Singh), following the story of a young couple who desperately want to be together, but are separated due to time, distance, and societal expectations.
- Directly following the Florida Premiere screening of Dear Jassi, the Festival will host a 35mm retrospective screening of Singh’s 2000 film The Cell, co-presented by Popcorn Frights.
- Sing Sing (United States, directed by Greg Kwedar), following the story of a theater troupe who finds escape from the realities of incarceration through the creativity of putting on a play in this film based on a real-life rehabilitation program and featuring a cast that includes formerly incarcerated actors. Starring Colman Domingo, Clarence Maclin, Paul Raci and Sean San José.
- The Performance (United States, directed by Shira Piven), following the story of Harold May, an American Jew and gifted tap dancer. While on tour in Europe, Harold, played by Jeremy Piven, and the rest of his troupe are scouted by a German attaché who leads the troupe to an exclusive performance for Hitler himself.
CINEDWNTWN Gala screening
Three CINEDWNTWN Gala screening presentations will take place at the Adrienne Arsht Center’s Knight Concert Hall with talent in attendance. These include:
- Los Frikis (United States, directed by Tyler Nilson & Michael Schwartz) – World Premiere – Based on the true story of teenagers who deliberately inject themselves with HIV to escape the oppression of “Special Period” Cuba.
- Mountains (United States, directed by Monica Sorelle), following a Haitian demolition worker who is faced with the realities of redevelopment as he is tasked with dismantling his rapidly gentrifying Miami neighborhood.
- The Asylum (United States, directed by Jaime Gutierrez), transports us back to Miami Senior High in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s, where we witness the impact and legacy of the Stingarees basketball program.
CENTERPIECE screening
The Festival will also feature a CENTERPIECE screening of The Idea of You, directed by Michael Showalter, the celebrated director behind films such as The Big Sick and The Eyes of Tammy Faye. The Idea of You stars Anne Hathaway and Nicholas Galitzine, and centers on Solène, a 40-year-old single mom who begins an unexpected whirlwind romance with 24-year-old Hayes Campbell, the lead singer of August Moon, the hottest boy band on the planet.
Special Presentation screenings
30 Special Presentation screenings will add to the depth of creative filmmaking from around the world to Miami. These include:
- 32 Sounds (United States, directed by Sam Green) – Florida Premiere
- Antihero (United States, directed by Patricia Juárez) – World Premiere
- Blue Pandora (Cuba, directed by Alan González)
- Chosen Family (United States, directed by Heather Graham) – East Coast Premiere
- Copa 71 (United Kingdom, directed by James Erskine and Rachel Ramsay)
- Ex-Husbands (United States, directed by Noah Pritzker) – Florida Premiere
- Fallen Fruit (United States, directed by Chris Molina) – World Premiere
- George Dureau: New Orleans Artist (United States, directed by Jarret Lofstead and Sergio Andrés Lobo-Navia) – East Coast Premiere
- Goodbye Julia (Sudan, directed by Mohamed Kordofani)
- Happy Clothes: A Film About Patricia Field (United States, directed by Michael Selditch and Molly Rogers)
- Heart Strings (United States, directed by Ante de Jong) – International Premiere
- Nicolás Guillén Landrián Shorts Retrospective – (Cuba, directed by Nicolás Guillén Landrián and Jorge Egusquiza Zorill) – North American Premiere
- The Idea of You – (United States, directed by Michael Showalter) – Florida Premiere
- Junction (United States, directed by Bryan Greenberg) – Theatrical Florida Premiere
- Last Summer (France, directed by Catherine Breillat) – Florida Premiere
- Queen of Bones (United States, directed by Robert Budreau) – East Coast Premiere
- Red Rooms (Canada, directed by Pascal Plante) – Florida Premiere
- Rosalie (France, directed by Stéphanie Di Giusto) – Florida Premiere
- Seven Blessings (Israel, directed by Ayelet Menahemi)
- Sting (Australia, directed by Kiah Roache-Turner)
- Talking in Your Sleep (United States, directed by Juancho Rodriguez)
- The Asylum (United States, directed by Jaime Gutierrez)
- The Concierge (Japan, directed by Yoshimi Itazu)
- The New Boy (Australia, directed by Warwick Thornton) – Florida Premiere
- The Performance (United States, directed by Shira Piven) – Florida Premiere
- The Practice (Argentina, directed by Martín Rejtman) – Florida Premiere
- Toll (Brazil, directed by Carolina Markowicz) – East Coast Premiere
- UnBroken (United States, directed by Beth Lane)
- Under Therapy (Spain, directed by Gerardo Herrero) – Florida Premiere
- Unión de Reyes (Union of Kings) (United States, directed by Danny Pino) – East Coast Premiere
MARIMBAS Award competition
The $20,000 MARIMBAS Award is an international competition for new narrative feature films that best exemplify richness and resonance for cinema’s future. (A marimba is a variation of a xylophone that produces a deeper, richer and more resonant tone than a traditional xylophone. The marimba originated in Guatemala and Central America approximately 400 years ago and remains popular to this day in a wide variety of musical disciplines. The name of Miami Film Festival’s award is inspired by its 2011 winner, Julio Hernandez Cordon’s Marimbas from Hell, which embodies the spirit of forward-looking cinema.) Films chosen for this year’s MARIMBAS Award are:
- A Normal Family (South Korea, directed by Hur Jin-Ho) – Florida Premiere
- Back to Life (Vuelve a la Vida) (Venezuela, directed by Alfredo Hueck and Luis Carlos Hueck) – World Premiere
- Close Your Eyes (Cerrar los Ojos) (Spain, directed by Víctor Erice) – Florida Premiere
- Days of Happiness (Canada, directed by Chloé Robichaud) – Florida Premiere
- Dear Jassi (India, directed by Tarsem Singh) – Florida Premiere
- Ezra (United States, directed by Tony Goldwyn) – Florida Premiere
- Ghostlight (United States, directed by Kelly O’Sullivan and Alex Thompson) – Florida Premiere
- Joika (United States, directed by James Napier Robertson) – Florida Premiere
- Los Frikis (United States, directed by Tyler Nilson and Michael Schwartz) – World Premiere
- Out of Season (France, directed by Stéphane Brizé) – US Premiere
- Puan (Argentina, directed by María Alché and Benjamín Naishtat) – East Coast Premiere
- Sing Sing (United States, directed by Greg Kwedar) – Florida Premiere
- Something is About to Happen (Que nadie duerma) (Spain, directed by Antonio Méndez Esparza) – International Premiere
- Sujo (United States, directed by Astrid Rondero and Fernanda Valadez) – East Coast Premiere
- The Rye Horn (Spain, directed by Jaione Camborda) – US Premiere
- The Shadow of The Sun (Venezuela, directed by Miguel Angel Ferrer) – Florida Premiere
- We Grown Now (United States, directed by Mingal Baig) – Florida Premiere
Made in MIA Award competition
For the seventh year of the Festival’s Made in MIA Award competition, the Festival will award two prizes – $25,000 to the best feature-length film making a minimum Florida premiere in the Festival and $10,000 to the best short film – of any genre – that features a substantial portion of its content (story, setting and actual filming location) in South Florida, from West Palm Beach to the Florida Keys, and that most universally demonstrates a common ground of pride, emotion, and faith for the South Florida community. The films competing for this award are:
- A Communist Brainwashed My Daughter (United States, directed by Daniel Lago) – World Premiere
- Idol Affair (Buscando A Coque) (Spain, directed by Teresa Bellón and César F. Calvillo) – International Premiere
- Mountains (United States, directed by Monica Sorelle) – Florida Premiere
- Mumble: Fate of A Lost Icon (United States, directed by Frankie Midnight) – Theatrical World Premiere
- Naked Ambition: Bunny Yeager (United States, directed by Dennis Scholl & Kareem Tabsch) – Florida Premiere
- Puffing Iron (United States, directed by Chris Rodriguez and Grant Rosado) – World Premiere
- Resident Orca (Canada, directed by Sarah Sharkey Pearce and Simon Schneider) – World Premiere
Made in MIA Short Film Award
Twenty-four films will compete for the $10,000 Made in MIA Short Film Award. They are the following:
- “Adiós Abuelita,” directed by Anthony Romaguera
- “Ba-ba,” directed by Ronald Baez
- “Churchill’s,” directed by Matt Deblinger
- “Creator(s),” directed by Jennifer Joy O’Grady
- “El Reggaetonero,” directed by Eddy Moon
- “El Soldador,” directed by Alexandra Martinez
- “Gainza,” directed by Mariela Farfan
- “Garden High,” directed by Jayme Kaye Gershen“Homemaker,” directed by Carlie McCann
- “In God’s Hands,” directed by Alexandra Codina
- “In The Absence Of Fruits And Flowers,” directed by Kali Kahn
- “Jack And Sam,” directed by Jordan Matthew Horowitz
- “Jellyfish Jam,” directed by Noelia Solange and Yulia Safonkina
- “June 1,” directed by Rio Angelo
- “Kaila,” directed by Angelica Bourland
- “Konpa,” directed by Al’Ikens Plancher
- “Letter From The Age of Ecocide,” directed by Shireen Rahimi
- “Not Rod,” directed by Becca Greene and Alex Pollack
- “Objects of Desire (Objetos de Deseo),” directed by Alejandro Renteria
- “Olive Juice,” directed by Kenny Riches
- “Open Dialogues: Queer Allies,” directed by Freddy Rodriguez
- “Querido Pequeno Haiti,” directed by Diana Larrea
- “Save The Bay,” directed by Ramiro Carranza
- “Uncle Ahol,” directed by Michael Arcos
- “You Were Never Really Here,” directed by Flor Portieri
Jordan Ressler First Feature Award competition
The $10,000 Jordan Ressler First Feature Award is sponsored by the South Florida family of the late Jordan Ressler, an aspiring screenwriter and Cornell University Film Studies graduate who, during his brief entertainment career, held production positions on the original production of Broadway hit Jersey Boys before passing away in a tragic accident at the age of 23. A total of 23 films will compete for the Award:
- All The Silence (Todo el Silencio) (Mexico, directed by Diego del Rio) – North American Premiere
- Babes (United States, directed by Pamela Adlon) – Florida Premiere
- Bob Trevino Likes It (United States, directed by Tracie Laymon) – East Coast Premiere
- Devil Dog Road (Spain, directed by Guillermo Polo) – World Premiere
- Excursion (France, directed by Una Gunjak) – Florida Premiere
- Girls Will Be Girls (India, directed by Shuchi Talati) – Florida Premiere
- Good Bad Things (United States, directed by Shane D. Stanger) – East Coast Premiere
- Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person (Canada, directed by Ariane Louis-Seize) – Florida Premiere
- In The Summers (United States, directed by Alessandra Lacorazza) – Florida Premiere
- La Suprema (Colombia, directed by Felipe Holguin Caro) – US Premiere
- Oceans Are The Real Continents (Los océanos son los verdaderos continentes) (Italy, directed by Tommaso Santambrogio) – East Coast Premiere
- Rain (Lluvia) (Mexico, directed by Rodrigo García Sáiz) – North American Premiere
- Salt Water (Agua Salá) (Colombia, directed by Steven Morales Pineda) – World Premiere
- Sariri (Chile, directed by Laura Donoso) – North American Premiere
- Seguridad (Canada, directed by Tamara Segura) – World Premiere
- Sisterhood (France, directed by Nora el Hourch) – Florida Premiere
- The Girls Are Alright (Spain, directed by Itsaso Arana) – North American Premiere
- The Hypnosis (Sweden, directed by Ernst De Geer) – East Coast Premiere
- The Major Tones (Los tonos mayores) (Argentina, directed by Ingrid Pokropek) – North American Premiere
- The Queen of My Dreams (Canada, directed by Fawzia Mirza) – Florida Premiere
- Tuesday (United States, directed by Daina Oniunas-Pusic) – Florida Premiere
- Vera And The Pleasure of Others (Argentina, directed by Frederico Actis and Romnia Tambuerllo) – North American Premiere
- Wild Woman (Cuba, directed by Alan Gonzalez) – US Premiere
Documentary Achievement Award competition
15 films will vie for the jury-awarded Documentary Achievement Award. These films are:
- Black Box Diaries (United States, directed by Shiori Ito) – Florida Premiere
- Daughters (United States, directed by Angela Patton and Natalie Rae) – Florida Premiere
- En La Caliente: Tales of A Reggaeton Warrior (Cuba, directed by Fabien Pisani) – US Premiere
- Ibelin (Norway, directed by Benjamin Ree) – Florida Premiere
- Lady Like (United States, directed by Luke Willis) – North American Premiere
- Landrian (Cuba, directed by Ernesto Daranas) – North American Premiere
- Maya And The Wave (United States, directed by Stephanie Johnes) – Florida Premiere
- Merchant Ivory (United States, directed by Stephen Soucy) – Florida Premiere
- Skywalkers: A Love Story (United States, directed by Jeff Zimbalist) – Florida Premiere
- Stories From The Lighthouse (United States, directed by Deborah Dickson) – Florida Premiere
- Story & Pictures By (United States, directed by Joanna Rudnick) – Florida Premiere
- Tell Them You Love Me (United States, directed by Nick August-Perna) – Florida Premiere
- The Contestant (United Kingdom, directed by Clair Titley) – Florida Premiere
- What’s Next (United States, directed by Taylor Taglianeti) – East Coast Premiere
- Women of Iran (United States, directed by Nima Soofi) – World Premiere
Miami International Short Film Award competition
The $4,000 Miami International Short Film Award competition features 45 films. The complete list includes:
- “[subtext],” directed by Erin Brown Thomas, Oliva Haller
- “72,” directed by Marissa Chibás
- “A Wedding Day,”directed by Brendan Beachman
- “All Four Won,” directed by Nick Galarza
- “An Ode To Procrastination,” directed by Aleksandra Kingo
- “Are You Mad At Me,” directed by Emily Dubovi
- “Blue Hour,” directed by J.D Shields
- “Boo,” directed by Genevieve Aniello
- “Buried,” directed by Nat Gee
- “Chidera,” directed by Sope Aluko
- “Confessions,” directed by Stephanie Kaznocha
- “Delta,” directed by Jing Ai Ng
- “Didn’t Think I’d See You Here,” directed by Dylan Guerra
- “El Sofa,” directed by Maria Corina Ramirez
- “Every Man A King,” directed by Nikhil Ganesh
- “Fred,” directed by Bjorn Franklin and Johnny Marchetta
- “Funky,” directed by Shoval Tshuva
- “Good Girl,” directed by Jenny Kleiman
- “I Am Neither Here Nor There,” directed by Christian Del Rio Solorzano
- “In Wonderland ,” directed by Andrea Camacho McCracken
- “Machisma,” directed by Jessica Mendez Siqueiros
- “Manicure,” directed by Carlos Enrique Tejera
- “My Nights Glow Yellow,” directed by Hannah Bang
- “Nagaatti,” directed by Barento Taha
- “Palm Sunday,” directed by Wes Andre Goodrich
- “Party Time,” directed by Michael Marrero and Jon Rhoads
- “Pathological,” directed by Alison Rich
- “Pillow Talk,” directed by Mathilde Hauducoeur
- “Pushover,” directed by Brian Lederman
- “Red, White, and Blue,” directed by Nazrin Choudhury
- “Rocky Road On Channel Three,” directed by James Rogers III
- “Serious Play,” directed by Kate Mason
- “Shadow Brother Sunday,” directed by Alden Ehrenreich
- “Shut Up And Fish,” directed by Raul Sanchez and Pasqual Gutierrez
- “Sorry Grandpa Hsiao,” directed by Candace Ho
- “Stan Behavior,” directed by Tyler C. Peterson
- “The Anne Frank Gift Shop,” directed by Mickey Rapkin
- “The Breakthrough,” directed by Daniel Sinclair
- “The Comics,” directed by Karen Knox
- “The Delivery,” directed by Tope Babalola
- “The Old Young Crow,” directed by Liam LoPinto
- “The Test,” directed by Olivia Marie Valdez
- “What You Left In The Ditch,” directed by Tucker Bliss
- “Yellow,” directed by Elham Ehsas
- “You’re My Best Friend,” directed by Chell Stephen
- “Young King,” directed by Larin Sullivan
Short Documentary Film Award Competition
The $1,000 Short Documentary Film Award, sponsored by the University of Miami and co-presented with Bill Cosford Cinema, will see the following films in competition:
- “Is It Because I’m A Girl,” directed by Peter Decherney
- “Jack and Sam,” directed by Jordan Matthew Horowitz
- “Over The Wall,” directed by Krystal Tingle
- “Save The Cat,” directed by Jordan Matthew Horowitz
- “Audio & The Alligator,” directed by Andrés I. Estrada
Cinemaslam Competition
Taking part in the annual Florida student film Cinemaslam Competition will be:
- “?Y Tu Que Has Hecho?,” directed by Paolo Cesti
- “Do You See What I See,” directed by Vance Malcom Osteen
- “Florida Family Fun,” directed by Sabino Venuti
- “i dreamt of this, Esther,” directed by Nicole Santiago
- “Liquid Courage ,” directed by Brittany Alexia Young
- “Lucas,” directed by Pablo Velho
- “Retrospection Of A Home,” directed by Sebastian Marcano-Perez
- “Silver Alert,” directed by Atticus Hohman
- “Tres Leches,” directed by Cristian Campocasso
Additional events include:
- Preview Night screening of the Sony Pictures Classics film Wicked Little Letters on March 20th at Miami Dade College’s Koubek Center.
- Bal Harbour Village’s Movie Night on the Beach, featuring a free screening of the 2007 indie hit film Waitress on March 14th, in celebration of Pi Day.
- Free Screening of official Festival selection Suze at Mayfair House Hotel & Garden in Coconut Grove.
- Spotlight on Cuban Cinema, showcasing over ten films from Cuban and Cuban exile origin, sponsored by ArtesMiami
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