TULLY[/caption]
Jason Reitman latest film Tully, written by Diablo Cody and starring Charlize Theron, will premiere as the Opening Night film of the 35th edition of Miami Film Festival, on Friday, March 9th at the Olympia Theater.
“Charlize Theron’s fearless performance as a struggling suburban mother on the brink of losing mental control is made possible by another brilliant collaboration by the creators of Juno and Young Adult,” said Festival director Jaie Laplante. “Tully is both a parable and a salve for our stressed-out times – it reminds us all of who we are, and there is no more beautiful way to open our 35th edition than with this film.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRtBP07gIHY
The Festival will give its Precious Gem – Icon Award to the great French actress Isabelle Huppert, recent Oscar nominee for Elle and the most nominated actress in César Award history – a total of 16 nominations from France’s Academy – winning twice. She has also twice won the Best Actress award at the Cannes Film Festival, in a career that has seen her work with some of the greatest directors of contemporary times. Huppert will be honored on Friday, March 16th at the Olympia Theater.
“Isabelle Huppert has made profound contributions to cinema over the course of her illustrious career,” Laplante said. “With her recent performances in Things to Come and Elle, as well as Souvenir and Claire’s Camera, both of which we will be screening in conjunction with her Festival appearance, Ms. Huppert reaches ever-new pinnacles that continually astonish us, and add to her iconic status.”
The Festival will give its Precious Gem – Master Award to Spain’s greatest living filmmaker, Carlos Saura, on the occasion of a new documentary about the master’s career and family life, Félix Viscarret’s Goya-lauded Saura(s), on Sunday, March 11th at the Olympia Theater.
“Carlos Saura returns to Miami after receiving the Festival’s Career Achievement Tribute Award at our 20th edition in 2003,” said Laplante. “At that time, he was 71. Now, he’s 86 and has made eight more brilliant films since his last visit to Miami – but with Saura(s), we see him in a new light, as both a filmmaker and a family-maker. He is a peerless master, and we celebrate the life that continues to nourish his art.”
In all, the Festival will present 148 feature narratives, documentaries and short films of all genres, from 50 different countries, including three countries being represented in the Festival’s Official Selection for the first time– Benin, Georgia and Swaziland. The 35th edition of the Festival runs March 9th – 18th. Thirty-eight of the films are directed or co-directed by women filmmakers. The Festival will wrap up with an Awards Night Gala screening at Olympia Theater of the International premiere of Curro Velázquez’s smash hit Spanish comedy Holy Goalie (Que baje Dios y lo vea), with star Alain Hernández in attendance. All Olympia Theater screenings are part of the Festival’s CINEDWNTWN GALA series, sponsored by Miami Downtown Development Authority. A KORBEL Awards Night Party at The Historic Alfred I. Dupont Building will follow the Awards Night ceremony and screening.
Academy Award winning filmmaker Michel Hazanavicius (The Artist) and revered American screenwriter and director Paul Schrader (Taxi Driver, Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters, Affliction) will attend the Festival for Marquee presentations of their newest films. The Festival’s Marquee series features screenings accompanied by on-stage conversations with major film personalities of the moment, discussing their career and sharing an exciting new work. Hazanavicius will present Godard Mon Amour, his serio-comic look at Jean-Luc Godard’s love affair with the actress Anne Wiazemsky during the shooting of his classic films La Chinoise and Weekend. Schrader will present First Reformed, a dramatic thriller starring Ethan Hawke, Amanda Seyfried and Cedric The Entertainer. They join (previously announced) Mateo Gil and Jean-Marc Barr in the Marquee section.
Ten finalists were selected for the Festival’s signature $40,000 Knight Competition, open to feature films directed by filmmakers who have presented at least one feature in a previous edition of the Festival. Three of these films will also screen as CINEDWNTWN GALAS at the Olympia Theater.
The finalists are:
Another Story of the World (Uruguay, directed by Guillermo Casanova).
April’s Daughter (Mexico, directed by Michel Franco).
In Love & In Hate (Argentina, directed by Alejandro Maci). *CINEDWNTWN GALA
The Laws of Thermodynamics (Spain, directed by Mateo Gil). *WORLD PREMIERE
My Love or My Passion (Argentina, directed by Marcos Carnevale). *CINEDWNTWN GALA
Sergio and Sergei (Cuba/Spain, directed by Ernesto Daranás).
A Sort of Family (Argentina, directed by Diego Lerman).
The Summit (Argentina/Spain, directed by Santiago Mitre). *CINEDWNTWN GALA
Time Share (Mexico, directed by Sebastián Hofmann).
The Warning (Spain, directed by Daniel Calparsoro).
Eleven finalists were selected for the Festival’s inaugural $10,000 Knight Made in MIA Competition, which is open to any film – short or feature, documentary or narrative – in the Festival’s Official Selection that features a qualitatively/quantitatively 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 new award was inspired by the international success and 2017 Best Picture Oscar win by the Miami-set Moonlight, directed by former Miami resident Barry Jenkins and co-written by Tarell McCraney. The finalists are:
“#THECONNECTEDMAN”, directed by Fabián Cárdenas.
“Ayita’s Dream”, directed by Isis Masoud, Roger Ingraham.
“Fight Like a Girl”, directed by Agustín Gonzalez, Nicole Wulf.
Gladesmen: The Last of The Sawgrass Cowboys, directed by David Abel.
Latinegras: The Journey of Self-Love Through An Afrolatina Lens, directed by Omilani Alarcón. *WORLD PREMIERE
Love in Youth, directed by Quincy Perkins. *WORLD PREMIERE
Make Love Great Again, directed by Aaron Agrasanchez.
“Noa”, directed by Angel Barrota. *WORLD PREMIERE
Operation Odessa, directed by Tiller Russell.
“Roadside Attraction”, directed by Ivette Lucas, Patrick Bresnan.
“Supermarket”, directed by Rhonda Mitrani. *WORLD PREMIERE
Two significant Soiree nights will pair a major film event with one of Miami Film Festival’s world-famous parties. An Evening with Tim Clancy, the showrunner of HBO’s acclaimed Vice series through six seasons, will present a big-screen return look at three significant Vice episodes, followed by an in-depth, on-stage conversation about Vice’s Emmy Award-winning approach, philosophies and techniques. “HBO NIGHT” continues with a party at downtown Miami’s newest hotspot, The Wharf. Greg Berlanti’s Love, Simon will have its Festival premiere at the Regal Cinemas South Beach and continue with a Light Box Love Story soiree at Miami Light Project’s Goldman Warehouse in Wynwood.
The fiercely-contested, audience-voted $10,000 Knight Documentary Achievement Award, sponsored by Knight Foundation, returns with 24 finalists, including 4 world premieres, and new films from Oscar winner Morgan Neville (20 Feet From Stardom), Oscar nominee Djimon Hounsou (Blood Diamond, In America), Goya winners Félix Viscarret and Gustavo Salmerón, Emmy winner Rene Balcer (Law & Order), Sundance 2018 prize winners Tim Wardle and Maxim Pozdorovkin, Pulitzer Prize winning journalist David Abel and the late Oscar winner Jonathan Demme, as executive producer on The Foreigner’s Home. Subjects featured in the films include Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Edwidge Danticat, Toni Morrison, Mr. Rogers, Andre Agassi, Imagine Dragons’ Dan Reynolds in the Live Nation production Believer, Cuban-America playwright María Irene Fornés and Miami’s Rene Lecour. The finalists are:
6 Weeks To Mother’s Day (USA, directed by Marvin Blunte).
Above The Drowning Sea (Canada, directed by Rene Balcer, Nicola Zavaglia).
Amigo Skate, Cuba (USA, directed by Vanesa Wilkey-Escobar). *WORLD PREMIERE
Believer (USA, directed by Don Argott).
Cuban Food Stories (USA, directed by Asori Soto).
Dolphin Man (Greece/Canada/France/Japan, directed by Lefteris Charitos).
Foreign Land (Israel, directed by Shlomi Eldar).
The Foreigner’s Home (USA/France, directed by Rian Brown, Geoff Pingree).
Gladesmen: The Last of The Sawgrass Cowboys (USA, directed by David Abel).
In Search of Voodoo: Roots To Heaven (USA/Benin, directed by Djimon Hounsou). *WORLD PREMIERE
Liyana (USA/Qatar/Swaziland, directed by Aaron Kopp, Amanda Kopp).
Lots of Kids, A Monkey and a Castle (Spain, directed by Gustavo Salmerón).
Love Means Zero (USA, directed by Jason Kohn).
The Music of the Spheres (Cuba/USA, directed by Marcel Beltrán). *WORLD PREMIERE
Nuyorican Basquet (Puerto Rico, directed by Julio César Torres, Ricardo Olivero Lora).
The Oldies (Cuba/USA/Venezuela, directed by Rosana Matecki).
Operation Odessa (USA, directed by Tiller Russell).
Our New President (USA, directed by Maxim Pozdorovkin).
RBG (USA, directed by Betsy West, Julie Cohen).
The Rest I Make Up (USA, directed by Michelle Memran).
Saura(s) (Spain, directed by Félix Viscarret).
Three Identical Strangers (USA, directed by Tim Wardle).
When The Beat Drops (USA, directed by Jamal Sims). *WORLD PREMIERE
Won’t You Be My Neighbor? (USA, directed by Morgan Neville).
HBO returns as sponsor of the Festival’s $10,000 Ibero-American Feature Film Competition, this year featuring 25 finalists, including three world premieres. Three of the films in this section star Argentine actress Dolores Fonzi, prompting Festival organizers to declare Monday, March 12th “DOLORES FONZI DAY” at Miami Film Festival. The finalists are:
Al Berto (Portugal, directed by Vicente Alves do Ó).
Another Story of the World (Uruguay, directed by Guillermo Casanova).
April’s Daughter (Mexico, directed by Michel Franco).
Ashes (Ecuador/Uruguay, directed by Juan Sebastián Jácome). *WORLD PREMIERE
Bingo: The King of the Mornings (Brazil, directed by Daniel Rezende).
Candelaria (Colombia/Cuba/Argentina/Germany/Norway, directed by Jhonny Hendrix-Hinestroza).
Cocote (Dominican Republic, directed by Nelson Carlo de Los Santos Arias).
The Eternal Feminine (Mexico, directed by Natalia Beristáin).
The Future Ahead (Argentina, directed by Constanza Novick). *DOLORES FONZI DAY Film
Hunting Season (Argentina/USA/Germany/France, directed by Natalia Garagiola).
In Love & In Hate (Argentina, directed by Alejandro Maci). *CINEDWNTWN GALA
Killing Jesus (Colombia/Argentina, directed by Laura Mora).
La Familia (Venezuela/Chile/Norway, directed by Gustavo Rondón Córdova).
The Last Suit (Argentina/Spain, directed by Pablo Solarz).
The Laws of Thermodynamics (Spain, directed by Mateo Gil). *WORLD PREMIERE
On The Seventh Day (USA, directed by Jim McKay).
The River (Bolivia/Ecuador, directed by Juan Pablo Richter). *WORLD PREMIERE
Sergio and Sergei (Cuba/Spain, directed by Ernesto Daranás).
The Skin of the Wolf (Spain, directed by Samu Fuentes).
A Sort of Family (Argentina, directed by Diego Lerman).
The Summit (Argentina/Spain, directed by Santiago Mitre). *CINEDWNTWN GALA
Tigre (Argentina, directed by Silvina Schnicer, Ulises Porra Guardiola).
Time Share (Mexico, directed by Sebastián Hofmann).
The Warning (Spain, directed by Daniel Calparsoro).
Wind Traces (Mexico, directed by Jimena Montemayor Loyo). *DOLORES FONZI DAY Film
The highly sought-after $10,000 Jordan Ressler Screenwriting Award, won in recent years by Oscar nominated Theeb, Venice Golden Lion winner From Afar and Chilean world premiere launch Little White Lie, has 20 diverse and intriguing first-produced screenplays in competition. All but two of the finalists also directed his or her screenplay. The finalists are:
Michael Pearce for Beast (UK).
Cory Bowles for Black Cop (Canada).
Taylor Allen, Andrew Logan for Chappaquiddick (USA).
Nelson Carlo de Los Santos Arias for Cocote (Dominican Republic).
Xavier Legrand for Custody (France).
Feifei Wang for From Where We’ve Fallen (China).
Constanza Novick for The Future Ahead (Argentina).
Sonja Maria Kröner for The Garden (Germany).
Lucien Bourjeily for Heaven Without People (Lebanon).
Natalia Garagiola for Hunting Season (Argentina).
Christian Papierniak for Izzy Gets the F*ck Across Town (USA).
Blake Jenner for Juvenile (USA).
Quincy Perkins for Love in Youth (USA). *WORLD PREMIERE
Molly McGlynn for Mary Goes Round (Canada).
Ziyang Zhou for Old Beast (China).
Juan Pablo Richter for The River (Bolivia/Ecuador). *WORLD PREMIERE
Ana Urushadze for Scary Mother (Georgia).
Samu Fuentes for The Skin of the Wolf (Spain).
Silvina Schnicer for Tigre (Argentina).
Hlynur Palmason for Winter Brothers (Denmark).
Films showing out of competition include selections by Oscar-nominee Michaël R. Roskam (Bullhead), Oscar-nominee and Emmy-winner Armando Iannucci (In the Loop, HBO’s Veep), and a US premiere starring retired NFL veteran and South Florida resident, actor/producer Thomas Q. Jones (A Violent Man). The films are:
Ali’s Wedding (Australia, directed by Jeffrey Walker).
Darling (Denmark, directed by Birgitte Stærmose).
The Death of Stalin (UK, directed by Armando Iannucci).
“The Driver is Red” (USA, directed by Randall Christopher).
Grace and Splendor (Panama/Dominican Republic, directed by Arturo Montenegro).
The Journey (Iran/UK/France/Qatar/The Netherlands, directed by Mohamed Jabarah Al-Daradji).
Kiss Me Not (Egypt, directed by Ahmed Amer).
Life is a Bitch (Brazil, directed by Julia Rezende).
Racer and the Jailbird (Belgium/France, directed by Michaël R. Roskam).
Sollers Point (USA, directed by Matthew Porterfield).
Three Peaks (Germany/Italy, directed by Jan Zabeil).
Under The Tree (Iceland/Denmark/Poland/Germany, directed by Hafsteinn Gummar).
A Violent Man (USA, directed by Matthew Berkowitz).
Wajib (Palestine/France/Germany/Colombia/Norway/Qatar, directed by Annemarie Jacir).
The Festival takes a special look at the Chinese film market this year in Cinema & China. This section features the Florida premiere of the Cannes Film Festival 2017’s Palme d’Or winner for Best Short Film, “A Gentle Night”, directed by Yang Qui, and the documentary Above the Drowning Sea, a historical look at an amazing story of European Jews being safeguarded by Shanghai and Chinese diplomats during World War II. A day-long symposium on the trends and markets will be held, in conjunction with the Festival screening of four Chinese-produced features:
From Where We’ve Fallen, directed by Feifei Wang.
Love Education, directed by Sylvia Chang.
Old Beast, directed by Ziyang Zhou. *KEYNOTE FILM
Walking Past The Future, directed by Li Ruijun.
The Festival’s exceedingly popular Reel Music section returns with five outstanding selections, including a world premiere from Panama and a feature about famed flamenco star Diego “El Cigala” as he explores the world of salsa in Cuba and beyond:
Guaco: Semblanza (Venezuela, directed by Alberto Arvelo).
I Tita, A Life of Tango (Argentina, directed by Teresa Constantini).
Indestructible: The Soul of Salsa (Spain, directed by David Pareja).
Me, My Father and the Cariocas: 70 Years of Music in Brazil (Brazil, directed by Lucia Verissimo).
A Night of Calypso (Panama, directed by Fernando Muñoz). *WORLD PREMIERE
MIFFecito, the beloved Films for Families section, returns with four new feature films for film fans of all ages. This section includes Fishtronaut The Movie (Brazil), Home Team (Uruguay/Brazil/Argentina), Lila’s Book (Colombia/Uruguay) and Zombillenium (France/Belgium). An animated short film winner from MDC’s Miami Animation and Gaming International Complex 2017 MIA Animation Conference & Festival will also be shown in this section.
South Florida’s college film students will again battle it out in Cinemaslam 2018. The nine finalists include films from Center of Cinematography, Arts & Television’s Lidia Rosa Hernandez; Miami Dade College’s Armando Stephano Rivero, Robert Requejo Ramos, Christopher Foode and Fernando Dumas; and University of Miami’s Chantal Gabriel, Jorge Martinez and Vasisth Sukul.
The Festival’s parallel industry activities include a French film market sponsored by Unifrance, and a Producing in South Florida panel moderated by Kevin Sharpley.
The Festival will co-present three special events during this year’s event. A “From The Vault” of Todd Haynes’ classic Velvet Goldmine will be held on Sunday, March 11th in partnership with Flaming Classics. On Friday, March 16th, in partnership with The Black Lounge Series, a screening of In The Morning with filmmaker Nefertiti Nguvu in person. In celebration of the Festival’s Tribute to Carlos Saura, one of Saura’s greatest classics, Cría cuervos, will screen on Sunday, March 18th at Miami Beach Cinematheque.Miami Film Festival
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Jason Reitman’s TULLY Starring Charlize Theron to Open 35th Miami Film Festival | Trailier
[caption id="attachment_26870" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] TULLY[/caption]
Jason Reitman latest film Tully, written by Diablo Cody and starring Charlize Theron, will premiere as the Opening Night film of the 35th edition of Miami Film Festival, on Friday, March 9th at the Olympia Theater.
“Charlize Theron’s fearless performance as a struggling suburban mother on the brink of losing mental control is made possible by another brilliant collaboration by the creators of Juno and Young Adult,” said Festival director Jaie Laplante. “Tully is both a parable and a salve for our stressed-out times – it reminds us all of who we are, and there is no more beautiful way to open our 35th edition than with this film.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRtBP07gIHY
The Festival will give its Precious Gem – Icon Award to the great French actress Isabelle Huppert, recent Oscar nominee for Elle and the most nominated actress in César Award history – a total of 16 nominations from France’s Academy – winning twice. She has also twice won the Best Actress award at the Cannes Film Festival, in a career that has seen her work with some of the greatest directors of contemporary times. Huppert will be honored on Friday, March 16th at the Olympia Theater.
“Isabelle Huppert has made profound contributions to cinema over the course of her illustrious career,” Laplante said. “With her recent performances in Things to Come and Elle, as well as Souvenir and Claire’s Camera, both of which we will be screening in conjunction with her Festival appearance, Ms. Huppert reaches ever-new pinnacles that continually astonish us, and add to her iconic status.”
The Festival will give its Precious Gem – Master Award to Spain’s greatest living filmmaker, Carlos Saura, on the occasion of a new documentary about the master’s career and family life, Félix Viscarret’s Goya-lauded Saura(s), on Sunday, March 11th at the Olympia Theater.
“Carlos Saura returns to Miami after receiving the Festival’s Career Achievement Tribute Award at our 20th edition in 2003,” said Laplante. “At that time, he was 71. Now, he’s 86 and has made eight more brilliant films since his last visit to Miami – but with Saura(s), we see him in a new light, as both a filmmaker and a family-maker. He is a peerless master, and we celebrate the life that continues to nourish his art.”
In all, the Festival will present 148 feature narratives, documentaries and short films of all genres, from 50 different countries, including three countries being represented in the Festival’s Official Selection for the first time– Benin, Georgia and Swaziland. The 35th edition of the Festival runs March 9th – 18th. Thirty-eight of the films are directed or co-directed by women filmmakers. The Festival will wrap up with an Awards Night Gala screening at Olympia Theater of the International premiere of Curro Velázquez’s smash hit Spanish comedy Holy Goalie (Que baje Dios y lo vea), with star Alain Hernández in attendance. All Olympia Theater screenings are part of the Festival’s CINEDWNTWN GALA series, sponsored by Miami Downtown Development Authority. A KORBEL Awards Night Party at The Historic Alfred I. Dupont Building will follow the Awards Night ceremony and screening.
Academy Award winning filmmaker Michel Hazanavicius (The Artist) and revered American screenwriter and director Paul Schrader (Taxi Driver, Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters, Affliction) will attend the Festival for Marquee presentations of their newest films. The Festival’s Marquee series features screenings accompanied by on-stage conversations with major film personalities of the moment, discussing their career and sharing an exciting new work. Hazanavicius will present Godard Mon Amour, his serio-comic look at Jean-Luc Godard’s love affair with the actress Anne Wiazemsky during the shooting of his classic films La Chinoise and Weekend. Schrader will present First Reformed, a dramatic thriller starring Ethan Hawke, Amanda Seyfried and Cedric The Entertainer. They join (previously announced) Mateo Gil and Jean-Marc Barr in the Marquee section.
Ten finalists were selected for the Festival’s signature $40,000 Knight Competition, open to feature films directed by filmmakers who have presented at least one feature in a previous edition of the Festival. Three of these films will also screen as CINEDWNTWN GALAS at the Olympia Theater.
The finalists are:
Another Story of the World (Uruguay, directed by Guillermo Casanova).
April’s Daughter (Mexico, directed by Michel Franco).
In Love & In Hate (Argentina, directed by Alejandro Maci). *CINEDWNTWN GALA
The Laws of Thermodynamics (Spain, directed by Mateo Gil). *WORLD PREMIERE
My Love or My Passion (Argentina, directed by Marcos Carnevale). *CINEDWNTWN GALA
Sergio and Sergei (Cuba/Spain, directed by Ernesto Daranás).
A Sort of Family (Argentina, directed by Diego Lerman).
The Summit (Argentina/Spain, directed by Santiago Mitre). *CINEDWNTWN GALA
Time Share (Mexico, directed by Sebastián Hofmann).
The Warning (Spain, directed by Daniel Calparsoro).
Eleven finalists were selected for the Festival’s inaugural $10,000 Knight Made in MIA Competition, which is open to any film – short or feature, documentary or narrative – in the Festival’s Official Selection that features a qualitatively/quantitatively 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 new award was inspired by the international success and 2017 Best Picture Oscar win by the Miami-set Moonlight, directed by former Miami resident Barry Jenkins and co-written by Tarell McCraney. The finalists are:
“#THECONNECTEDMAN”, directed by Fabián Cárdenas.
“Ayita’s Dream”, directed by Isis Masoud, Roger Ingraham.
“Fight Like a Girl”, directed by Agustín Gonzalez, Nicole Wulf.
Gladesmen: The Last of The Sawgrass Cowboys, directed by David Abel.
Latinegras: The Journey of Self-Love Through An Afrolatina Lens, directed by Omilani Alarcón. *WORLD PREMIERE
Love in Youth, directed by Quincy Perkins. *WORLD PREMIERE
Make Love Great Again, directed by Aaron Agrasanchez.
“Noa”, directed by Angel Barrota. *WORLD PREMIERE
Operation Odessa, directed by Tiller Russell.
“Roadside Attraction”, directed by Ivette Lucas, Patrick Bresnan.
“Supermarket”, directed by Rhonda Mitrani. *WORLD PREMIERE
Two significant Soiree nights will pair a major film event with one of Miami Film Festival’s world-famous parties. An Evening with Tim Clancy, the showrunner of HBO’s acclaimed Vice series through six seasons, will present a big-screen return look at three significant Vice episodes, followed by an in-depth, on-stage conversation about Vice’s Emmy Award-winning approach, philosophies and techniques. “HBO NIGHT” continues with a party at downtown Miami’s newest hotspot, The Wharf. Greg Berlanti’s Love, Simon will have its Festival premiere at the Regal Cinemas South Beach and continue with a Light Box Love Story soiree at Miami Light Project’s Goldman Warehouse in Wynwood.
The fiercely-contested, audience-voted $10,000 Knight Documentary Achievement Award, sponsored by Knight Foundation, returns with 24 finalists, including 4 world premieres, and new films from Oscar winner Morgan Neville (20 Feet From Stardom), Oscar nominee Djimon Hounsou (Blood Diamond, In America), Goya winners Félix Viscarret and Gustavo Salmerón, Emmy winner Rene Balcer (Law & Order), Sundance 2018 prize winners Tim Wardle and Maxim Pozdorovkin, Pulitzer Prize winning journalist David Abel and the late Oscar winner Jonathan Demme, as executive producer on The Foreigner’s Home. Subjects featured in the films include Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Edwidge Danticat, Toni Morrison, Mr. Rogers, Andre Agassi, Imagine Dragons’ Dan Reynolds in the Live Nation production Believer, Cuban-America playwright María Irene Fornés and Miami’s Rene Lecour. The finalists are:
6 Weeks To Mother’s Day (USA, directed by Marvin Blunte).
Above The Drowning Sea (Canada, directed by Rene Balcer, Nicola Zavaglia).
Amigo Skate, Cuba (USA, directed by Vanesa Wilkey-Escobar). *WORLD PREMIERE
Believer (USA, directed by Don Argott).
Cuban Food Stories (USA, directed by Asori Soto).
Dolphin Man (Greece/Canada/France/Japan, directed by Lefteris Charitos).
Foreign Land (Israel, directed by Shlomi Eldar).
The Foreigner’s Home (USA/France, directed by Rian Brown, Geoff Pingree).
Gladesmen: The Last of The Sawgrass Cowboys (USA, directed by David Abel).
In Search of Voodoo: Roots To Heaven (USA/Benin, directed by Djimon Hounsou). *WORLD PREMIERE
Liyana (USA/Qatar/Swaziland, directed by Aaron Kopp, Amanda Kopp).
Lots of Kids, A Monkey and a Castle (Spain, directed by Gustavo Salmerón).
Love Means Zero (USA, directed by Jason Kohn).
The Music of the Spheres (Cuba/USA, directed by Marcel Beltrán). *WORLD PREMIERE
Nuyorican Basquet (Puerto Rico, directed by Julio César Torres, Ricardo Olivero Lora).
The Oldies (Cuba/USA/Venezuela, directed by Rosana Matecki).
Operation Odessa (USA, directed by Tiller Russell).
Our New President (USA, directed by Maxim Pozdorovkin).
RBG (USA, directed by Betsy West, Julie Cohen).
The Rest I Make Up (USA, directed by Michelle Memran).
Saura(s) (Spain, directed by Félix Viscarret).
Three Identical Strangers (USA, directed by Tim Wardle).
When The Beat Drops (USA, directed by Jamal Sims). *WORLD PREMIERE
Won’t You Be My Neighbor? (USA, directed by Morgan Neville).
HBO returns as sponsor of the Festival’s $10,000 Ibero-American Feature Film Competition, this year featuring 25 finalists, including three world premieres. Three of the films in this section star Argentine actress Dolores Fonzi, prompting Festival organizers to declare Monday, March 12th “DOLORES FONZI DAY” at Miami Film Festival. The finalists are:
Al Berto (Portugal, directed by Vicente Alves do Ó).
Another Story of the World (Uruguay, directed by Guillermo Casanova).
April’s Daughter (Mexico, directed by Michel Franco).
Ashes (Ecuador/Uruguay, directed by Juan Sebastián Jácome). *WORLD PREMIERE
Bingo: The King of the Mornings (Brazil, directed by Daniel Rezende).
Candelaria (Colombia/Cuba/Argentina/Germany/Norway, directed by Jhonny Hendrix-Hinestroza).
Cocote (Dominican Republic, directed by Nelson Carlo de Los Santos Arias).
The Eternal Feminine (Mexico, directed by Natalia Beristáin).
The Future Ahead (Argentina, directed by Constanza Novick). *DOLORES FONZI DAY Film
Hunting Season (Argentina/USA/Germany/France, directed by Natalia Garagiola).
In Love & In Hate (Argentina, directed by Alejandro Maci). *CINEDWNTWN GALA
Killing Jesus (Colombia/Argentina, directed by Laura Mora).
La Familia (Venezuela/Chile/Norway, directed by Gustavo Rondón Córdova).
The Last Suit (Argentina/Spain, directed by Pablo Solarz).
The Laws of Thermodynamics (Spain, directed by Mateo Gil). *WORLD PREMIERE
On The Seventh Day (USA, directed by Jim McKay).
The River (Bolivia/Ecuador, directed by Juan Pablo Richter). *WORLD PREMIERE
Sergio and Sergei (Cuba/Spain, directed by Ernesto Daranás).
The Skin of the Wolf (Spain, directed by Samu Fuentes).
A Sort of Family (Argentina, directed by Diego Lerman).
The Summit (Argentina/Spain, directed by Santiago Mitre). *CINEDWNTWN GALA
Tigre (Argentina, directed by Silvina Schnicer, Ulises Porra Guardiola).
Time Share (Mexico, directed by Sebastián Hofmann).
The Warning (Spain, directed by Daniel Calparsoro).
Wind Traces (Mexico, directed by Jimena Montemayor Loyo). *DOLORES FONZI DAY Film
The highly sought-after $10,000 Jordan Ressler Screenwriting Award, won in recent years by Oscar nominated Theeb, Venice Golden Lion winner From Afar and Chilean world premiere launch Little White Lie, has 20 diverse and intriguing first-produced screenplays in competition. All but two of the finalists also directed his or her screenplay. The finalists are:
Michael Pearce for Beast (UK).
Cory Bowles for Black Cop (Canada).
Taylor Allen, Andrew Logan for Chappaquiddick (USA).
Nelson Carlo de Los Santos Arias for Cocote (Dominican Republic).
Xavier Legrand for Custody (France).
Feifei Wang for From Where We’ve Fallen (China).
Constanza Novick for The Future Ahead (Argentina).
Sonja Maria Kröner for The Garden (Germany).
Lucien Bourjeily for Heaven Without People (Lebanon).
Natalia Garagiola for Hunting Season (Argentina).
Christian Papierniak for Izzy Gets the F*ck Across Town (USA).
Blake Jenner for Juvenile (USA).
Quincy Perkins for Love in Youth (USA). *WORLD PREMIERE
Molly McGlynn for Mary Goes Round (Canada).
Ziyang Zhou for Old Beast (China).
Juan Pablo Richter for The River (Bolivia/Ecuador). *WORLD PREMIERE
Ana Urushadze for Scary Mother (Georgia).
Samu Fuentes for The Skin of the Wolf (Spain).
Silvina Schnicer for Tigre (Argentina).
Hlynur Palmason for Winter Brothers (Denmark).
Films showing out of competition include selections by Oscar-nominee Michaël R. Roskam (Bullhead), Oscar-nominee and Emmy-winner Armando Iannucci (In the Loop, HBO’s Veep), and a US premiere starring retired NFL veteran and South Florida resident, actor/producer Thomas Q. Jones (A Violent Man). The films are:
Ali’s Wedding (Australia, directed by Jeffrey Walker).
Darling (Denmark, directed by Birgitte Stærmose).
The Death of Stalin (UK, directed by Armando Iannucci).
“The Driver is Red” (USA, directed by Randall Christopher).
Grace and Splendor (Panama/Dominican Republic, directed by Arturo Montenegro).
The Journey (Iran/UK/France/Qatar/The Netherlands, directed by Mohamed Jabarah Al-Daradji).
Kiss Me Not (Egypt, directed by Ahmed Amer).
Life is a Bitch (Brazil, directed by Julia Rezende).
Racer and the Jailbird (Belgium/France, directed by Michaël R. Roskam).
Sollers Point (USA, directed by Matthew Porterfield).
Three Peaks (Germany/Italy, directed by Jan Zabeil).
Under The Tree (Iceland/Denmark/Poland/Germany, directed by Hafsteinn Gummar).
A Violent Man (USA, directed by Matthew Berkowitz).
Wajib (Palestine/France/Germany/Colombia/Norway/Qatar, directed by Annemarie Jacir).
The Festival takes a special look at the Chinese film market this year in Cinema & China. This section features the Florida premiere of the Cannes Film Festival 2017’s Palme d’Or winner for Best Short Film, “A Gentle Night”, directed by Yang Qui, and the documentary Above the Drowning Sea, a historical look at an amazing story of European Jews being safeguarded by Shanghai and Chinese diplomats during World War II. A day-long symposium on the trends and markets will be held, in conjunction with the Festival screening of four Chinese-produced features:
From Where We’ve Fallen, directed by Feifei Wang.
Love Education, directed by Sylvia Chang.
Old Beast, directed by Ziyang Zhou. *KEYNOTE FILM
Walking Past The Future, directed by Li Ruijun.
The Festival’s exceedingly popular Reel Music section returns with five outstanding selections, including a world premiere from Panama and a feature about famed flamenco star Diego “El Cigala” as he explores the world of salsa in Cuba and beyond:
Guaco: Semblanza (Venezuela, directed by Alberto Arvelo).
I Tita, A Life of Tango (Argentina, directed by Teresa Constantini).
Indestructible: The Soul of Salsa (Spain, directed by David Pareja).
Me, My Father and the Cariocas: 70 Years of Music in Brazil (Brazil, directed by Lucia Verissimo).
A Night of Calypso (Panama, directed by Fernando Muñoz). *WORLD PREMIERE
MIFFecito, the beloved Films for Families section, returns with four new feature films for film fans of all ages. This section includes Fishtronaut The Movie (Brazil), Home Team (Uruguay/Brazil/Argentina), Lila’s Book (Colombia/Uruguay) and Zombillenium (France/Belgium). An animated short film winner from MDC’s Miami Animation and Gaming International Complex 2017 MIA Animation Conference & Festival will also be shown in this section.
South Florida’s college film students will again battle it out in Cinemaslam 2018. The nine finalists include films from Center of Cinematography, Arts & Television’s Lidia Rosa Hernandez; Miami Dade College’s Armando Stephano Rivero, Robert Requejo Ramos, Christopher Foode and Fernando Dumas; and University of Miami’s Chantal Gabriel, Jorge Martinez and Vasisth Sukul.
The Festival’s parallel industry activities include a French film market sponsored by Unifrance, and a Producing in South Florida panel moderated by Kevin Sharpley.
The Festival will co-present three special events during this year’s event. A “From The Vault” of Todd Haynes’ classic Velvet Goldmine will be held on Sunday, March 11th in partnership with Flaming Classics. On Friday, March 16th, in partnership with The Black Lounge Series, a screening of In The Morning with filmmaker Nefertiti Nguvu in person. In celebration of the Festival’s Tribute to Carlos Saura, one of Saura’s greatest classics, Cría cuervos, will screen on Sunday, March 18th at Miami Beach Cinematheque.
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Miami Film Festival to Spotlight Filmmakers Jean-Marc Barr and Mateo Gil as First Two Marquee Events
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THE LAWS OF THERMODYNAMICS (Las leyes de la termodinámica)[/caption]
Filmmakers Jean-Marc Barr and Mateo Gil have been confirmed as headliners of the first two Marquee events of the upcoming 35th anniversary edition of the Miami Film Festival to be held March 9 to 18, 2018. The Festival’s Marquee series features film screenings accompanied by on-stage conversations with major film personalities of the moment, discussing their career and sharing an exciting new work.
Spanish filmmaker Mateo Gil will present the World premiere of his latest film, The Laws of Thermodynamics (Las leyes de la termodinámica), a unique romantic comedy co-produced by Spain’s Zeta Cinema and Atresmedia. The film stars Vito Sanz (Maria (and the Others)) as a Sciences graduate student who blames his disastrous love life, such as being dumped by his girlfriend (played by Berta Vázquez of Palm Trees in the Snow), on the mysteriously comic laws of cosmic thermodynamics.
Prior to presenting his high-profile new film, Gil will participate in an extended conversation about his career, which includes such highlights as co-writing the Academy Award-winning film The Sea Inside, co-writing Open Your Eyes, later remade as Vanilla Sky with Tom Cruise; and his numerous Goya Award wins from Spain’s Academy of Cinematographic Arts & Sciences. As a director, Gil’s films “Allanamiento de morada”, Nobody Knows Anybody, Blackthorn and Realive have all been presented in the US by Miami Film Festival.
“The Laws of Thermodynamics is Mateo Gil’s most astoundingly original creation yet, in which he brilliantly dissects the romantic comedy genre at the same time he elevates it with explosive new levels of movie-star chemistry and expertly-timed wit,” said Festival director Jaie Laplante. “We could not be more honored to present the world premiere of a film that will be the talk of 2018 in Spain and beyond.”
French-American actor and filmmaker Jean-Marc Barr will attend the North American premiere of the new documentary Dolphin Man, about the life and legacy of the French free diving legend Jacques Mayol, whom Barr played in Luc Besson’s 1988 international blockbuster hit, The Big Blue. Barr is featured prominently in Dolphin Man, which is directed by Lefteris Charitos and includes prominent coverage of the beginning of Mayol’s career working with dolphins at Miami Seaquarium in the 1950s. The Marquee evening will feature an extended conversation with Barr, and be paired with a 4K digital retrospective screening of The Big Blue.
After the international success of The Big Blue, Barr continued to make an international mark in a long association with Danish provocateur Lars von Trier, as the star of such films as Europa, Breaking the Waves, Dancer in the Dark, Dogville and many others. As a director, screenwriter and producer he has made numerous films in collaboration with Pascal Arnold, including Lovers and American Translation. His most recent film is Grain, winner of the 2017 Grand Prize at Tokyo Film Festival.
“After making Jacques Mayol’s incredible life known the world over in the 1980s, Jean-Marc Barr honors Mayol and Miami by personally presenting this wonderous new documentary about Mayol,” added Laplante. “Presenting the film to North America for the first time in the same community that Mayol began his journey is all the more special for Miami.”
In addition to The Laws of Thermodynamics, the Festival also announced two more high-profile new Spanish films which will screen for the first time to US audiences.
DOLPHIN MAN (Greece, Canada, France / Directed by Lefteris Charitos)
Tells the life story of Jacques Mayol, the greatest free-diver in recorded history, whose life became the inspiration for Luc Besson’s cult-movie The Big Blue (Le Grand Bleu). Dolphin Man will additionally compete for the audience-voted Knight Documentary Achievement Award, and as a Canadian co-production, is in part presented in Miami by Telefilm Canada.
THE LAWS OF THERMODYNAMICS (Las leyes de la termodinámica) (Spain / Directed by Mateo Gil)
A unique romantic comedy about a Sciences graduate student who blames his disastrous love life, such as being dumped by his girlfriend (played by Berta Vázquez of Palm Trees in the Snow), on the mysteriously comic laws of cosmic thermodynamics. The Laws of Thermodynamics will additionally compete in Knight Competition and HBO Ibero-American Feature Film Competition.
THE WARNING (El aviso) (Spain / Directed by Daniel Calparsoro)
A high-octane thriller from Chris Sparling, the American screenwriter of Ryan Reynolds’ hit film Buried, and Alex de la Iglesia’s frequent screenwriter Jorge Guerricaechevarría, directed by Daniel Calparsoro, and starring Raúl Arévalo and Aura Garrido, will premiere in Miami just a week following its opening in Spanish theaters. The supernatural thriller is being compared to the Brad Pitt-Terry Gilliam hit 12 Monkeys, and will debut in two of the Festival’s competition sections, Knight Competition and HBO Ibero-American Feature Film Competition. Calparsoro’s most recent film, Cien años de perdón, was an official selection of Miami Film Festival in 2016.
THE SKIN OF THE WOLF (Bajo la piel de lobo) (Spain / Directed by Samu Fuentes)
A dramatic thriller with stunning wide-screen photography set in Spain’s spectacular Asturias-Huescas region from first-time feature writer-director Samu Fuentes, will debut in the Festival’s Jordan Ressler Screenwriting Competition, as well as the HBO Ibero-American Feature Film Competition. Starring Spanish mega-star Mario Casas, Ruth Díaz (The Fury of a Patient Man) and Irene Escolar, The Skin of the Wolf is a film of sparse dialogue connected to a complex visual storytelling design, making it a top contender for the Ressler Award.
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7 Films Nominated for Zeno Mountain Award at 2018 Miami Film Festival
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Coming to My Senses[/caption]
Miami Film Festival (MFF) unveiled seven new films nominated for the Festival’s second annual Zeno Mountain Award, and also featured in the Festival’s upcoming 35th anniversary edition to be held March 9 to 18, 2018.
The Zeno Mountain Award is a $5,000 cash prize established at Miami Film Festival’s 2017 edition and is funded by Miami-based Fringe Partners. The jury-selected award celebrates the diversity of abilities and disabilities, and seeks to reward a film of any length or genre in the Festival’s Official Selection which helps break down barriers to our understanding of people living with disabilities. The award is named after the non-profit Zeno Mountain Farm in Lincoln, Vermont and is inspired by the actors and filmmakers in the acclaimed 2016 documentary Becoming Bulletproof.
“The universal distinction of the three features and four short films that make up this year’s Zeno Mountain Award candidates is that they are all illuminating, wonderful films,’” said Festival director Jaie Laplante. “And all of them showcase unique characters who surprise and delight us with their zest for life.”
The seven films competing for this year’s Zeno Mountain Award are:
“Carry That Weight: A Rockumentary” (USA, directed by Brian J. Leitten). Documentary Short. Miami Beach Senior High professor Doug Burris lived with multiple sclerosis for 46 years and created the school’s renowned Rock Ensemble, which rocks on to this day.
Coming to My Senses (USA, directed by Dominic Gill). Documentary Feature. In 1999, Aaron Baker broke his neck in a motocross accident that left him paralyzed from the neck down, but now fights against the odds for some mobility as he pursues a dream of returning to some of the athletic endeavors that he has loved all his life.
High Expectations (Brazil, directed by Alvaro Campos and Pedro Antonio). Narrative Feature. Decio, a horse trainer at the Rio de Janeiro Jockey Club, falls in love with Lena, a café owner/artist. Decio’s dwarfism may work to his advantage as a jockey, but his no-limits romantic expectations create a more challenging situation. A hilarious romantic comedy, loosely based on the real life story of Brazilian stand-up comedian Gigante Leo, who plays Decio.
September (Guatemala/Mexico, directed by Kenneth Müller). Narrative Feature. Josue’s family was ripped apart by Guatemala’s brutal civil war when a terrorist attack on September 5, 1980 left his wife dead and his 3-month-old daughter Theresa deaf for life. As Theresa grows up and faces the challenges of connecting with the world around her while dealing with her adolescent hormones, she finds strength in her father’s unwavering love.
“Sexual Being” (Canada, directed by Paul Stavropoulos). Documentary Short. Two young adults with cerebral palsy reject societal notions of sexual desirability that exclude them. Toronto college business student Chandler stars in adult movies, and Los Angeles empath Meaghan makes experimental art films.
“Share The Same Madness” (USA, directed by Tim Richardson). Documentary Short. Dennis Hudson, an autistic Detroit teenager home-schooled in an orthodox Catholic household, discovers electronic dance music. EDM provides Dennis with a means to transcend isolation and find the community he needs to survive.
“Spoon Fed” (UK, directed by Nick Hatton Jones). Narrative Short. Restaurant critic Ellie (played by Lesley Sharp) joins a support group after she’s diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. As her condition worsens, hope arrives from an unexpected place.
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THE FLORIDA PROJECT Producers Kevin Chinoy and Francesca Silvestri to Receive Miami Film Festival’s Precious Gem Award
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The Florida Project[/caption]
Miami-based independent producing partners Kevin Chinoy and Francesca Silvestri, producers on Sean Baker’s The Florida Project, will receive the Precious Gem Award at the 2018 Miami Film Festival, to be held March 9 to 18, 2018.
The Florida Project was released by A24 in October and is currently playing in theaters nationwide. The film was recently nominated for two Spirit Awards including Best Feature, winning Best Director and Best Supporting Actor accolades (Willem Dafoe) from New York Film Critics Circle, Best Supporting Actor and Best Picture (Runner-up) from Los Angeles Film Critics Circle and winning Top Ten Film and Best Supporting Actor from National Board of Review. Chinoy and Silvestri also worked on Baker’s previous features Starlet and Tangerine, as well as dozens of other projects, including the directorial debuts of women filmmakers including Jennifer Aniston, Gwyneth Paltrow, Kate Hudson, Demi Moore, Courteney Cox, Rachel Weisz, Jessica Biel, Eva Mendes, Alicia Keys, Kirsten Dunst, Bryce Dallas Howard, Rita Wilson, Trudie Styler, Zoe Saldana, Olivia Wilde, Ashley Judd, Laura Dern, and Eva Longoria.
“Kevin and Francesca’s association with Miami Dade College’s Miami Film Festival traces back a full decade, from their work to bring Kate Hudson to our 2008 Festival with her film ‘Cutlass’ and Demi Moore in 2009 with her film ‘Streak’”, said Festival director Jaie Laplante. “They are the behind-the-scenes heroes who we wish to put center stage and honor as the Precious Gems that they are – without their commitment and determination to bring original independent visions to realization, many of the films they have worked on might never have been made and enjoyed.”
The Precious Gem Award presentation will be made at the Festival’s Awards Night Gala on March 17, 2018. Leading up to the ceremony, Chinoy and Silvestri will participate in a Producer’s Master Class at the Festival where they will candidly discuss the challenges and lessons from over 20 years of experience in the world of independent film production.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WwQ-NH1rRT4
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Miami Film Festival Unveils 2018 Festival Poster Created by Miami Herald’s Cartoonist Jim Morin
Miami Film Festival unveiled the 2018 Official Festival Poster created by Miami Herald and Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial cartoonist Jim Morin.
“Jim Morin’s delightfully barbed creations have skewered contemporary issues over four decades. For the 2018 Miami Film Festival poster, his tongue-in-cheek work is open to a plethora of interpretations, from environmental through escapism and many more on either side of those debates. My favorite? Miamians fondly embrace the often wacky hijinks that come with living in our tropical paradise – and for me, Morin’s 2018 poster encourages us to think of Miami life as if we were living in our own movie. Take 35, coming up!” – Jaie Laplante, Festival Director
Jim Morin’s drawings won the Pulitzer Prize for editorial cartooning in 2017 and l996. He also has shared a Pulitzer in l983 with other members of The Miami Herald editorial board and was a finalist for the prize in l977 and l990. In 2007, he won the Herblock Prize; in 2000, the John Fischetti Award; in l999, the Thomas Nast Society Award; and in the l996 the National Press Foundation’s Berryman Award, among others.
His work has been published in numerous collections including Line Of Fire, AmBUSHED, and Jim Morin’s World, a retrospective of his career. Other books include Jim Morin’s Field Guide To Birds and Famous Cats. He is also a passionate oil and watercolor painter. His work has been exhibited in numerous galleries and museums throughout south Florida.
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Miami GEMS Festival Lineup is Here – THE FLORIDA PROJECT, CALL ME BY YOUR NAME and More
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THE FLORIDA PROJECT[/caption]
Miami Film Festival unveiled the full line-up of their acclaimed 2017 Miami GEMS Festival, and among the many highlights will be the Miami premiere of Sean Baker’s The Florida Project and the US premiere of Antonio Méndez Esparza’s Florida film Life and Nothing More.
Miami GEMS 2017 Festival, now in its third year, will take place October 12 to 15 at MDC’s Tower Theater Miami. It’s a fall extension of the annual, internationally-renowned Miami Film Festival that will celebrate its 35th edition on March 9 to 18, 2018.
The Florida premiere of Luca Guadagnino’s Call Me By Your Name is the Opening Night Film of Miami GEMS 2017. Another major highlight is Ruben Östlund’s The Square, winner of the prestigious Palme d’Or at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, from a jury presided over by Pedro Almodóvar.
A special presentation of Miami GEMS 2017 Festival will be a seminar conversation entitled Don’t Take Yes For An Answer, featuring Miami-Haitian filmmakers Edson Jean and Joshua Jean-Baptiste speaking about their recently-wrapped, eight-episode web series “Vakabon”, 100% filmed in Miami and due for release in 2018. The $2.5 million series was born out of a winning pitch that the Miami duo made to the Project Greenlight Digital Studio’s first “Get The Greenlight Digital Series” contest in early 2016.
For the first time, Miami Film Festival will introduce a Virtual Reality (VR) sidebar throughout the Miami GEMS 2017 weekend, VR Escape, in partnership with MDC’s Miami Animation & Gaming International Complex (MAGIC). Festivalgoers will experience four 360° videos by Angel Manuel Soto, an L.A. based Puerto Rican artist and filmmaker and Miami Film Festival alumni (Soto’s feature The Farm (La granja) played in competition at the Festival’s 2015 edition).
Miami GEMS 2017 Film Lineup
Call Me By Your Name (Italy / France), directed by Luca Guadagnino *OPENING NIGHT FILM A work of tenderness and beauty from the acclaimed director of splashy, sensual films as I Am Love and A Bigger Splash. An antiquities academic invites a young American Jewish scholar to stay with his family for a summer in Lombardy, with unexpected results. Starring Armie Hammer, Timothée Chalamet and Michael Stuhlbarg. A Sony Pictures Classics release. Can’t Say Goodbye (No se decir adios) (Spain), directed by Lino Escalera NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE Spanish stars Nathalie Poza, Lola Dueñas and Juan Diego deliver some of the finest performances of their careers in this multi-award winning hit from the 2017 Malaga Film Festival. A family in crisis, a daughter in denial, a moment of truth… The Desert Bride (La novia del desierto) (Argentina/Chile), directed by Cecilia Atán and Valeria Pivato Starring the incomparable Chilean star Paulina Garcia (Gloria), this Cannes Un Certain Regard competitor is a beautiful road trip across the Argentine countryside. A Buenos Aires housekeeper who is let go after 3 decades of working for the same family must travel 700 miles for a new position in San Juan, but early in the voyage she loses all of her earthly possessions. Don’t Take Yes For An Answer: Edson Jean, Joshua Jean-Baptiste and VAKABON (USA), in conversation with Festival director Jaie Laplante Co-creators of the upcoming eight-episode web series “Vakabon” Edson Jean and Joshua Jean-Baptiste will candidly discuss the journey from shooting no-budget test-episodes to working with a 70-person crew and over 50 Miami-based actors on one epic Miami summer shoot. Eric Clapton: Life in 12 Bars (UK), directed by Lili Fini Zanuck Only the second woman ever to win an Academy Award for Best Picture, Lili Fini Zanuck (Driving Miss Daisy) has made an epic and emotionally overwhelming portrait of one of the great rock musicians of all-time. This will be a rare chance to see this incredible documentary in a big-screen, theatrical setting. Faces Places (France), directed by Agnès Varda and JR. Winner of the L’Oeil d’Or (Golden Eye) awarded by the French Writers Society as Best Documentary at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival, the legendary French director, a pioneer of the French New Wave alongside Jean-Luc Godard, partners with a young street artist with an enormous Instagram following for a whimsical exploration of the small French villages of Varda’s memories. The Florida Project (USA), directed by Sean Baker MIAMI GEMS 2017 PREVIEW FILM In constructing the most magical place on Earth, Disney planners would refer what would eventually become Walt Disney World in Orlando as “the Florida project”. Yet on the outskirts of the world’s most visited vacation resort lies a less cheerful façade, where a 22-year-old single mother of a six-year-old struggles to survive and create a sense of family on the margins. Willem Dafoe stars as the manager and sometimes father figure of a roadside motel on the outskirts of Orlando, in Sean Baker’s acclaimed film from Director’s Fortnight in Cannes 2017. In The Fade (Germany), directed by Fatih Akin *GERMANY OFFICIAL SUBMISSION TO 90TH ACADEMY AWARDS With a ferocious performance by Diane Kruger (the Best Actress winner at 2017 Cannes Film Festival), Fatih Akin explores our new world realities of terrorism impinging ever closer to home. A German woman’s world collapses when her Turkish husband and young son are murdered in a domestic radicalist’s bomb attack. Life and Nothing More (Spain/USA), directed by Antonio Méndez Esparza US PREMIERE An invigorating work of modern neorealism set on the fringes of urban Florida, Spanish writer-director Esparza displays an astonishing grasp of the conundrum of race, family and justice that suffuse our contemporary America. Life and Nothing More is essential cinema for our present moment. My Friend Dahmer (USA), directed by Marc Meyers With an astonishing central performance by Disney star Ross Lynch, this Tribeca Film Festival 2017 special presentation is a brilliant re-creation of pre-psycho 1970s jitters, and a devastating indictment of our society’s ability to cope with early detection signs of mental illness. No, a Flamenco Tale (Spain), directed by José Luis Tirado A beguiling fusion of thrilling cinema and passionate music, NO, a Flamenco Tale sweeps us off to a land where the joys and hardships of life are expressed in breathtaking spectacle and song. Son of Sofia (Greece / France / Bulgaria), directed by Elina Psikou Winner of Best International Narrative Feature at 2017 Tribeca Film Festival. A fantastical journey through an 11-year-old Russian boy’s fraught collision with the bewildering logic of the world of adults, when his mother sends for him to join her in Athens, Greece, where she introduces him to his harsh new Greek stepfather. The Square (Sweden), directed by Ruben Östlund *SWEDEN OFFICIAL SUBMISSION TO 90TH ACADEMY AWARDS The 2017 Palme d’Or winner is the first comedy to win the top prize at Cannes Film Festival in 23 years. From Ruben Östlund, director of the international hit Force Majeure, a jaw-dropping art-world satire. Starring Claes Bang, Elisabeth Moss and Dominic West. Summer 1993 (Estiu 1993) (Spain), directed by Carla Simón SPAIN OFFICIAL SUBMISSION TO 90TH ACADEMY AWARDS Winner of the Best First Feature Film award at the 2017 Berlin Film Festival, and the Grand Prize for Best Spanish Film at the 2017 Malaga Film Festival. In one sun-dappled, perfect summer, Frida will grow up more than any six-year-old should ever be expected to, as her new young step-parents struggle with the smiles and the tears. The Workshop (France), directed by Laurent Cantet Cantet’s follow-up to his Havana, Cuba film Return to Ithaca is a profound examination of contemporary education in all its social and pedagogical complexities. Returning to his native France, The Workshop is also a nail-biting thriller. VR Escape (USA), four works by Angel Manuel Soto An installation at MDC’s Tower Theater for the entire GEMS weekend will allow Festivalgoers to experience the new frontier of content creation via four short new works by Miami Film Festival alumni Soto.
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First 2 Films Announced for Miami Film Festival’s 2017 GEMS Festival
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SUMMER 1993[/caption]
Son of Sofia and Summer 1993 are the first two films announced for Miami Film Festival’s 2017 GEMS Festival taking place October 12 to 15, 2017.
Son of Sofia
Son of Sofia world premiered at 2017 Tribeca Film Festival where it won the award for Best International Narrative Feature. The film is a fantastical journey through an 11-year-old Russian boy’s fraught collision with the bewildering logic of the world of adults. It’s 2004 and Misha’s mother Sofia has been in Athens for two years making the living that she could not back home in Russia, and she finally sends for Misha to join her. Upon arrival, Misha discovers he has a harsh new elderly Greek stepfather, adding to the already overwhelming sense of alienation he feels in Greece, with its language that he doesn’t speak and its obsession with hosting the upcoming Olympic Games. Psykou creates something unique: a fairytale forged out of elements of messy, thorny realism. The visual and aural design of the film quickly casts a fevered spell. Psykou crowds her frames with pop imagery of huge toy plushies, intricate Old World artifacts, lifesize animal costumes, dreamy nocturnal cinematography and heart-piercing, strange lullabies that at intervals overtake the dialogue and the action, working like siren songs to drown our dreams in the hypnotic reverie. And then in counterpoint, Psykou introduces a brash, sexy 18-year-old Ukrainian hustler working the streets of Athens who becomes a kind of Fagin to Misha’s Oliver Twist. In awarding the top prize to Son of Sofia, the Tribeca jury stated: “We unanimously agree that one film challenged us to see in a new way, and we were seduced by the surprising humanity of its difficult characters. The direction was assured, and its tone unique.”Summer 1993
Like Son of Sofia, Spanish filmmaker Carla Simón‘s first feature, Summer 1993 (original Catalan language title is Estiu 1993), is a period piece set in the recent past that likewise asks us to examine our adult foibles, as we look at them through the perspective of a young protagonist – in this case, wary six-year-old Frida, who leaves the city life in Barcelona after both of her parents pass away, to live in the countryside with her aunt and uncle. Based on her own childhood experiences in Catalonia’s la Garrotxa region, Simón’s film was invited to the prestigious 67th Berlin Film Festival this past February for its world premiere, and triumphed by winning the high-profile Best First Feature Award (and a cash prize of €50,000). The film then went on to Malaga Film Festival in March, where it won the top prize – Best Spanish Film – one of Spain’s most important annual film awards. Summer 1993 was a time when fear, uncertainty, panic and taboo of the AIDS virus was at a zenith point, and in Summer 1993, it’s the secret truth about the death of Frida’s parents that is always being obliquely referred to but never named by the nervous adults who have taken over Frida’s care. Simón has an unusual gift for capturing not only the visual field-of-reference of a young person’s world (giving the sense of a fully-formed universe) but the way a young person hears ideas for the first time, and begins the process of learning about adult masks, games and secrets. In one sun-dappled, perfect summer, Frida will grow up more than any six-year-old should ever be expected to, as her new young step-parents struggle with the smiles and the tears. Summer 1993 has a touch of truth that even many personal screen memoirs don’t hit, thanks in no small part to Simón’s brilliant casting and work with actors, Bruna Cusi, David Verdaguer and the most incredible child actor discovery in years, Laia Artigas as Frida.
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2017 Miami Film Festival Awards – Chilean Film FAMILY LIFE Wins Grand Prize
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Family Life (Vida De Familia)[/caption]
Chilean filmmakers Cristian Jiménez and Alicia Scherson’s Family Life (Vida De Familia) won the Knight Competition Grand Jury Prize of the 34th annual Miami Dade College’s Miami Film Festival.
Family Life, which had its World Premiere at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival, stars Jorge Becker, Gabriela Arancibia, Blanca Lewin, Cristián Carvajal. In the film, Bruno and his family leave their Santiago home for a three-month visit to France. Bruno’s cousin Martín is left in charge of the house and cat. The cat goes missing, which leads Martín to meet Pachi. A romance begins, albeit one based on false pretenses: Martín claims the house is his, and that he’s a father and divorcé. Martín invents a whole new life—but when happens when real life comes back from holiday?
The awards ceremony capped a stellar edition of the Festival featuring a total of 140 films from 41 countries, including 17 World Premieres.
2017 MIAMI FILM FESTIVAL AWARD WINNERS
KNIGHT COMPETITION
BEST FILM: $30,000 Prize Family Life / Director: Cristian Jiménez, Alicia Scherson (Chile) BEST DIRECTOR: $5,000 Prize Daniel Hendler for The Candidate (Uruguay) BEST ACTOR: $5,000 Prize (shared) Lola Amores and Eduardo Martinez for Santa y Andres (Cuba)HBO IBERO-AMERICAN FEATURE FILM COMPETITION
BEST FILM: $10,000 Prize Maria (And Everyone Else) / Frida Films – Director: Nely Reguera) (Spain) HONORABLE MENTION Marc Crehuet for The One Eyed King (El Rey Tuerto) (Spain)JORDAN RESSLER SCREENWRITING COMPETITION
BEST SCRIPT: $10,000 Prize Tomas Alzamora for Little White Lie (La mentirita blanca) (Chile) KNIGHT DOCUMENTARY ACHIEVEMENT AWARD: Take My Nose…Please! / Director: Joan Kron (USA, Mexico)ZENO MOUNTAIN AWARD
BEST FILM: $5,000 PREMIO – The Grown-Ups (Los Niños) / Director: Maite Alberdi (Chile)AUDIENCE FAVORITE
La Soledad by Jorge Thielen Armand (Venezuela)AUDIENCE FAVORITE SHORT
Havana House by Gaspar González (USA)SHORTS COMPETITION AWARD
BEST FILM: $2,500 Prize The Head Vanishes / Director: Frank Dion (Canada, France)RENE RODRIGUEZ CRITICS AWARD
BEST FILM: Harmonium / Director: Kôji Fukada (Japan)ENCUENTROS AWARD (WORKS-IN-PROGRESS)
$10,000 Prize (shared) – Tigre (Argentina, Pucará Cine) & Camocim (Brazil, Ponte Produções)MIAMI FILM 2017 $5,000 each to:
And The Whole Sky Fit in the Dead Cow’s Eye (Y todo el cielo cupo en el ojo de la vaca) by Francisca Alegria (Chile) Connection (CONECTIFAI) by Zoe Garcia (Cuba) The Inconvenience (El Inconveniente) by Adriana Yurcovich (Argentina)
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Miami International Film Festival Reveals 2015 Film Lineup
Sidetracked (Las ovejas no pierden el tren)Miami International Film Festival released the full roster of films selected to screen during its 32nd edition, taking place March 6 – 15, 2015.
This year’s Festival showcases 125 films, including 94 feature films and documentaries, 18 short films, 11 student films and 2 works-in-progress, produced and directed by both renowned and emerging talent from 40 countries.
The Festival opens with the Florida premiere of Director Damián Szifron’s Wild Tales (Relatos salvajes) from Argentina, boasting an all-star cast of Argentina’s biggest stars in an epic comedy of unfettered, delicious revenge.
The Festival closes with the International Premiere screening of Sidetracked (Las ovejas no pierden el tren) from Spain, directed by Álvaro Fernández Armero and starring Spanish box office sensations Inma Cuesta and Raúl Arévalo. This hilarious film follows a comically rudderless couple in mid-thirties life crisis, with stalled careers, an adorable lonesome son, and dysfunctional siblings who nearly steal the show.
The 11 films selected for the Knight competition are:
Aurora (Chile, directed by Rodrigo Sepúlveda) *North American Premiere
Blue Blood (Sangue azul) (Brazil, directed by Lírio Ferreira) *North American Premiere
Butterfly (Mariposas) (Argentina, directed by Marco Berger) *North American Premiere
Invasion (Invasión) (Panama, directed by Abner Benahim) *North American Premiere
Life is Sacred (Denmark / Ireland / Norway / Colombia, directed by Andreas Dalsgaard, Viviana Gómez & Nicolás Servide) *North American Premiere
Los Hongos (Colombia / France, directed by Oscar Ruiz Navia) *US Premiere
The Obscure Spring (Las oscuras primaveras) (Mexico, directed by Ernesto Contreras) *US Premiere
The Project of the Century (La obra del siglo) (Cuba, Argentina, Germany directed by Carlos Machado Quintela) *North American Premiere
The Strongest Man (USA, directed by Kenny Riches)
Sunstrokes (Las insoladas) (Argentina, directed by Gustavo Taretto) *North American Premiere
Voice Over (La voz en off) (Chile, directed by Cristián Jiménez) *US Premiere Co-Presented with Film Comment Selects 2015 at the NYC’s Film Society of Lincoln Center.Jordan Alexander Ressler Foundation Screenwriting Prize
3 Beauties (3 Bellezas) (Venezuela, screenplay by Carlos Caridad Montero) *North American Premiere
Ben’s at Home (Canada, screenplay by Dan Abramovici and Mars Horodyski)
Cut Snake (Australia, screenplay by Blake Ayshford)
East Side Sushi (USA, screenplay by Anthony Lucero)
A Girl at my Door (Dohee-ya) (Korea, screenplay by Jung July)
Innocent Killers (Asesinos inocentes) (Spain, screenplay by J.M. Asensio and Gonzalo Bendala)*World Premiere
Love at First Fight (Les combattants) (France, screenplay by Thomas Cailley and Claude Le Pape)
On the Road, Somewhere (Algun lugar) (Dominican Republic, screenplay by Wendy Muniz and Guillermo Zouain) *World Premiere
Posthumous (USA, screenplay by Lulu Wang) *North American Premiere
Preggoland (Canada, screenplay by Sonja Bennett)
Set Fire to the Stars (UK, screenplay by Andy Goddard and Celyn Jones) *International Premiere
Someone Else (USA, screenplay by Nelson Kim) *World Premiere
Tango Glories (Fermin glorias del tango) (Argentina, screenplay by Oliver Kolker)
Theeb (Jordan, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, UK, screenplay by Naji Abu Nawar)
They are All Dead (Todos están muertos) (Spain, Germany, Mexico, screenplay by Beatriz Sanchís) *US Premiere
Tour de Force (Hin und weg) (Germany, screenplay by Ariane Schröder) *US PremiereKnight Documentary Achievement Award.
Films eligible for this Award are:13 Million Voices (USA, directed by Janelle Gueits) *World Premiere
Being Evel (USA, directed by Daniel Junge)
Before We are Forgotten (Antes de que nos olviden) (Mexico, directed by Matías Gueilburt) *US Premiere
Best of Enemies (USA, directed by Robert Gordon & Morgan Neville)
City of Gold (USA, directed by Laura Gabbert)
Dawg Fight (USA, directed by Billy Corben) *World Premiere
Finding Gastón (Buscando a Gastón) (Peru, directed by Patricia Perez)
The Holders (USA, directed by Carla Forte) *World Premiere
Hot Girls Wanted (USA, directed by Jill Bauer, Ronna Gradus)
Invasion (Invasión) (Panama, Argentina, directed by Abner Benahim) *North American Premiere
Iris (USA, directed by Albert Maysles)
Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck (USA, directed by Brett Morgan)
The Land of Many Palaces (China, UK, directed by Ting Song, Adam James Smith)
Life is Sacred (Denmark, Ireland, Norway, Colombia, directed by Andreas Dalsgaard, Viviana Gomez, Nicolas Servide) *North American Premiere
The Lost Aviator (Australia, directed by Andrew Lancaster) *North American Premiere
The Muses of Bashevis Singer (Israel, directed by Shaul Betser, Asaf Galay)
Paco de Lucía: A Journey (Paco de Lucia: la búsqueda) (Spain, directed by Curro Sánchez Varela)*North American Premiere
Playing Lecuona (Spain, Colombia, directed by Pavel Giroud, Juan Manuel Villar) *North American Premiere
The Record Man (USA, directed by Mark Moorman) *World Premiere
The Salt of the Earth (La sel de la terre) (Brazil / Italy / France, directed by Juliano Ribeiro Salgado & Wim Wenders) *2015 Oscar nominee for Best Documentary Feature
Sweet Micky for President (USA, Haiti, Canada, directed by Ben Patterson)
Tea Time (La once) (Chile, USA, directed by Maite Alberdi) *North American Premiere
This Is My Land (France, Israel, Palestine, Poland, directed by Tamara Erde)
This Is What It Is (Esto es lo que hay) (France, directed by Léa Rinaldi) *World PremiereLexus Ibero-American Opera Prima Competition: A distinguished jury will select from the following five first-time feature filmmakers from Latin America, Spain and/or Portugal for a $10,000 cash award presented by Lexus:
3 Beauties (3 Bellezas) (Venezuela, directed by Carlos Caridad Montero) *North American Premiere
Easy Sex, Sad Movies (Sexo fácil, películas tristes) (Argentina / Spain, directed by Alejo Flah)*International Premiere
In the Grayscale (En las gamas de gris) (Chile, directed by Claudio Marcone) *World Premiere
On the Road, Somewhere (Algun lugar) (Dominican Republic, directed by Guillermo Zouain)*World Premiere
They are All Dead (Todos están muertos) (Spain, Germany, Mexico, directed by Beatriz Sanchís)*US PremierePark Grove Shorts Competition:
60 Candles (Uruguay, directed by Ana Guevara and Letícia Jorge) *World Premiere (Screens with Voice Over program)
The Bigger Picture (U.K. directed by Daisy Jacobs) *2015 Oscar-nominee (Screens with A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Contemplating Existence program)
Distance (USA, directed by Ismael Gomez III) (Screened as part of From A Distance Shortsprogram)
Freddie of Wynwood (USA, directed by Fabian Cardenas) *World Premiere (Screens with The Holders program)
Maalu (Australia, Sri Lanka, directed by Sanjay De Silva) *World Premiere (Screens with The Land of Many Palaces program)
Miami (Portugal, directed by Simão Cayatte) *North American Premiere (Screens with From A Distance Shorts program)
Old Bay (USA, directed by Lena Rudnick) (Screened with Ghost Stories Shorts program)
She Bought it in Zarautz
(Zarautzen erosi zuen) (Spain, directed by Aitor Arregui) *North American Premiere (Screens with Flowers program)
Thread (Malaysia, directed by Virginia Kennedy) *North American Premiere (Screens with From A Distance Shorts program)
A Tree in the Sea (United Arab Emirates, directed by Shahir Zag) *World Premiere (Screens withFrom A Distance Shorts program)
Young Lions of Gypsy (A ciambra) (Italy, directed by Jonas Carpignano) (Screens with Ghost Stories Shorts program)FESTIVAL NON-COMPETITION CATEGORIES:
CINEDWNTWN GALAS Presented By Miami Downtown Development Authority
Everybody Leaves (Todos se van) (Colombia, directed by Sergio Cabrera) *North American Premiere
Kamikaze (Spain, directed by Álex Pina) *North American Premiere
The Pilgrim – Paulo Coehlo’s Best Story (Não pare na pista) (Brazil, Spain, directed by Daniel Augusto) *International Premiere
Playing Lecuona (Spain, directed by Pavel Giroud & Juan Manuel Villar) *North American PremiereFLORIDA FOCUS: Nine films by Sunshine State filmmakers and directors.
Dawg Fight (USA, directed by Billy Corben) *World Premiere
Distance (USA, directed by Ismael Gomez III) (Screens as part of From a Distance Shorts program)
Freddie of Wynwood (USA, directed by Fabian Cardenas) *World Premiere (Screens with The Holders program)
The Holders (USA, directed by Carla Forte) *World Premiere
Papa Machete (USA, directed by Jonathan David Kane) (Screens with The Architecture of Color program)
Posthumous (USA, directed by Noah DeBonis) (Screened with Ghost Stories Shorts program)
The Record Man (USA, directed by Mark Moorman) *World Premiere
The Sun Like A Big Dark Animal (USA, directed by Christina Felisgrau & Ronnie Rivera) (Screens with The Architecture of Color program)
The Wizard (El mago) (USA, directed by David Liz) *US Premiere (Screens with Ghost Stories Shorts program)CINEMASLAM features the best works of some of Miami’s most brilliant student filmmakers. This year’s 5th annual competition includes work from students Zachary Burgh, Frederick Criswell, Carlos Cuervo, Melissa Gomez, Patricia Joaquim & Karina Rey, Rita Pereyra, and Timothy Wilcox of Miami Dade College; Luis Galvis and Tyler Huyser from University of Miami, Adonis Lugo from Miami International University; and Ransey Padilla from Center of Cinematography, Arts and TV Miami. The Audience Award winner will be voted on during the screening and announced at the Patrón Opening Night Party at the Freedom Tower of Miami Dade College.
MIAMI MANIFESTO: Film experiences that engage the audience with political headlines beyond your average daily read. The films in this special section, debuting at the Festival this year, will feature extended post-screening conversations with the filmmakers, and lively debates about the extended issues presented in their films. Inbetween the two screenings, a reception hosted by SundanceNow DocClub will take place at Coral Gables Art Cinema.
Best of Enemies (USA, directed by Robert Gordon and Morgan Neville)
Life is Sacred (Denmark / Ireland / Norway / Colombia, directed by Andreas Dalsgaard, Viviana Gomez & Nicolas Servide) *North American PremiereSPECIAL PRESENTATIONS:
Tough Ain’t Enough: Conversations with Albert S. Ruddy (USA, directed by Gregory J. Bradley)
Habana (Cuba, directed by Edouard Salier) (Screens with From A Distance Shorts program)
The Last Flight of Hubert Le Blon (Hubert le blonen azken hegaldia) (Spain, directed by Koldo Almandoz) *North American Premiere (Screens with The Lost Aviator program)
The Windows(Las ventanas) (Cuba, directed by Maryulis Alfonso Yero) *North American Premiere. (Screens with Venice program)AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL: Three cinematic love letters to the strong independent character of the United States.
Posthumous (USA, directed by Lulu Wang) *North American Premiere
Someone Else (USA, directed by Nelson Kim) *World Premiere
Spring (USA, directed by Justin Benson, Aaron Moorhead)VISIONS: Provocative and stirring three feature-length visual experiences guaranteed to test the limits and take viewers to the extreme.
A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence (En duva satt pa en gren och funderade pa tillvaron) (Sweden, Norway, France, Germany, directed by Roy Andersson)
Magical Girl (Spain, directed by Carlos Vermut)
White God (Fehér isten) (Hungary / Germany / Sweden, directed by Kornél Mundruczó)REEL MUSIC: Five documentaries emanating the global power of music.
13 Million Voices (USA, directed by Janelle Gueits) *World Premiere
This Is What It Is (Esto es lo que hay) (France, directed by Léa Rinaldi) *World Premiere
Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck (USA, directed by Brett Morgan)
Paco de Lucía: A Journey (Paco de Lucía: la busqúeda) (Spain, directed by Curro Sánchez Varela)*North American Premiere
Sweet Micky For President (USA / Haiti / Canada, directed by Bob Patterson)CINEMA 360° Presented by ViendoMovies: A vibrant and dynamic selection of eight narrative works, from both accomplished and emerging filmmakers, including an international selection of dramas, comedies, suspense thrillers, neo-westerns, and innovative docudramas.
The Architecture of Color (A arquitetura da cor) (Brazil, directed by José Henrique Fonseca and Priscila Lopes) *World Premiere
Beautiful Youth (Hermosa juventud) (Spain, directed by Jaime Rosales) *US Premiere
Ben’s at Home (Canada, directed by Mars Horodyski)
Black Souls (Anime nere) (Italy, directed by Francesco Munzi)
Ciudad Delirio (Colombia, Spain, directed by Chus Gutiérrez)
Cut Snake (Australia, directed by Tony Ayres)
The Dinner (I nostri ragazzi) (Italy, directed by Ivano de Matteo)
The Farewell Party (Mita tova) (Israel, Germany, directed by Sharon Maymon and Tal Granit)
Felix and Meira (Félix et Meira) (Canada, directed by Maxime Giroux)
Flowers (Loreak) (Spain, directed by Jon Garaño, Jose Mari Goenaga)
The Fool (Durak) (Russia, directed by Yuri Bykov)
Guidance (Canada, directed by Pat Mills) *US Premiere
Innocent Killers (Asesinos inocentes) (Spain, directed by Gonzalo Bendala) *World Premiere
Panama Canal Stories (Historias del canal) (Panama, directed by Carolina Borrero, Pinky Mon, Luis Franco, Abner Benaim and Pituka Ortega Heilbron) *International Premiere
Phoenix (Germany, directed by Christian Petzold)
Preggoland (Canada, directed by Jacob Tierney)
Sand Dollars (Dólares de arena) (Dominican Republic, Argentina, Mexico, directed by Laura Amelia Guzmán, Israel Cárdenas)
A Second Chance (En chance til) (Denmark, directed by Susanne Bier) *US Premiere
Set Fire to the Stars (UK, directed by Andy Goddard) *International Premiere
Shrew’s Nest (Musarañas) (Spain, France, directed by Juanfer Andrés, Esteban Roel)
Tango Glories (Fermín: glorias del tango) (Argentina, directed by Hernán Findling, Oliver Kolker)
Theeb (Jordan, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, UK, directed by Naji Abu Nawar)
Tour de Force (Hin und weg) (Germany, directed by Christian Zübert) *US Premiere
Venice (Venecia) (Cuba, Colombia, directed by Kiki Álvarez) *US Premiere
Warsaw 44 (Miasto 44) (Poland, directed by Jan Kosama)SPOTLIGHT ON ASIAN CINEMA Presented by TV5MONDE: A collection of seven feature length films by both acclaimed and emerging French filmmakers. Zhang Meng’s Uncle Victory is the opening night film of the program.
In the Name of My Daughter (L’homme quón aimait trop) (France, directed by André Téchiné)
Ladygrey (France, Belgium, South Africa, directed by Alain Choquart) *International Premiere
Love at First Fight (Les combattants) (France, directed by Thomas Cailley)
Saint Laurent (France, directed by Bertrand Bonello)
The Price of Fame (La rançon de la gloire) (France, directed by Xavier Beauvois) *US Premiere
Three Hearts (3 coeurs) (France, directed by Benoît Jacquot)
Weekends in Normandy (Week-ends) (France, directed by Anne Villacèque)SPOTLIGHT ON ASIAN CINEMA: A collection of seven films from both Asian and Asian American directors. Zhang Meng’s Uncle Victory is the opening night film of the program.
A Girl at my Door (Dohee-ya) (Korea, directed by Jung July)
A Hard Day (kkeut-kka-ji-gan-da) (Korea, directed by Seong-hun Kim)
The Land of Many Palaces (China, directed by Ting Song, Adam Smith)
The Liar (Geojinmal) (Korea, directed by Kim Dong-myung) *North American Premiere
Partners in Crime (Kong heng) (Taiwan/China, directed by Chang Jung-Chi)
Scarlet Innocence (Madam Ppang-Deok) (Korea, directed by Yim Pil-sung)
Uncle Victory (Shengli) (China, directed by Zhang Meng)CULINARY CINEMA: Returning for a third mouthwatering year, a playful pairing of Foodie Films with fantastic Local Restaurants, Sponsored by Frederick Wildman & Sons
The Culinary Cinema category schedule is comprised of five distinct film & restaurant pairings:
City of Gold (USA, directed by Laura Gabbert) – Saturday, March 7 at 3:30 p.m. / Screening paired with 1:00 p.m. lunch at Juvia Miami Beach (1111 Lincoln Road, Miami Beach)
East Side Sushi (USA, directed by Anthony Lucero) – Tuesday, March 10 at 7:00 p.m. / Screening paired with 9:00 p.m. dinner at SUSHISAMBA Coral Gables in The Westin Hotel on Ponce de Leon (180 Aragon Avenue Coral Gables)
Finding Gastón (Buscando a Gastón) (Peru, directed by Patricia Pérez) – Monday, March 9 at 6:50 p.m. / Screening paired with 8:30 p.m. dinner at La Mar by Gastón Acurio at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel (500 Brickell Key Drive, Miami)
Natural Resistance (Italy / France, directed by Jonathan Nossiter) – Wednesday, March 11 at 7:00 p.m. / Screening paired with 8:45 p.m. dinner at Quattro Gastronomia Italiana (1014 Lincoln Road, Miami Beach)
Rewined (Vinodentro) (Italy, directed by Ferdinando Vicentini Orniani) – Thursday, March 12 at 7:00 p.m. / Screening paired with 9:00 p.m. dinner at Macchialina Taverna Rustica (820 Alton Road, Miami Beach) *North American Premiere
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Wild Tales to Open 2015 Miami International Film Festival
Wild Tales (Relatos salvajes), directed by Damián Szifron, is the opening night film of the 32nd Miami International Film Festival taking place March 6 – 15, 2015.
The black comedy, featuring an all-star cast made up of the who’s who of Argentina cinema (including perennial Miami International Film Festival audience favorite Ricardo Darín), makes its Florida premiere and marks the third directorial achievement for Miami International Film Festival alumnus Szifron, a deftly talented filmmaker hailing from Buenos Aires. Wild Tales is currently shortlisted for the 2015 Best Foreign Language Film Academy Award nominations, one of just nine titles whittled down from a record 83 films submitted worldwide. The final list of nominees will be revealed tomorrow, January 15th, from Los Angeles, home of the Oscars.
Says Miami Dade College’s Miami International Film Festival executive director Jaie Laplante, “A Ricardo Darín-starring, Damián Szifron-directed, Pedro Almodóvar-produced, Cannes Official Competition, Oscar-shortlisted film? Yes, please. The Festival is absolutely delighted to choose Wild Tales as our CINEDWNTWN Galas’ Opening Night Film, because it combines the talents of so many of our audience’s favorite artists, all of whom are working at the absolute top of their game.”
Szifron’s debut feature film, The Bottom of the Sea (2003) played at 21st Miami International Film Festival in 2004, while his equally celebrated second film, On Probation, was released in 2005. Wild Tales marks Szifron’s first collaboration with legendary Spanish filmmaker and producer Pedro Almodóvar, who along with his brother Augustin, helm El Deseo, the film’s co-producers with Kramer & Sigman Films of Argentina.
Wild Tales is a wickedly funny roundabout of six standalone but related shorts featuring dozens of characters, reaching operatic heights of subversive humor in tales of conflicts between the classes under common themes of violence and vengeance. Simon (Darín) is pushed to the breaking point by Buenos Aires civic bureaucrats who have towed his car on the day of his daughter’s birthday; whereas white-collar businessman Diego (Leonardo Sbaraglia) is enraged by blue-collar righteousness on a dusty, deserted highway. By chance, a roadside diner waitress (Julieta Zylberberg) meets the pompous jerk who destroyed her family; and wealthy patriarch Mauricio (Oscar Martinez) is determined to be the pompous jerk who won’t let anyone destroy his family.
Actor Ricardo Darín is no stranger to Miami Dade College’s Miami International Film Festival, having starred in numerous Official Selection films for many years, and attending the Festival in 2012 withChinese Take-Away at the 29th Miami International Film Festival at that year’s Closing Awards Night Gala. Erica Rivas, Diego Gentile, Dario Grandinetti, Oscar Martinez, Leonardo Sbaraglia, Julieta Zylberberg, German de Silva and many more complete the outstanding ensemble.
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Miami International Film Festival Unveils 2015 Poster Featuring Orson Welles Strolling in Miami Beach
Miami International Film Festival (MiamiFF) unveiled the official poster for the 32nd edition, featuring legendary writer, producer and director Orson Welles strolling the Miami Beach boardwalk in 1943. Adding a layer of Welles-ian mystery, the photographer of this remarkable 70-year-old image is unknown. So whodunit? The festival invites the public to help solve this mystery as it gears up for its international film premieres and festival activities taking place March 6 – 15, 2015.
Says MiamiFF Executive Director Jaie Laplante, “When we found this photograph of Orson, it was like multiple lightning bolts of yes; yes, let’s all bow to his mastery; yes, Miami’s allure has always attracted the famous; and yes, it would be an honor for the Festival to associate this vintage image with Miami’s passion for the arts and quality films.”
Renewed interest in Welles’ career and remarkable body of work – over an acclaimed theater, television and radio career, plus an unparalleled feature film slate that includes Citizen Kane, The Magnificent Ambersons, Othello, Touch of Evil, The Trial and Chimes of Midnight – has surged of late. In Spring 2015, documentarian Chuck Workman is releasing Magician: The Astonishing Life And Work of Orson Welles, featuring pristine film clips and behind the scenes video of the artist’s entire career.
And in May 2015, Welles’s last unfinished film, The Other Side of the Wind, will finally be released after four decades of behind the scenes drama; a film which cinema buffs consider to be the most famous movie never released. A movie within a movie, The Other Side of the Wind chronicles the comeback attempt of an aging maverick director played by John Huston, with a supporting cast including Susan Strasberg, Lilli Palmer, and Dennis Hopper, with Peter Bogdanovich playing an up-and-coming director. While Welles obsessively worked on the film during the last 15 years of his life, successfully assembling 45 minutes of edited work print, original producer Frank Marshall and Peter Bogdanovich will finally finish cutting the film based upon Welles’s own notes, utilizing over 1,000 canisters of impeccably directed film Welles left in Paris before his death in 1985. The blessing for Marshall and Bogdanovich to do so finally earned Welles’ heirs permission when producers successfully argued that the film’s release would properly celebrate the 100-year anniversary of Welles’ birth.
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FADING GIGOLO and THE MOUNTAIN Win Lexus Audience Awards at 31st Miami International Film Festival
Fading GigoloMiami International Film Festival (MIFF) announced the popular Lexus Audience Award presented to two films for Best Documentary and Best Feature. The winners were Fading Gigolo directed by John Turturro (USA), which won Best Feature, and The Mountain (La montaña) directed by Tabaré Blanchard (Dominican Republic), which won Best Documentary.
Fading Gigolo stars Woody Allen, who is a late-blooming pimp to John Turturro’s middle-aged junior florist-turned hustler in a hilarious NY comedy, where legendary screen sirens Sharon Stone and Sofia Vergara turn up as eager clients, and Vanessa Paradis plays an orthodox Jewish widow in need of human touch. The film was part of an evening which presented John Tuturro with the Career Achievement Tribute & Award.
The MountainThe Mountain is a documentary about a trio of Dominicans who contend with the harsh, freezing climate of Katmandu and made history by crowning Mount Everest with a Dominican flag in 2011, inspiring three young surfers to conquer Pico Duarte, Hispaniola’s highest mountain.