Saturday, March 8---------The new cinematic stars came out last night at the Gusman Center for the Performing Arts, as the 25th edition of the Miami International Film Festival held its Gala Awards Ceremony. After greeting the sold-out crowd, MIFF Director Patrick de Bokay warmly greeted the audience and the assembled filmmakers. “Tonight we are honoring a select few films, but the truth is that every film that has been able to completed under difficult conditions is an award unto itself,” ...
Friday, March 7---------Films from France have traditionally been among the strongest and most loved at the Miami International Film Festival. Not only does Miami have within its borders a large French expatriate community, but immigrants from French-speaking Africa and the Americas round out the French language contingent in this multi-cultural town. Even for those not fluent in “la langue,” French cinema has been the most popular non-English film product for more than 70 years in the Unit...
Friday, March 7--------One of the best features of the Miami International Film Festival is its embrace of the diverse communities that make up this uniquely international city. While most associate Miami with the Latin American communities that have taken root here during the past half century, the fact is that Miami is home to one of the largest gay and lesbian communities in the world. Gay life is part of the texture of the city and this year’s Miami International Film Festival is presen...
Friday, March 7--------It was an evening that could only take place in Miami…the Festival welcomed Grammy-winning producer Emilio Estefan, singing superstar Gloria Estefan and an assembly of rich Latin musical talents for the North American Premiere of 90 MILES THE DOCUMENTARY at the Gusman Center for the Performing Arts.The film, a “labor of love,” chronicles the contributions of legendary and contemporary Latino musicians in the creation of Gloria Estefan’s landmark album 90 MILES. T...
Thursday, March 6--------When visitors from other states or countries think of Miami, they reflect on its gorgeous weather, pristine beaches, outstanding architecture and Latin-influenced culture. The banging of the drum, the beating of the marimba, the strumming of the guitar, the blaring of a trumpet, the music of Miami is as intoxicating as its other natural beauties.To acknowledge this essential aspect of Miami culture, the Miami International Film Festival has inaugurated a new program this...
Thursday, March 6---------Reaching a 25th anniversary is a milestone for any organization. For a film festival, it is a major accomplishment and a vantage point from which to appreciate past triumphs and survey new opportunities. As the Miami International Film Festival celebrated its silver anniversary at the glorious Gusman Center for the Performing Arts last evening, the mood was one of reverence for the past and anticipation for the future. “A Festival is nothing without the involvement ...
Wednesday, March 5---------In the past number of years, major film festivals around the world has seen it as their mission to not only exhibit the best films available, but also to serve as a breeding ground for new projects to get launched, financed and distributed. To this end, the Miami International Film Festival (MIFF) has joined the ranks of such major film festival events as Cannes, Berlin, Rotterdam, Pusan, Dubai and several others, in organizing parallel industry events designed to st...
Wednesday, March 5------“Music is Miami, and Miami is music”, declared Patrick de Bokay, MIFF Director, from the stage of the Gusman Center last evening, announcing a new program strand in the Festival called The Reel Music Scene. This special sidebar of documentaries, music videos and information panels will celebrate the love affair between music and the moving image. To kick off the program, the Festival presented the North American Premiere of AFRICA UNITE, an inspiring music documentary...
Tuesday, March 4-------This year, the Miami International Film Festival is putting a special spotlight on new Mexican films. Not only is this industry’s cinema among the most influential in the world right now, but this year’s MIFF ABROAD program, sponsored by American Airlines, will bring a group of US film industry professionals to network with their Mexican colleagues in August of this year. MIFF ABROAD is an industry exchange program linking film professionals from around the world w...
Monday, March 3----------When you have one of the most famous and recognizable faces in both Hollywood and the tabloids, it is a challenge to be recognized for your talent and not your fame. The plain, unvarnished truth is that Demi Moore is a damned good actress. She makes that abundantly clear in her role as the buttoned-down executive who becomes involved in a major diamond heist from the vaults of her employer in last night’s Gusman Gala. FLAWLESS (which describes the jewels, but certain...
