Miami Film Festival Spreads Cinematic Excellence During 10-Day Event
Celebrating its 40th anniversary, the Miami Film Festival returned to entertain moviegoers and film directors alike, with more than 140 movie screenings and nine film competitions.
The 10-day festival was hosted at Downtown Miami’s Silverspot Cinema, the Coral Gables Art Cinema and the Bill Cosford Cinema from March 3 to 12.
“The reception was amazing,” said Lauren Cohen, the MFF Director of Programming. “It’s great to see everybody getting together and enjoying movies together.”
The festival kicked off on March 3 with the screening of Ray Romano’s Somewhere in Queens. The film tells the story of Leo Russo, an Italian-American construction worker helping his son achieve his dream to be an athlete.
“All walks of life should be able to not only relate to, but see themselves in this core family,” said Franco Maicas, who starred as Romano’s on-screen nephew Luigi.
On March 5, actor Nicolas Cage was honored with the Film Festival’s Variety Legend & Groundbreaker Award. The next day, he held a Q&A session with film students at North Campus where he discussed his acting career.
Mexican actor Diego Luna, known for his roles in Narcos: Mexico and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, was honored on March 6 for his accomplishments in the film industry with the inaugural Variety Virtuoso Award.
Colombian actor, comedian and film producer John Leguizamo, who has a new documentary, Leguizamo Does America, received the MFF’s Variety Impact Award on March 11.
Multiple productions competed for the Film Festival’s nine competitions, which included the Goya Quick Bites Short Film Award, Jordan Ressler First Feature Award and the Knight Made in MIA Feature Film Award, which presents $45,000 to a film portraying South Florida culture.
This year, the Made in MIA Feature Film prize was shared between two entries: Hansel Porras García’s Febrero, which follows two long-lost friends as they reconnect with each other and their Cuban origins, and Lilo Vilaplana and Camilo Vilaplana’s Plantadas, which centers on three women who restore democracy to their country.
“Miami is the capital of Latin America,” Porras García said. “It’s amazing that people can see a film in their own language, but within a completely different community.”
Another competitor for the award was Tony Mendez and Tom Musca’s Dying to Direct, a short film that tackled themes like grief, love and cancer.
“The emotions associated with end-of-life issues are much more complex than most people assume,” said Musca, who has featured three other films throughout the festival’s history.
International productions also made their way into the MFF programming. This year, the festival displayed more than 30 films from countries like Spain, Brazil, Pakistan and North Macedonia.
“It’s always super important to have a really diverse program,” Cohen said. “It really gives people the opportunity to connect with cultures they may not know a lot about through cinema.”
Carmen, a movie depicting the immigration journey of a young woman to the United States, marked the directorial debut of renowned choreographer Benjamin Millepied.
Belgian film directors Jean-Pierre Dardenne and Luc Dardenne also showcased Tori and Lokita, a production that revolves around two African teenagers during their migrant journey to Belgium. Last year, the film won the Cannes Film Festival’s 75th Anniversary Award.
“The movie makes you feel a lot of anger toward people in society who don’t help migrants,” said Joely Mbundu, who starred as Lokita in the Belgian-French thriller.
The MFF closed on March 11 with a screening of The Lost King, a 109-minute film depicting the reexamining of King Richard III’s life following an archeological discovery.
“Miami Film Festival is just really, really good at highlighting its local filmmakers,” said filmmaker Mariana Serrano, who showcased Arroz, Leche, Y Powerball in the Goya Quick Bites short film competition. “It’s really about being able to meet people and [forming] connections.”
For a full list of the 2023 MFF winners, visit this link.
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