The 30th Miami International Film Festival
The 30th Annual Miami Film Festival, running from March 1 through 10, features XX films from around the globe. Here are a few highlights to look out for in this year’s festival.
Dark Blood
Directed by George Sluizer—written by Jim Barton—starring River Phoenix, Jonathan Pryce & Judy Davis
Wednesday, March 6 at 7 p.m.
Olympia Theater
Perhaps the most interesting film screening at this year’s MIFF—if only for the complications surrounding the film—is the drama Dark Blood. The film was delayed 19 years after the tragic death of it’s star River Phoenix in 1993. Initially, it appeared the film would remain unfinished, but director George Sluizer held on to the footage fearing it would be destroyed otherwise. In 2011, Sluizer began to re-edit the footage and used voice-over narration to plug the plot holes left by the missing scenes left after Phoenix’s death.
Dark Blood, which will be making it’s US premiere at MIFF XXX, tells the story of a young widower named Boy—played by Phoenix—who takes up residence on a nuclear testing site. After the death of his wife, he becomes a hermit and spends his time carving voodoo dolls in the desert, until he runs across a stranded couple and takes them hostage hoping to create a better life with his female captive.
Eenie Meenie Miney Moe
Directed by Jokes Yanes—written by J. Bishop and Jokes Yanes—starring Andres Dominguez, Belkys Galvez, David Lago
Thursday, March 7 at 6:45 p.m.
Olympia Theater
Judging from the trailer alone, this flick looks awesome.
This world premiere is a made-in-Miami crime drama produced by some the same creative minds who spawned the previous MIFF hit Magic City Memoirs.
Eenie Meenie Miney Moe marks the first feature directed by Jokes Yanes, who has garnered some local attention through his music videos made for the likes of such musical acts as ¡Mayday!
The film tells the gritty tale of a tow truck driver named Raul (Andres Dominguez) who scours South Beach and soon learns that with every decision, comes equal consequences.
No
Directed by Pablo Larraín—written by Pedro Peirano (screenplay), Antonio Skármeta (play)—starring Gael García Bernal, Alfredo Castro & Antonia Zegers
Tuesday, March 5 at 7 p.m.
Olympia Theater
No, which is currently Chile’s first Academy Award nomination in the category of Best Foreign Language Film, is based on the unfinished play El Plebiscito.
The film follows an in-demand advertising executive tasked with coming up with a campaign to overcome Augusto Pinochet in 1988’s Chilean national plebiscite, which was to determine whether Pinochet would indeed remain in power.
The title stems from the “No” campaign that was eventually launched in response to Pinochet’s “Yes” campaign.
One interesting side note about the film is that it was shot on 3/4′ Sony U-matic magnetic tape, which was used frequently in news broadcasts at the time, in order to give the film the proper nostalgic feel.
The Boy Who Smells Like Fish
Directed by Analeine Cal y Mayor—written by Analeine Cal y Mayor, Javier Gullón—starring Douglas Smith, Zoë Kravitz, Ariadna Gil
Saturday, March 2 at 6:15 p.m.
Olympia Theater
The Boy Who Smells Like Fish is the strange tale of a boy who smells like fish; no surprises going into this one.
The story follows the life of a smelly boy named Mica (Douglas Smith), who has an affinity for Mexican singer Guillermo Garibai. Mica has made his home a museum for the aging singer and spends much of his free time giving guided tours to his fans.
His fishy stench, which even doctor’s can not explain, keeps his social life to a minimum. That is, until he meets a girl named Laura (Zoë Kravitz) and suddenly his life begins to freshen up.
The Boy Who Smells Like Fish is the first film from Mexican director Analeine Cal y Mayor.
Everybody Has A Plan
Directed by Ana Piterbarg—written by Ana Piterbarg and Ana Cohan—starring Viggo Mortensen, Soledad Villamil, Daniel Fanego
Saturday March 2 at 7:15 & Monday, March 4 at 9:30 p.m.
Regal South Beach
Everybody Has A Plan stars acclaimed actor Viggo Mortenson (The Road, The Lord of the Rings Trilogy) as a man who assumes the identity of his twin brother in Argentina after his tragic death.
Once he takes on his brother’s life however, he unknowingly becomes involved in a criminal underworld, along with the problems contained therein.
An assuredly great performance from Mortenson will make this film one not to miss.
