Miami Dade College’s Miami International Film Festival announced its 33rd edition’s showcase last week. The Festival gives world cinema center stage in Miami for the week with 129 feature-length and short films. There is no shortage of Latin American titles, with a grand total of 30 feature-films and 3 shorts representing the region.
The Knight competition considers films made by filmmakers who have directed at least one previous Official Selection (feature) of the Festival. Films are eligible for Achievement awards totaling up to $40,000 in cash. In the fiction section of the Knight competition three films will see their U.S. premiere; the Argentine-Spanish Truman by Cesc Gay, Mexican Te prometo anarquía / I Promise You Anarchy by Julio Hernández Cordón and Spanish-Uruguayan El apóstata / The Apostate by Federico Veiroj. Also in the fiction showcase is La patota / Paulina by Santiago Mitre from Argentina, La memoria del agua / The Memory of Water by Matias Bize from Chile, Aquí no ha pasado nada / Much Ado About Nothing (pictured left) by Alejandro Fernandez-Almendras from Chile, The Companion by Pavel Giroud from Cuba and Argentina by Spanish director Carlos Saura from Argentina.
In the documentary section of the Knight competition come three films from Latin America; from Chile and Mexico, Allende mi abuelo Allende / Beyond My Grandfather Allende by Marcia Tambutti Allende, from Argentina and Germany, Our Last Tango by German Kral and from the U.S., Queen of Thursdays by Orlando Rojas.
The Lexus Ibero American Feature Film Competition focuses on Ibero-American films that will compete for at jury-selected $10,000 prize. This showcase includes seven North American premieres and one U.S. premiere. The North American premieres are Cien años de perdón / One Hundred Years of Forgiveness from Argentina by Daniel Calparsoro, Espejuelos oscuros / Dark Glasses, from Cuba by Jessica Rodriguez, Sin hijos / No Kids (pictured right) from Argentina by Ariel Winograd, Siembra from Colombia by Angela Osorio Rojas and Santiago Lozano Alvarez, Maquinaria panamericana / Panamerican Machinery from Mexico by Joaquín del Paso, Noche de perros / Dogs’ Night from Argentina by Nacho Sesma and The King of Havana from the Dominican Republic and Spain by Agustí Villaronga. Mexican The Heirs by Jorge Hernandez will receive its U.S. premiere.
Also featured in Ibero American competition is Venezuelan Desde allá / From Afar by Lorenzo Vigas, Puerto Rican La granja / The Farm by Angel Manuel Soto, Peruvian Magallanes by Salvador del Solar, Argentine-Uruguayan Mi amiga del parque by Ana Katz, Costa Rican Viaje by Paz Fabrega and Argentine Abzurdah by Daniela Goggi.
Competing in the Shorts section for a $2,500 cash prize is The 100 Years Show from the U.S. by Alison Klayman, Land Tides from Chile by Manuela Martelli and Amirah Tajdin, North American premiere, La nube from Cuba by Marcel Beltrán and world premiere, Doble 9 from the U.S. by Aisha Schliessler.
The Miami Film 2016 section features the winners of the Latin American film market, Ventana Sur. The films are Absent from Argentina by Marco Berger, Refugiado from Argentina, Colombia, France, Germany and Poland by Diego Lerman and Villegas from Argentina, France and the Netherlands by Gonzalo Tobal.
And, especially curated for younger film fans, the MIFFecito section will feature a world premiere from Chile, Colombia and Mexico by Andrés Waissbluth, entitled Elephant: The Horse.
The 33rd edition of Miami International Film Festival will take place March 4-13, 2016 in Miami, Florida.
