MIAMI – The Miami International Film Festival (MIFF), presented by Miami Dade College (MDC), announced today the full schedule of films for the 23rd annual festival to be held March 3- 12, 2006. The Opening Night film this year will be the World Premiere of “Heartlift” (“Lifting de Corazón”) from director Eliseo Subiela. The Closing Night film will be the East Coast Premiere of “Friends With Money” from director Nicole Holofcener starring Jennifer Aniston and Frances McDormand.
The Miami International Film Festival has also announced that the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation will contribute $250,000 over three years to create the Knight Grand Jury Prizes as well as support the festival’s marketing efforts. The Knight Grand Jury Prizes will carry a cash award of $25,000 each in the three categories: Dramatic Features (World Cinema Competition), Dramatic Features (Ibero- American Cinema Competition), and Documentary Features (World & Ibero-American Cinema Competition).
“With the amount of fresh perspective and cultural diversity in this year’s program, the vision, spirit, and stature of the Miami International Film Festival has never felt more tangible,” said Festival Director Nicole Guillemet. “Emphasizing the multicultural aspect of the Festival, 71 films, or 77%, of our films this year are by international filmmakers, 55 films, or 60% of our films are by 1st or 2nd time directors and 24 (30%) are by women directors. And now, with the wonderful contribution of Knight Foundation, the Festival is taking on a new role that builds community, bridges communities, and transforms communities.”
The Miami International Film Festival has become a defining cultural event in South Florida, according to Alberto Ibargüen, president and CEO of the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. “Events like this set an artistic standard that most cities can only hope for. But, our interest at Knight Foundation is that they also help define the community and give it a common language,” said Ibargüen. “A festival of films can lead us to a better sense of who we are by showing us the great variety from which we come and view the world. That is essential to understanding each other and building community.”
Eighteen films will premiere at the Gusman Center for the Performing Arts while twelve films will be competing in the Dramatic Features – World Cinema Competition, thirteen films in the Dramatic Features – Ibero-American Cinema Competition and seventeen films in the Documentary Features – World & Ibero- American Cinema Competition round out the categories. Additionally, the Festival will screen 32 films, including both dramatic and documentary films, in the International Panorama categories. The Shorts Programs comprise the balance of the schedule with a total of 25 short films.
Films in the Dramatic Features – World Cinema Competition, Dramatic Features – Ibero-American Cinema Competition and Documentary Features – World & Ibero-American Cinema Competition are eligible for a Knight Grand Jury Prize along with audience awards.
“With the generous support of Knight Foundation, the 2006 Miami International Film Festival has hit new heights—elevating its profile and significance among great festivals worldwide,” said MDC president Eduardo J. Padrón. “We are truly honored to provide the community such a high quality program that explores where and who we are in the world; our place not only here in South Florida, but also in the Americas and beyond.”
The Opening Night film this year will be “Heartlift” (“Lifting de Corazón”). In director Eliseo Subiela’s sexy, frothy meditation on the madness of love, a successful plastic surgeon confronts a mid-life crisis and lives to tell the tale – just barely. In addition to being a World Premiere at this year’s festival, “Heartlift” (“Lifting de Corazón”) was also a MIFF Encuentros project in 2003.
The Closing Night film will be the East Coast Premiere of “Friends With Money.” With a fine ensemble cast of Jennifer Aniston, Frances McDormand, Catherine Keener, and Joan Cusack, “Friends With Money” centers on a group of people on the brink of middle-age who only pretend to have it all together.
On Wednesday, March, 8th MIFF will honor director Wim Wenders with the Career Achievement Tribute for his distinguished body of work. In addition to the tribute, there will be a special screening of Wim Wender’s latest film “Don’t Come Knocking,” a tragic-comic road film about missed chances and family relations.
An assortment of special programs will be featured throughout this year’s festival:
- Touching Florida – With 3 World Premieres, “Touching Florida” proudly celebrates the latest works from Floridian directors and producers with films whose subjects touch on the Sunshine State.
- MIFF Abroad – Newly launched this year, “MIFF Abroad” establishes a genuine cultural exchange by focusing on the filmmaking of one Latin American country each year. Given the tremendous resurgence of filmmaking, this year will focus on the filmmaking of Chile.
- The Big Picture – A powerful program highlights films that tackle world issues and the human struggle for life and dignity. This year “The Big Picture” will address four major topics: French “Banlieue” Uprisings, The Death Penalty, Children Affected by War and Terrorism, and Soldiers Question War.
- For the fourth year, the Festival will present Encuentros, which gives emerging producers from Spain and Latin America the opportunity to present new projects to U.S. industry professionals: producers, sales agents, television stations and distributors. This intensive three-day event fosters dialog, builds lasting connections and offers opportunities for networking and the nurturing the next generation of filmmakers, providing access to distributors and thus, to the public.
The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation promotes journalism excellence worldwide and invests in the vitality of Miami and 25 other U.S. communities. Since its creation in 1950, Knight Foundation has approved more than $148 million in grants to the greater Miami area. Learn more online at www.knightfdn.org.
Screenings will take place at six venues throughout the city: The Gusman Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Miami, Regal South Beach Cinema in South Beach, Tower Theater in Little Havana, Sunrise Intracoastal Cinema in North Miami Beach, The Bill Cosford Cinema at the University of Miami in Coral Gables, and The Colony in Miami Beach.
MIFF also announced today that art from photographer Abelardo Morell will adorn the cover of the 2006 film catalogue and the 2006 MIFF poster. Born in Havana, Cuba in 1948, Abelardo Morell has received a number of awards and grants, which include a Cintas grant and a Guggenheim fellowship. His work has been collected and shown in many galleries, institutions and museums, including the Museum of Modern Art, The Whitney Museum of American Art, the Metropolitan Art Museum in New York, The Chicago Art Institute, The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.
Guests who have recently attended the Miami International Film Festival have included Andy Garcia, Jonathan Demme, Woody Harrelson, Geraldine Chaplin, Carlos Saura, Virginie Ledoyen, Zana Briski, HBO, Fox Searchlight, Liv Ullmann, Alexia de la Iglesia, Chris Terrio, Luis Mandoki, Stanley Nelson, Bob Rafelson, Sara Driver, Ted Hope, Sony Pictures Classics, Camilla Belle, Miramax, Baltasar Kormakur, Tony Safford, Rory Kennedy, Daniel Bruhl, Luis Tosar, Stephen Frears, Gaspar Noe, Fred Wiseman, Fernando Leon de Aranoa, Jesse Bradford, Daniele Thompson, Mikael Hafstrom, LisaGay Hamilton, Khyentse Norbu, Eve Ensler, Focus Features, ThinkFilm, Venevision, Maverick, Plural, PBS, Wellspring, Global Film Initiative, Emerging Pictures, Paradigm Consulting, Bristol Media, William Morris Agency, Ibermedia, Traction Media, Comerica Bank, amongst others.
The Miami International Film Festival brings the best of world cinema to South Florida and plays a leading role in maintaining and further enriching its film culture. MIFF uses the unique geographical and cultural position of Miami to be a premiere venue for the exhibition of international and US films, with a special focus on Ibero-American cinema.
More than 60,000 people attended the Festival in 2005, a 275% increase since 2002. In addition, more than 220 filmmakers, producers, talent, and industry representatives from around the world attended the 2005 Festival to introduce their work to Miami audiences and industry professionals. During the last three years, under the direction of Nicole Guillemet, the Festival has presented films from more than 50 countries, including 125 East Coast, US, and world premieres, scores of Oscar winners and nominees, and many international prizewinners.
Miami Dade College has a long and rich history of involvement in the cultural arts, providing South Florida with a vast array of artistic and literary offerings including The Miami Book Fair International, the Cultura del Lobo performing arts series, The Cuban Cinema Series, and the School of Entertainment and Design Technology in addition to the Miami International Film Festival. MDC is the largest institution of higher education in the country and is nationally recognized for many of its academic and cultural programs. With an enrollment of more than 163,000 students, MDC is the nation’s top producer of associate of arts and associate of science degrees. The college’s eight campuses and outreach centers offer more than 200 distinct degree programs including baccalaureate degrees in education.