Miami, (EFE).- Established as an important showcase for world cinematography and especially Latin America, the Miami Film Festival (MFF) turns 40 and celebrates it with a “reinforced” edition that begins this Friday with ” Somewhere in Queens”, directed by Ray Romano.
Best known for his character on the television series “Everybody Loves Raymond,” Romano, in addition to directing this comedy, stars opposite Laurie Metcalf and wrote the script with Mark Stegemann.
His presence this Friday at the screening with which the curtain will be raised on the contest is confirmed, according to Miami Dade College, which is the promoter and organizer of this cultural initiative.
The program of the 40th edition includes more than 140 feature films, documentaries and short films of all genres, from more than 30 countries, including a dozen world premieres and seven US premieres.
The prizes at stake add up to more than 100,000 dollars, but there is also a long list of guests from the United States and abroad, among them the honorees with four special prizes: the actors Nicolas Cage, John Leguizamo and the Mexican Diego Luna and the composer Nicholas Brittell.
A conspicuous absence in Miami
The only thing that has marred the celebration of the 40th anniversary of this festival is that the iconic Tower cinema on Calle Ocho in Little Havana, art deco in style and inaugurated in 1926, is no longer its official headquarters.
Without giving explanations, the Miami municipal authorities decided not to renew the concession of the Tower made two decades ago to Miami Dade College, which made it a cultural reference not only for hosting the festival, but for showing films in the original language with subtitles during all year.
The Festival, which will officially close with “The Lost King”, directed by the British Stephen Frears and starring Sally Hawkins and Steve Coogan, on Saturday March 11, one day before the last film is to be screened, will be held mainly in the Silverspot rooms in the center of the city.
“This is an incredible lineup of films to celebrate our historic 40th anniversary. We look forward to commemorating him by highlighting a collection of new and established creative filmmaking talent,” said Maryam Laguna Borrego, MDC Vice President of External Affairs and Chief of Staff.
Multitude of films and awards
The Mexican director Lorena Padilla, who will present her first fiction feature film, “Martínez” to the world at the event, told EFE that “participating in the 40th edition of the Miami Film Festival is the wonderful closing of a series of events and coincidences without which this film would not be possible.
Padilla’s “black comedy” competes with 16 other films for the Jordan Riesler Award for “first films”, including “Carbón” (Argentina/Brazil), directed by Carolina Markowicz, and “La hija de todas las rabias” (Nicaragua /Mexico/Holland/Germany/France/Norway/Spain), directed by Laura Baumeister.
In the most important competitive category, the Knight Marimba Award, there are, among others, the Spanish “As Bestas”, by Rodrigo Sorogoyen; the French “The Gravity”, by Cédric Ido; the American “How to Blow Up a Pipeline”, by Daniel Goldhaber, the Iranian “Leila’s Brothers”, by Saeed Roustaee, and “Tori and Lokita” (Belgium/France), by Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne.
Also looking for the Knight Marimba are the co-productions “Vicenta B.”, by Cuban Carlos Lechuga, and “The Happiest Man in the World”, by Macedonian Teona Strugar Mitevska.
Among the documentaries, several Cuban-themed ones stand out: “Patria y vida: The Power of the Music”, the first film by the Spanish singer, composer and actress Beatriz Luengo; “Bebo,” directed by exiled Cuban filmmaker Ricardo Bacallao, and “El adiós de la esperanza,” by Miami-based Cuban actor and presenter Lieter Ledesma.
