Miami International Film Fest Announces Films
International Flavor and Diversity Highlight Annual Event

By Mary Damiano

Miami International Film Festival Director Nicole Guillemet with the poster for the 2006 festival, by Cuban-born photographer Abelardo Morell. Photo by Mary Damiano

A salute to director Wim Wenders, more cash prizes than ever before and of course lots of films for every taste is on the menu at the 2006 Miami International Film Festival, March 3-12.

“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.

The festival’s opening night film, Heartlift, is described as a sexy, frothy meditation on the madness of love. As a plastic surgeon confronts middle age. The closing night film is the east coast premiere of Friends with Money, about a group of friends on the brink of middle age who only pretend to have it all together. It stars Jennifer Aniston, Catherine Keener, Joan Cusack and Frances McDormand.

In between there are more than 100 features, shorts and documentaries, plus panel discussions, Q&As, and of course, parties.

Scene from Heartlift, the opening night film

Wim Wenders, the director of Wings of Desire, Paris Texas and many other films will be honored on March 8 with the Career Achievement Tribute for his distinguished body of work. In addition to the tribute, the festival will present the east coast premiere of Wenders’ latest film, Don’t Come Knocking, written by Sam Shepard and starring Shepard, Jessica Lange, Tim Roth and Eva Marie Saint.

Florida will be represented by several films in a section of the festival called touching Florida. The spotlight will be on the Miami with the world premiere of A Class Act, a documentary by Sara Sackner, which exposes the failing state of the American education system by profiling famed Miami teacher Jay W. Jensen. A Class Act gathers many famous Miamians, including Andy Garcia and Brett Ratner, to attest to what education and inspiration can do for students, and in turn, the country.

Tickets for the festival go on sale to members Feb. 3 and to the general public Feb. 17.

For a numerical look at the Miami International Film Festival, keep reading. For more information about the festival and a full schedule of films and events, visit www.MiamiFilmFestival.com.


Miami International Film Festival by the Numbers

Scene from A Class Act, a world premiere documentary about famed Miami teacher Jay W. Jensen

10: Number of days of the film festival

23: Years the film festival has been in operation

117: Number of total films in the festival

92: Number of feature films in the festival

25: Number of short films in the festival

10: Number of world premieres

34: Number of International, North American and U.S premieres

31: Number of East Coast premieres

71: Number of films by international filmmakers

55: Number of films by first or second time filmmakers

24: Number of films by women directors

20: Number of panels in the REEL Seminars Series, in which filmmakers and industry leaders share their experience, knowledge and advice about the creative process, film production distribution, new technology and independent filmmaking.

6: Number of venues showing festival screenings: Gusman Center in downtown Miami, Regal South Beach Cinema in South Beach, Tower Theatre in Little Havana, Sunrise Intracoastal Cinema in North Miami Beach, the Bill Cosford Cinema on the UM campus in Coral Gables and the Colony Theatre in South Beach

Scene from Friends with Money, the closing night film

60,000: Number of people who attended the festival in 2005

$25,000: Amount of the filmmaker’s cash award in three categories, Dramatic Features (World Cinema Competition), Dramatic Features (Ibero-American Cinema Competition) and Documentary Features (World and Ibero-American Cinema Competition).

$250,000: Amount of money the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation will contribute over three years to create the Knight Grand Jury Prizes as well as support the festival’s marketing efforts.