"Wade in the Water: Drowning in Racism" by Miami filmmaker Cathleen Deen dives into Black Florida's fight for the right to swim in state's beaches and swimming pools. It shows as part of the short film program "Walk a Mile in My Shoes" at this year's Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival.
The 36th Annual Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival (FLIFF36) will roll out the red carpet throughout the 18-day festival, as filmmakers and actors both local and around the globe take part in the “Vacation from Ordinary Film.”
The hybrid experience this year is having oboth in-theater and virtual film screenings featuring more than 150 films from 40 countries and it opens Thursday, Nov. 4 and continues through Sunday, Nov. 21, 2021.
[SEE THE COMPLETE FILM GUIDE: Click here.]
FLIFF kicks-off with the official opening night on Friday, Nov. 5 at the Museum of Discovery & Science AutoNation® IMAX 3D theater with a party along with two screenings of Marvel Studios saga of the "Eternals," starring Salma Hayek and Angelina Jolie.
Wendy Malick stars in Miami Beach native Amy Glazer's "Beautiful Dreamer" showing at the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival, which starts Thursday, Nov. 4.
But, as is the case with this South Florida festival, FLIFF features a slate of films with local interest such as "Beautiful Dreamer," directed by Amy Glazer, who is from Miami Beach. Her brother is Mitch Glazer a screenwriter and director known for the TV Series "Magic City" and films "Scrooged" and "Lost in Translation." Her uncle, Sydney Glazier, was an Academy Award winning film producer. In 2010 Amy Glazer brought her film, "Seducing Charlie Barker" to FLIFF and won the Best Indie Feature Award.
"Beautiful Dreamer" is a contemporary dramedy about a group of Bay Area friends in their early 40s navigating one of those life moments together: expecting a surrogate baby, a long and deep friendship in jeopardy, two women finally deciding to marry after years of living together, a novelist with crippling writer's block.
Capturing this next uncharted chapter of their extended family, Beautiful Dreamer explores the messy secrets and complicated nature of parenthood and the modern family, all the while testing the boundaries of love and friendship and the bioethics of surrogacy.
The cast includes Wendie Malick, Erin Daniels, Louis Ozawa, Jennifer Mudge, Kathryn Smith-McGlynn and Tate Moore.
Monday, Nov. 8 at 7:30 p.m., Gateway Cinema
Tuesday, Nov. 9 at 6:30 p.m., Cinema Paradiso Hollywood
Sunday, Nov. 14 at 7:30 p.m., Gateway Cinema
"Wade in the Water: Drowning in Racism," by Miami filmmaker Cathleen Dean, is part of the short film program "Walk a Mile in My Shoes."
Also a film with Miami ties is "Wade in the Water: Drowning in Racism" by Miami filmmaker Cathleen Deen (In short film program "Walk A Mile in My Shoes"), dives deep into Black Florida’s fight for the right to swim, and brings to life the 1960s Civil Rights protests that desegregated the state’s beaches and swimming pools.
("Walk a Mile" streams online from Nov. 4 through Nov. 21. Showings in theaters on Monday, Nov. 8 at 1 p.m., Cinema Paradiso Hollywood, and Wednesday, Nov. 10 at 1 p.m. and Wednesday, Nov. 17 at 3:30 p.m. at Fort Lauderdale's Gateway Cinema.)
Also, "Boxed," by Alyn Darnay of Wilton Manors, gets its East Coast premiere in the short film program "Jewish Journeys: The Pages of Our Lives." ("Jewish Journeys" streams online from Nov. 4 through Nov. 21. Showings in theaters on Thursday, Nov. 11 at 1 p.m. and Sunday, Nov. 21 at 1 p.m., Cinema Paradiso Hollywood, and Tuesday, Nov. 9 at 3 p.m.. Friday, Nov. 12 at 3 p.m., and Thursday, Nov. 18 at 3:30 p.m. at Fort Lauderdale's Gateway Cinema.
Several of the short films from the USA are from Florida filmmakers including: "Inside The Covid Unit: Battling the Coronavirus Pandemic in Miami," the first episode of a five-part Miami Herald/McClatchy documentary directed by Reshma Kirpalani who attended University of Miami (in short film program "Covid"). From directors Dani Adaliz and Roxana Baldovin, and produced by Kevin Bosch (from Fort Lauderdale) "Piña Coladas," a 1970s set Afro-Latinx retelling of the well-known cautionary tale ends a bit differently then the beloved hit song that inspired it (in short film program "When the Moon Hits Your Eye Like a Big Pizza Pie").
One of the other local interest segments of FLIFF is the showcase, "Filmed in Broward," shorts, narrative features, and documentaries that were all filmed in Broward County by South Florida filmmakers. Out of the large number of submissions received, FLIFF selected 14 films creating a two-part program.
"Pompano Boy," a feature directed by Anthony Paul Davis, and produced by Timothy Mark Davis, was selected as one of 14 films included in "Filmed in Broward."
Here are a few: "Senior Moments," "Hurricane Season," and "Telekinesis for Beginners" are short films by Marcus Wolf of Coconut Creek, "Pompano Boy," a feature directed by Anthony Paul Davis, and produced by Timothy Mark Davis (founding member and producing consultant of theater troupe New City Players, Fort Lauderdale), "Black Canvas" directed by Clint Horvath of Wilton Manors, "Beer Kings," a short comedy by Audrey Lynn of West Palm Beach. "Questions and Comments", a feature film directed by Alexandra Alvarez of Boynton Beach, and producer and cinematographer Matthew Rubino of Coral Springs. And, "I ELECT: Power Every Four Years," directed by Ricky J. Martinez, written by Bill Spring, produced by Jose Lima, camera by Denise Perez and starring Carey Brianna Hart. (Check the film guide for times for these showings. Click here.)
Theater Venues
Nov 4-21: Gateway Cinema – 1820 E. Sunrise Blvd, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33334
Nov 4-21: Savor Cinema – 503 SE 6 Street, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301
Nov 4-21: Cinema Paradiso – 2008 Hollywood Blvd, Hollywood, FL 33020
Nov 5 (Only) Official Opening Night: Museum of Discovery & Science AutoNation® IMAX 3D theater – 401 SW 2nd St, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33312
Nov 6 & 20 (Only) Pompano Beach Cultural Center – 50 W Atlantic Blvd, Pompano Beach, FL 33060
Find More Films, Special Guests, Showtimes and Tickets at www.FLIFF.com or 954-525-FILM. Ticket Prices: $12 General Admission in advance, $15 at the door / $10 Seniors, Military & Students / $8 FLIFF Members. Films with parties and receptions vary. Please check www.fliff.com
