Festival will honor Mark Duplass, Paul Feig, Melanie Lynskey, Roger Ross Williams, and Billy Zane
Miami Dade College’s (MDC) Miami Film Festival announced its lineup for its upcoming Festival taking place from April 3-13, 2025. The Festival will open with Meet the Barbarians, with director Julie Delpy in attendance on Thursday, April 3, where she will receive the Festival’s Impact Award. The Festival will close with On Swift Horses,directed by Daniel Minahan, on Saturday, April 12.
This year’s festival will screen over 198 narratives, documentaries, and short films of all genres, from over 45 countries worldwide including 35 World Premieres, two International Premieres, nine North American Premieres, three U.S. Premieres, 21 East Coast Premieres, and 72 Florida Premieres.
Program highlights of this year’s Festival include screenings of Amazon MGM Studios’s Another Simple Favor, The Salt Path, starring Jason Isaacs and Gillian Anderson, Edson Jean’s Miami-set Know Me – The Untold Miami Bath Salts Phenomenon, and The Wedding Banquet, starring Bowen Yang and Lily Gladstone.
“This year’s lineup features a captivating mix of compelling narratives, must-see documentaries, and innovative short films, delivering an exceptional selection to our local community,” said James Woolley, Executive Director. “The Miami Film Festival is thrilled to invite audiences back for another year filled with unforgettable screenings and thought-provoking discussions.”
“We’re absolutely delighted to bring this exceptional collection of diverse and captivating films to Miami,” said Lauren Cohen, Director of Programming. “As one of our largest festivals to date featuring films from 45 countries and 35 world premieres, this festival is truly a testament to the incredible talent globally. We can’t wait to share these groundbreaking films with our audiences and celebrate the voices and stories that will shape the future of film.”
OPENING & CLOSING NIGHT FILMS
MFF will open with the film Meet the Barbarians. Julie Delpy’s French comedy drama film follows the story of Brittany’s Town, which has unanimously decided to accept Ukrainian refugees in exchange for government subsidies. However, instead of seeing Ukrainians arrive, they now see Syrian migrants, which has caused some conflicts. The screening of Meet the Barbarians will be preceded by a presentation of the Festival’s Impact Award to director Julie Delpy. Delpy has starred in many American and European productions since then, including Disney’s The Three Musketeers, Killing Zoe, Three Colors: White, and the Before series, alongside Ethan Hawke: Before Sunrise, Before Sunset, and Before Midnight.
The Festival will close with the SPC film On Swift Horses, starring Daisy Edgar-Jones, Jacob Elordi, Will Poulter, Diego Calva, and Sasha Calle. From director Daniel Minahan, On Swift Horses follows Muriel and her husband Lee who are beginning a bright new life in California when he returns from the Korean War. But their newfound stability is upended by the arrival of Lee’s charismatic brother, Julius, a wayward gambler with a secret past. When Julius takes off in search of the young card cheat he’s fallen for, Muriel’s longing for something more propels her into a secret life of her own, gambling on racehorses and exploring a love she never dreamed possible.
HONOREE SPOTLIGHT
The Miami Film Festival is proud to recognize the following honorees:
● Paul Feig will be honored with the Precious Gem Award at a special Marquee screening of his latest film, Another Simple Favor, followed by a live recording of the Happy Sad Confused podcast hosted by Josh Horowitz. Feig is best known for Freaks and Geeks, Bridesmaids, The Heat, Spy, and A Simple Favor.
● Mark Duplass will be honored with the Impact Award following a screening of his show, Good American Family. Duplass is known for Bombshell, The Morning Show, Tully, and Creep.
● Roger Ross Williams will receive the Impact Award following a screening of his acclaimed 2023 documentary Stamped from the Beginning. Programmed with Miami Media and Film Market.
● Billy Zane will also receive the Art of Light Award following a screening of his latest film, Waltzing with Brando. Zane is best known for Titanic, Back to the Future, and Dead Calm.
● Melanie Lynskey will receive the Precious Gem Award and participate in an in-depth conversation about her career, including her acclaimed two-time Emmy nominated performance in Yellowjackets, along with Heavenly Creatures, Don’t Look Up, The Last of Us and The Tattooist of Auschwitz.
ANNIVERSARY SCREENINGS
The festival will host four Anniversary screenings for audiences to celebrate the lasting legacy of these films. These include:
● Before Sunrise – 30th Anniversary Screening, will be hosted on Friday, April 4 with an in person extended introduction from star Julie Delpy
● Center Stage – 25th Anniversary Screening of the cult classic dance film will be hosted on Sunday, April 6 and will be followed by a post-screening extended Q&A with lead actress Amanda Schull
● Picnic at Hanging Rock – 50th Anniversary Screening on Sunday, April 13 in 4K restoration
● Pride & Prejudice – 20th Anniversary Outdoor Screening on Tuesday, April 8 at Vizcaya Museum and Gardens as part of the celebration of Jane Austen’s 250th birthday. In partnership with the Miami Book Fair
MARQUEE & SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS
Three MARQUEE screening presentations will be presented with talent in attendance for post-screening Q&As. These include:
● Another Simple Favor(United States, directed by Paul Feig), Amazon MGM Studios’s much-anticipated sequel to 2018’s A Simple Favor follows Stephanie Smothers (Anna Kendrick) and Emily Nelson (Blake Lively) as they reunite on the beautiful island of Capri, Italy, for Emily’s extravagant wedding to a rich Italian businessman. Along with the glamorous guests, expect murder and betrayal to RSVP for a wedding with more twists and turns than the road from the Marina Grande to the Capri town square.
● Oh, Hi! (United States, directed by Sophie Brooks) starring Molly Gordon, Logan Lerman, Geraldine Viswanathan, and John Reynolds, the film centers on Iris and Isaac (Gordon and Lerman) whose first romantic weekend getaway goes awry in a most unexpected way.
● Two Women (Canada, directed by Chloé Robichaud) following two neighbors – Violette and Florence – are bored and can’t seem to find satisfaction in their work or marriage anymore. To shake things up, they decide to have secret sexual encounters with strangers. – East Coast Premiere
Three CINEDWNTWN Gala screening presentations will take place at the historic Olympia Theater with talent in attendance. CINEDWNTOWN Gala Screenings are supported by Miami Downtown Development Authority. These include:
● Chirino (Cuba, United States, directed by Jorge A. Soliño), the story of Willy Chirino, one of the greatest musicians in the history of Cuban music. This film is part of the Spotlight on Cuba program, supported by ArtesMiami. -– World Premiere
● Ethan Bloom (United States, directed by Herschel Faber), following the story of an awkward teen wrestling with the loss of his mother who secretly sets out to become a Catholic while juggling first love and a father who is pushing him to have a bar mitzvah. – World Premiere
● Selena y Los Dinos (United States, directed by Isabel Castro), delves into the life and enduring impact of Selena Quintanilla, the Queen of Tejano music. Through never-before-seen archival footage, personal photographs, and heartfelt interviews, the film paints a vivid portrait of Selena’s journey from a young girl in Corpus Christi to an iconic superstar whose voice continues to resonate across generations.
35 Special Presentation screenings will add to the depth of creative filmmaking from around the world to Miami.
● A House on Fire (Spain, directed by Dani de la Orden) – East Coast Premiere
● A Line of Fire (United States, directed by Matt Shapira) – World Premiere
● Borderland | The Line Within (United States, directed by Pamela Yates)
● Boys Go to Jupiter (United States, directed by Julian Glander)
● Centered: Joe Lieberman (United States, directed by Jonathan Gruber)
● Diamanti (Italy, directed by Ferzan Özpetek) – North American Premiere
● Duino (United States, directed by Juan Pablo Di Pace & Andres Pepe Estrada) – Florida Premiere
● Hambre (Venezuela, directed by Joanna Nelson) – East Coast Premiere
● Happyend (Japan, directed by Neo Sora – Florida Premiere
● I Am Nevenka (Spain, directed by Iciar Bollain – East Coast Premiere
● Interstate (United States, directed by Oscar Corral & Haleem Muhsin) – World Premiere
● Mistura (Peru, directed by Ricardo de Montreuil) – Florida Premiere
● Pavements (United States, directed by Alex Ross Perry) – Florida Premiere
● Pink Narcissus (United States, directed by James Bidgood) – Florida Premiere
● Queens of Drama (France, directed by Alexis Langlois) – Florida Premiere
● Reinas (Switzerland, directed by Klaudia Reynicke) – Florida Premiere
● Rent Free (United States, directed by Fernando Andrés) – Florida Premiere
● River of Grass (United States, directed by Sasha Wortzel) – Florida Premiere
● Samaná Sunrise (Spain, directed by Rafa Cortés) – North American Premiere
● Silent Partners (United States, directed by Jorge “Jokes” Yanes) – World Premiere
● Spermageddon (Norway, directed by Tommy Wirkola & Rasmus A. Sivertsen) – Florida Premiere
● Tatami (Georgia, directed by Guy Nattiv & Zar Amir)
● The Goldsmith’s Secret (Spain, directed by Olga Osorio) – International Premiere
● The Inn Between (United States, directed by Ondi Timoner) – Florida Premiere
● The Luckiest Man In America (United States, directed by Samir Oliveros) – East Coast Premiere
● The Other Way Around (Spain, directed by Jonás Trueba) – Florida Premiere
● The Surfer (Australia, directed by Lorcan Finnegan) – Florida Premiere
● The Things You Kill (Turkey, directed by Alireza Khatami) – Florida Premiere
● The Threesome (United States, directed by Chad Hartigan) – Florida Premiere
● The United States of Elie Tahari (United States, directed by David Serero) – Florida Premiere
● The Wedding Banquet (United States, directed by Andrew Ahn) – Florida Premiere
● Two Islands (United States, directed by Humberto Ochoa) – World Premiere
● Waltzing with Brando (United States, directed by Bill Fishman) – Florida Premiere
● Wish You Were Here (United States, directed by Julia Stiles) – Special event with director Julia Stiles in attendance
AWARD COMPETITIONS
The $15,000MARIMBAS Award is an international competition for new narrative feature films that best exemplify richness and resonance for cinema’s future. (A marimba is a variation of a xylophone that produces a deeper, richer and more resonant tone than a traditional xylophone. The marimba originated in Guatemala and Central America approximately 400 years ago and remains popular to this day in a wide variety of musical disciplines. The name of Miami Film Festival’s award is inspired by its 2011 winner, Julio Hernandez Cordon’s Marimbas from Hell, which embodies the spirit of forward-looking cinema.) Films chosen for this year’s MARIMBAS Award are:
● Adios Cuba (Spain, directed by Rolando Díaz) – World Premiere
● Aguadilla (United States, directed by Alexander Zeke Musca & Tom Musca) – East Coast Premiere
● Cherri (Cuba, directed by Fabián Suárez) – World Premiere
● El Casero / The House Sitter (Argentina, directed by Matias Lucchesi) – North American Premiere
● Escape (Spain, directed by Rodrigo Cortés) – North American Premiere
● Espina (Panama, directed by Daniel Poler) – World Premiere
● Four Mothers (Ireland, directed by Darren Thornton) – Florida Premiere
● Meet the Barbarians (France, directed by Julie Delpy) – Florida Premiere
● Reading Lolita in Tehran (Italy/Israel, directed by Eran Riklis) – Florida Premiere
● The Dog Thief (Bolivia, directed by Vinko Tomičić Salinas) – Florida Premiere
● The Exiles (Spain, directed by Belén Funes) – East Coast Premiere
● The Last Meal (Le dernier repas) (Canada, directed by Maryse Legagneur) – International Premiere
● The Summer Book (United States, directed by Charlie McDowell) – Florida Premiere
● The Virgin of The Quarry Lake (Argentina, directed by Laura Casabe) – Florida Premiere
● Trifole (Italy, directed by Gabriele Fabbro) – East Coast Premiere
● Two Women (Canada, directed by Chloé Robichaud) – East Coast Premiere
● Undercover (Spain, directed by Arantxa Echevarría) – East Coast Premiere
● Waves (Czech Republic, directed by Jiří Mádl) – Florida Premiere
● Zoe (Italy, directed by Emanuela Galliussi & Dean Ronalds) – World Premiere
For the eighth edition of the Festival’s Made in MIA Award competition, Panavision will provide $60k in equipment rental to this year’s Made In MIA feature film winner. Panavision is a world-class provider of end-to-end services and solutions that power the creative vision of filmmakers. This prize will go a long way in helping local and emerging filmmakers produce their next feature film. The Made in MIA feature film award is a competition for jury-selected films of any genre that features a qualitatively and quantitatively substantial portion of its content (story, setting and actual filming location) in South Florida (Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach and/or Monroe counties) and that best utilizes its story and theme for universal resonance. The feature films competing for this award are:
● A Weird Kind of Beautiful (United States, directed by Gabriel Mayo) – World Premiere
● Becoming Vera (United States, directed by Sergio Vizuete) – East Coast Premiere
● Edge Of Hope (United States, directed by Dudley Alexis) – North American Premiere
● El Sonido de Miami (United States, directed by Emilio Oscar Alcalde) – World Premiere
● Ethan Bloom (United States, directed by Herschel Faber) – World Premiere
● Hablando con Chago (United States, directed by Emilio Oscar Alcalde) – World Premiere
● Know Me – The Untold Miami Bath Salts Phenomenon (United States, directed by Edson Jean) – Florida Premiere
● News Without a Newsroom (United States, directed by Oana Liana Martisca) – World Premiere
● The Python Hunt (United States, directed by Xander Robin) – Florida Premiere
Thirteen films will compete for the $5,000 Made in MIA Short Film Award. They are the following:
● “Ana y La Distancia,” directed by Hansel Porras García
● “Blue Mirror,” directed by Angela Rio – World Premiere
● “Boat People,” directed by Al’Ikens Plancher
● “Florida Boys,” directed by Nicholas Gelakis – Florida Premiere
● “Hermano Hermana,” directed by Rodrigo Cuartas, Jonathan Cuartas & Michael Cuarta – World Premiere
● “La Última Memoria,” directed by Felipe Carlos Barandiaran – World Premiere
● “Little Haiti,” directed by XF Serrano
● “Manny & Papo,” directed by Andres Monsalve Roca – Florida Premiere
● “Pollo Punch,” directed by Alec Castillo – Florida Premiere
● “Selfness,” directed by Isis Masoud
● “The Big Time,” directed by Tristan Wauchope – Florida Premiere
● “The Crack in my Heart,” directed by Harrison Lum
● “George V.,” directed by Dennis Scholl & Dia Kontaxis – World Premiere
● “Night Train Last Stop,” directed by Gina Margillo – World Premiere
● “Test of Time,” directed by Julian Alicea & Common Interest – World Premiere
The $10,000 Jordan Ressler First Feature Award is sponsored by the South Florida family of the late Jordan Ressler, an aspiring screenwriter and Cornell University Film Studies graduate who, during his brief entertainment career, held production positions on the original production of Broadway hit Jersey Boys before passing away in a tragic accident at the age of 23. A total of 20 films will compete for the Award:
● An Autumn Summer (United States, directed by Jared Isaac) – East Coast Premiere
● Arenas (France, directed by Camille Perton) – Florida Premiere
● Chlorophyll (Clorofilla) (Italy, directed by Ivana Gloria) – US Premiere
● Corina (Mexico, directed by Urzula Barba Hopfner) – East Coast Premiere
● DJ Ahmet (North Macedonia, directed by Georgi M. Unkovski) – Florida Premiere
● Fury (Spain, directed by Gemma Blasco) – East Coast Premiere
● Hot Milk (United Kingdom, directed by Rebecca Lenkiewic) – East Coast Premiere
● Jane Austen Wrecked My Life (France, directed by Laura Piani) – Florida Premiere
● Loveable (Norway, directed by Lilja Ingolfsdottir) – Florida Premiere
● The Dating Game (United States, directed by Violet Du Feng) – Florida Premiere
● The Librarians (United States, directed by Kim A. Snyder) – Florida Premiere
● The Perfect Neighbor (United States, directed by Geeta Gandbhir) – Florida Premiere
Included in this year’s Documentary program is a spotlight on celebrated documentarian Ondi Timoner. The Festival will showcase the Florida Premiere of two of her latest films – All God’s Children and The Inn Between, as well as retrospective screenings of acclaimed documentaries DIG! XX and Last Flight Home.
The $4,000 Miami International Short Film Award competition features 33 films. The complete list includes:
● “Ask A Punk,” directed by Kevin Contento – World Premiere
● “Attachment Theory,” directed by Katherine Jackson
● “Capitanes,” directed by Kevin Castellano & Edu Hirschfeld
● “Complications,” directed by Ivar Aase
● “Die Bully Die,” directed by Nathan Lacey & Nick Lacey
● “Dirty Towel,” directed by Callie Carpinteri
● “Flash Warning,” directed by Allegra Leguizamo – World Premiere
● “French Lessons,” directed by Anna Maguire & Kyle Greenberg – North American Premiere
● “Frenesi,” directed by Natasha Elías – World Premiere
● “Gender Reveal,” directed by Mo Matton – Florida Premiere
● “Grandma Nai Who Played Favorites (Chao Somnop Chet),” directed by Chheangkea – Florida Premiere
● “hija de Florinda,” directed by Shenny de Los Angeles and Amanda Morell “iiritu” – East Coast Premiere
● “Invincible Summer,” directed by Arnaud Dufeys – US Premiere
● “Jane Austen’s Period Drama,” directed by Julia Aks & Steve Pinder
● “Jeff,” directed by Julia Hebner – World Premiere
● “My Best Friend,” directed by Elina Street
● “Neuro,” directed by Wes Ellis – East Coast Premiere
● “Not Today,” directed by Christian Meola – World Premiere
● “On a Sunday at Eleven,” directed by Alicia K. Harris – Florida Premiere
● “Or Forever Hold Your Peace,” directed by Babalola – World Premiere
● “Queen of Samba,” directed by Stacy Pascal Gaspard – North American Premiere
● “RAT!,” directed by Neal Suresh Mulani
● “Sandra,” directed by Jen Chuck & Hannah Levy – East Coast Premiere
● “She and Her Good Vibrations,” directed by Olivia Griselda & Sarah Cheok – Florida Premiere
● “Swamp Angels,” directed by Emily Kobert
● “Teen Mary,” directed by Ali Rosenthal – North American Premiere
● “The Bullfighter,” directed by Giselle Bonilla
● “The Sacrifice,” directed by Christopher Werner
● “This Edible Ain’t Shit,” directed by Frank Volk
● “Trois Vagins Qui Crient,” directed by Alexia Roc – US Premiere
● “Wassupkaylee,” directed by Pepi Ginsberg – Florida Premiere
● “What to Expect,” directed by Gabriela Garcia Medina – East Coast Premiere
The $1,000Short Documentary Film Award, with support from University of Miami School of Communications, Department of Cinematic Arts and co-presented with UM’s Bill Cosford Cinema, will see the following films in competition:
● “Confessions of a Jumbotron Addict,” directed by Mickey Duzyj – Florida Premiere
● “Don’t Cry For Me All You Drag Queens,” directed by Kristal Sotomayor
● “Que Hay Allí Afuera,” directed by Mateo Formoso-DeLucia
● “Stud Country,” directed by Lina Abascal & Alexandra Kern
● “The Boricua’s Dilemma,” directed by Sebastian Nazario-Colon – Florida Premiere
● “View From the Floor,” directed by Megan Griffiths & Mindie Lind – Florida Premiere
● “Foreverglading,” directed by Gregory Pesochin & Rey Jaffet – World Premiere
● “Open Dialogues: Gen QueerZ,” directed by Freddy Rodriguez – World Premiere
● “Chasing The Passage of Time,” directed by Dennis Scholl & Ed Talavera – World Premiere
● “Tiger,” directed by Loren Waters – Florida Premiere
Taking part in the annual Florida student film $1,000Cinemaslam Competition will be:
● “¡Que Colombianada!,” directed by Samuel Vargas
● “Consummation,” directed by Van Galex
● “Dirt Therapy,” directed by Sebastian Valencia – World Premiere
● “Gag,” directed by Lex Morales
● “Phantom Contact,” directed by Andres Eduardo Gonzalez Campillo – World Premiere
● “Prélude,” directed by Paolo Cesti – World Premiere
● “Purple Grooves: a Funky Tragedy,” directed by Larry Flores II
● “The Brother and Sister Duo,” directed by Perry Feder
SPECIAL EVENTS
Additional events include:
● Preview Night screening of the Lionsgate film Freaky Tales, starring Pedro Pascal, on March 23rd at Silverspot Cinema.
● The bold and boundary-pushing film series Uncomfortable Brunch is making its Miami debut on Saturday, April 5, 2025 at O Cinema South Beach. This special Miami Film Festival edition of Uncomfortable Brunch will feature a screening of the 2002 film Secretary, starring Maggie Gyllenhaal and James Spader, and will offer audiences the chance to experience thought-provoking cinema alongside a curated brunch menu, making for an unforgettable morning of discomfort and discussion.
● Special free screening of Magic Hour taking place at the Mayfair House Hotel & Garden, with director Jacqueline Christy and star Miriam Shor in attendance.
The Festival is curated by Director of Programming Lauren Cohen; Thom Powers (Senior Documentary Programmer), Ivonne Cotorruelo (Ibero-American Films Programmer), Alejandro Rios (Spotlight on Cuba Programmer), and Chris Molina (Short Films Programmer). Talks are programmed with Miami Media and Film Market.
Other major Festival sponsors are Miami-Dade County, Knight Foundation, Telemundo 51, NBC 6, Miami Downtown Development Authority, Macias Creative, Tilia Real Estate and The Historic Alfred I. Dupont Building. The Festival’s headquarter hotel is the JW Marriott Marquis Miami. Additional notable support includes Silverspot Cinema Miami, Amazon, and Panavision.
Programming in Miami Beach is supported by The City of Miami Beach, Films in the Spotlight on Cuba program are supported by ArtesMiami, and films from Italy receive support from Instituto Italiano di Cultura Miami.
Miami Film Festival celebrates its return to the Olympia Theater. Other screenings will take place at Silverspot Cinema, the Adrienne Arsht Center’s Knight Concert Hall, Regal Cinema South Beach, Cosford Cinema, Coral Gables Art Cinema, the Miami Beach Bandshell, O Cinema South Beach, and PAMM. Individual tickets for all Festival events will go on sale to the general public beginning March 7. Festival members will have the opportunity to pre-buy beginning March 5.
Erik Anderson is the founder/owner and Editor-in-Chief of AwardsWatch and has always loved all things Oscar, having watched the Academy Awards since he was in single digits; making lists, rankings and predictions throughout the show. This led him down the path to obsessing about awards. Much later, he found himself in film school and the film forums of GoldDerby, and then migrated over to the former Oscarwatch (now AwardsDaily), before breaking off to create AwardsWatch in 2013.
He is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic, accredited by the Cannes Film Festival, Telluride Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival and more, is a member of the International Cinephile Society (ICS), The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics (GALECA), Critics Choice Association (CCA), San Francisco Bay Area Film Critics Circle (SFBAFCC) and the International Press Academy. Among his many achieved goals with AwardsWatch, he has given a platform to underrepresented writers and critics and supplied them with access to film festivals and the industry and calls the Bay Area his home where he lives with his husband and son.
Erik Anderson is the founder/owner and Editor-in-Chief of AwardsWatch and has always loved all things Oscar, having watched the Academy Awards since he was in single digits; making lists, rankings and predictions throughout the show. This led him down the path to obsessing about awards. Much later, he found himself in film school and the film forums of GoldDerby, and then migrated over to the former Oscarwatch (now AwardsDaily), before breaking off to create AwardsWatch in 2013. He is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic, accredited by the Cannes Film Festival, Telluride Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival and more, is a member of the International Cinephile Society (ICS), The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics (GALECA), Critics Choice Association (CCA), San Francisco Bay Area Film Critics Circle (SFBAFCC) and the International Press Academy. Among his many achieved goals with AwardsWatch, he has given a platform to underrepresented writers and critics and supplied them with access to film festivals and the industry and calls the Bay Area his home where he lives with his husband and son.
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