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MIAMI, January 10, 2007 – The Miami International Film Festival (MIFF), presented by Miami Dade College (MDC), announced today the full schedule of films for the 24th annual festival to be held March 2-11, 2007. The Opening Night film this year will be “Black Book” from director Paul Verhoeven. The Awards Night film will be “Ira & Abby” from director Robert Cary.

“We are very excited about the powerful lineup of films we have for this year’s festival that continues our goal of bringing the finest films from throughout the world to Miami,” said Dr. Eduardo J. Padrón, president of Miami Dade College. “We are able to dazzle festival-goers each and every year thanks to the wonderful MIFF team, college employees and our generous sponsors.”

"The Festival this year represents the best of today’s world cinema. It introduces new cinematic voices from Germany to Spain and Italy, from the US and Canada to Mexico and Paraguay, from Egypt to Indonesia,” said Festival Director Nicole Guillemet. “Despite increased globalization and the risk of a homogeneous communications medium, each of these films reflects a strong cultural and personal identity, and each expresses an individual point of view on the world in which we live. Film festivals now serve a key role as a new channel of distribution which replaces in many cases the traditional art house as a venue for the introduction of high quality, challenging cinema. The Miami International Film Festival is proud to be part of a movement which brings significant new films to a wide audience."

This is Nicole Guillemet’s last year at the Festival, which she has headed since July of 2002. Throughout this past transitional year she has run the Festival with Managing Director Carol Ann Lafferty. New to the staff this year is Monika Wagenberg, who joined the Festival in July 2006 as Senior Programmer of the Ibero-American section. Wagenberg came to the Festival from the highly acclaimed Cinema Tropical, which she co-founded, currently co-manages, and serves as the Director of Programming and Acquisitions.

“This year's Ibero-American program reflects the most recent, very exciting developments in Latin American film,” said Senior Programmer – Ibero-American Film, Monika Wagenberg. “Collaboration between countries in the form of co-productions is at an all-time high and film production incentive programs implemented in various nations over the past few years are finally starting to bear fruit, allowing filmmakers from eleven different Latin American countries to be included. The Iberian Peninsula is fully represented with three films by renowned filmmakers from Portugal. But the diversity of our film selection is more than just geographical. This year we are proud and pleased to bring to Miami a program that shows off its diversity through the freshness and originality of its stories and the aesthetic daring of its visions as seen in this crop of films by first time and established filmmakers.”

Films in competition are eligible for a Knight Grand Jury Prize with the generous support of the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. The Knight Grand Jury Prizes carry a cash award of $25,000 each in the three categories judged by three different juries: Dramatic Features (World Cinema Competition), Dramatic Features (Ibero-American Cinema Competition), and Documentary Features (World & Ibero-American Cinema Competition. Films in competition are also eligible for audience awards. On Saturday, March 10, 2007 the recipients of each award will be announced during the Awards Ceremony. The films in the Dramatic World Competition will also be eligible for a FIPRESCI prize.

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.

A new audience award will celebrate the best of Latin American and Caribbean film selected for the 2007 Miami International Film Festival (MIFF). The Latin America Caribbean FedEx Express Audience Award will be given to a film made by a Latin American or Caribbean filmmaker or originated from Latin American or Caribbean country and featured in the non-competition categories of MIFF: Gusman Premieres and International Panorama. On Saturday, March 10, 2007 the recipient will be announced during the Awards Ceremony. On Sunday, March 11, 2007 the winning film will be screened at the Colony Theater in Miami Beach at 7pm.

• 17 films will premiere at the Gusman Center for the Performing Arts
• 14 films will be competing in the Dramatic Features - World Cinema Competition
• 14 films will be competing Dramatic Features - Ibero-American Cinema Competition
• 16 films will be competing in the Documentary Features – World & Ibero-American Cinema Competition
• 31 films, both dramatic and documentary, will be screening in the International Panorama categories
• Shorts films comprise the balance of the schedule with a total of 20 short films
• 43 countries are represented throughout the film program

Opening Night on Friday March 2nd: The Festival will open with Black Book by award winning Dutch director Paul Verhoeven best known for Basic Instinct and Total Recall. This engrossing, yet violent, tale of espionage, intrigue and betrayal is set in Nazi-occupied Holland. Carice Van Houten gives a remarkable performance as a beautiful Jewish torch singer who joins the Dutch resistance in the final days of World War II.

Awards Night on Saturday March 10: Ira & Abby from director Robert Cary. Neurotic Ira and free-spirited Abby are a mismatched Manhattan couple who impulsively marry six hours after first meeting. Newly wedded bliss is short-lived, however, when meddlesome parents and ineffective therapists become involved. This warm, witty relationship comedy penned by actress-screenwriter Jennifer Westfeldt (Kissing Jessica Stein) took home the Audience Award for best narrative feature at the 2006 Los Angeles Film Festival. The film stars Chris Messina, Jennifer Westfeldt, Frances Conroy, Judith Light, Jason Alexander, Robert Klein, and Fred Willard.

Close of the Festival: On Sunday March 11th the Festival will close the program with the World Premiere of the Spanish film The Heart of the Earth from director Antonio Cuadri.

On Wednesday, March 7th MIFF will honor director Luc Besson with the Career Achievement Tribute for his distinguished body of work. Following the tribute, there will be a screening of Luc Besson’s film "Angel-A."
A set of special programs will be featured throughout this year’s festival including:

Gone But Not Forgotten – Two masters of Cuban music are being celebrated this year at the Festival. We are proud to present the World Premiere of La Lupe (USA) from director Ela Troyano and the East Coast premiere of El Benny (Cuba/UK/Spain) from director Jorge Luis Sánchez González. No better place than Miami to commemorate their lives and their music!

Special Animation: For Kids and NOT for Kids – In this special animation category, the Festival presents two strikingly different animated features. U (France) from directors Grégoire Solotareff and Serge Elissalde, is a fantastic, colorful and poetic adventure for young audiences—a magical tale of friendship, love, separation, death, and parental relationship. Princess (Denmark) from director Anders Morgenthaler takes a high and mighty line on the sex industry, mesmerizing the audience through its obsessive, over-the-top sex, violence and vengeance.

Touching Florida – The Festival proudly celebrates the latest works from filmmakers from Florida and from directors and producers with films whose subjects touch on Florida. Included in the program are: Bella (USA) from Director Alejandro Gómez Monteverde, Full Grown Men (USA) from director David Munro, Thanks to Gravity (USA) from director Jessica Kavana Dornbusch, Those I Left Behind (USA) from director Lisandro Perez-Rey.

The Big Picture: Modern Slavery – The Big Picture program highlights films that tackle world issues and the human struggle for life and dignity. Often asking more questions than they answer, these films aim to increase awareness and inspire dialogue that will lead to understanding and meaningful change. Ghosts, written and directed by the highly acclaimed filmmaker, Nick Broomfield, is based on the shocking true story of a group of Chinese illegal immigrants who were drowned while picking cockles in a British seaside town. Broomfield, whose credits include Biggie & Tupac and Kurt & Courtney, has stepped out of his documentarian role to create a grippingly compelling film that will change your views on the entire migrant population and leave you wondering about slavery in the 21st century. Ghosts was chosen to be the opening film at the 2006 San Sebastian International Film Festival and is in competition at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2007.

MIFF Abroad – A cultural exchange established in 2006, MIFF Abroad focuses on the filmmaking of one Latin American country each year. Given the tremendous resurgence of filmmaking in Colombia, this year the program will highlight new directors from that country and include a special program of films, discussions and events. Later this year, MIFF will travel to Colombia with films and U.S. industry professionals to participate in this program with the Colombian film industry.

Encuentros – For the fifth year, the Festival will present Miami Encuentros, which gives emerging producers from Spain and Latin America the opportunity to present new projects to U.S. and European industry professionals: producers, sales agents, television stations and distributors. This intensive three-day event fosters dialogue, 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.

REEL Education Seminars Series – The Miami International Film Festival, Miami Dade College and University of Miami School of Communication present film industry leaders and noted filmmakers as they share their experience, knowledge, and advice in a series of eighteen panels covering various aspects of the creative process, film production, funding distribution, new technology and independent filmmaking.

MIFF also announced today that “Firmly Planted,” a work of art by Connie Lloveras, will adorn the cover of the 2007 film catalogue and the 2007 MIFF poster. Born in Cuba, Lloveras and resides with her family in Miami where she received her BFA degree from FIU in 1981. Monographic exhibitions of her work include galleries in Chicago, Cambridge, Puerto Rico and Nicaragua. Her works are included in collections at the Lowe Art Museum, the University of Miami, the Museum of Art in Fort Lauderdale and Boca Raton. She has completed public art commissions in four counties of the State of Florida and a federal building in Dallas, Texas. She is currently represented by Collins Fine Art, Chicago, the Americas Collection in Coral Gables and Arte Consult in Panama.
Miami International Film Festival 2007 Program

PROGRAM CATEGORIES

Gusman Gala Premieres (17 films)
Dramatic Features - World Cinema Competition (14 films)
Dramatic Features - Ibero-American Cinema Competition (14 films)
Documentary Features - World & Ibero-American Cinema Competition (16 films)
International Panorama - Dramatic Features: World Cinema (7 films)
International Panorama - Dramatic Features: Ibero-American Cinema (10 films)
International Panorama - Documentary Features: World & Ibero-American Cinema (5 films)
International Panorama - Animation (2 films)
International Panorama – Gone But Not Forgotten (2 films)
International Panorama - Touching Florida (4 films)
Big Picture Discussions (1 film)
Short Films Program (20 films)
MIFF Abroad: Inside Colombia (3 films)

FILM PROGRAM

Gusman Gala Premieres

Every night, the latest films from world renowned directors and emerging filmmakers are showcased at the historic Gusman Theater: Award-winning dramas, crowd-pleasing comedies, wondrous historical dramas and tense thrillers premiere in this gala section.

OPENING NIGHT: "Black Book" ("Zwartboek") Director: Paul Verhoeven
(The Netherlands/UK/Germany/Belgium)
Paul Verhoeven helms this engrossing, yet violent, tale of espionage, intrigue and betrayal set in Nazi-occupied Holland. Carice Van Houten gives a remarkable performance as a beautiful Jewish torch singer who joins the Dutch resistance in the final days of World War II. (East Coast Premiere)

AWARDS NIGHT: "Ira & Abby" Director: Robert Cary (USA)
Neurotic Ira and free-spirited Abby are a mismatched Manhattan couple who impulsively marry six hours after first meeting. Newly wedded bliss is short-lived, however, when meddlesome parents and ineffectual therapists become involved. This warm, witty relationship comedy penned by actress-screenwriter Jennifer Westfeldt (“Kissing Jessica Stein”) took home the Audience Award for best narrative feature at the 2006 Los Angeles Film Festival. (Regional Premiere)

"Alatriste" Director: Agustín Díaz Yanes (Spain)
Courageous and unassuming, Diego Alatriste is a 17th century swordsman determined to honor his commitments and maintain his integrity in the turbulent declining years of the Spanish empire. Viggo Mortensen leads an all-star cast in this swashbuckling period drama—the most expensive Spanish-language film ever made—about the incomparable silent warrior of Arturo Perez-Reverte’s wildly popular novel series. (Regional Premiere)

"Angel-A" Director: Luc Besson (France)
Deep in debt to murderous thugs, a Parisian decides to end his life by jumping into the Seine. But, when he spots a statuesque blonde about to do the same, he saves her life instead. As fate would have it, the woman is an angel who becomes the hapless con's guardian and savior. Baroque action director Luc Besson changes gears with this romantic fable. (East Coast Premiere)

"Antonia" ("Antônia") Director: Tata Amaral (Brazil)
Part “Dreamgirls,” part “8 Mile,” “Antonia” is the rousing story of the members of an all-girl hip hop group who learn to discover themselves as they make their way on the mean streets of Sao Paulo. The film’s uniquely Brazilian ambience offers a distinctly and pleasantly Latin spin on "Girl Power."
(East Coast Premiere)

"Beauty In Trouble" ("Kráska v nesnázích") Director: Jan Hrebejk (Czech Republic)
The Czech team behind such festival gems as “Divided We Fall” and “Up and Down” delivers this multi-character tale of a beauty in trouble, her car-thief husband, and a wealthy ex-patriot who is reminded that things are more complicated in the homeland. This masterful film is sexy, funny, and sharp as a knife. (East Coast Premiere)

"Dark Blue Almost Black" ("Azul Oscuro, Casi Negro") Director: Daniel Sánchez Arévalo (Spain)
Jorge dreamed of being a businessman. But, his father’s debilitating stroke and a brother’s prison sentence made him a caretaker and part-time janitor instead. When his childhood crush returns from a stint studying abroad, Jorge begins to yearn for something better. Youthful romance clashes with familial pressure in a stirring drama of lost opportunities and second chances. (Regional Premiere)

"First Snow" Director: Mark Fergus (USA)
Beware the first snow. So cautions a roadside psychic as he warns a stranded motorist of his impending death in this powerful parable about the struggle between fate and will. Guy Pearce exudes feverish intensity as the doomed man who revisits his demons (among them a recently-sprung felon) in the hope of escaping destiny. (Regional Premiere)

"The Heart of the Earth" ("El Corazón de la Tierra") Director: Antonio Cuadri (Spain/UK/Portugal)
Antonio Cuadri directs this spectacular production based on actual historical events. Set in 1888 against the backdrop of Huelva, Spain’s Riotinto mines, this epic saga of love and power centers on the deep friendship between two women caught up in the first “environmental” protest in history. The film’s stellar cast includes Catalina Sandino Moreno (Maria Full of Grace), Sienna Guillory and Joaquim de Almeida.
(World Premiere)

"I Am the Other Woman" ("Ich bin die andere") Director: Margarethe von Trotta (Germany)
A young engineer’s one-night stand with a mysterious, slatternly woman in his Frankfurt hotel room sends him down a rabbit hole of erotic obsession and domestic dysfunction in a striking artistic departure from one of the icons of German feminist cinema, Margarethe von Trotta. (Regional Premiere)

"Jindabyne" Director: Ray Lawrence (Australia)
Based on a short story by Raymond Carver, “Jindabyne” is an allegorical tale of four men who discover a woman’s body on a fishing trip, yet fail to report it until their excursion ends. Gabriel Byrne and Laura Linney star in this haunting story of morality, marriage and murder set in the Australian countryside. The film won Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay at the 2006 Film Critics Circle of Australia Awards.
(East Coast Premiere)

"The Page Turner" ("La Tourneuse de pages") Director: Denis Dercourt (France)
A young girl who yearns to be a concert pianist finds her big recital sabotaged by the dismissive egotism of a famed musician. Humiliated, the girl bids farewell to her aspirations. Years later she methodically insinuates herself into the life of the woman who destroyed her dream. Vengeance is patient but devastating in this tense, simmering thriller. (Regional Premiere)

"Red Like the Sky" ("Rosso come il cielo") Director: Cristiano Bortone (Italy)
Set in Tuscany in the 1970s, this inspiring tale recounts a blind youth's personal battle to overcome not only his handicap, but also the doubts and preconceived notions of society. The film is based on the life of renowned sound editor Mirco Mencacci and his struggle to develop as an artist and affirm his talent.
(North American Premiere)

"Salvador" Director: Manuel Huerga (Spain/UK)
A selection for the Un Certain Regard award at Cannes, “Salvador” is the gripping retelling of the life of Spaniard Salvador Puig Antich (passionately portrayed by Daniel Brühl), a young revolutionary who was the last political prisoner to fall victim to Franco's garrote. (Regional Premiere)

"Sounds of Sand" ("Si le vent souleve les sables") Director: Marion Hänsel (Belgium/France)
Water is life. And for one African villager, his wife, and three children, the need for it means having to leave their parched home—risking mercenaries, land mines and the vicious desert sun–-to reach the nearest productive wells. Set against the harsh and unforgiving landscape of sub-Saharan Africa, this is a story about sacrifice and courage in the face of overwhelming odds. (East Coast Premiere)

"A Ton of Luck" ("Soñar no Cuesta Nada") Director: Rodrigo Triana (Colombia/Argentina)
When the members of an anti-guerrilla unit, on patrol in the jungles of Colombia, stumble on $46 million in drug money, they decide to give in to temptation and divvy up the treasure. This tale of moral choices and their consequences is based on actual events. (East Coast Premiere)

"A Wonderful World" ("Un Mundo Maravilloso") Director: Luis Estrada (Mexico)
When a homeless man is accidentally left out on the ledge of the World Financial Center his presence there is misinterpreted as a suicide protest. As a media firestorm ensues, the erstwhile bum is exploited by a government scrambling to protect its interests. Deliciously grim, this dark satire offers a wry commentary on the social and economic inequities of Mexico. (East Coast Premiere)

Dramatic Features - World Cinema Competition

This high-profile world competition category showcases the latest works by first- and second-time filmmakers from around the world. A Knight Grand Jury Prize of $25,000 is awarded and each entry is eligible for a MIFF Audience Award, as well as the prestigious FIPRESCI Prize (International Federation of Film Critics). Past award recipients include: Accused (Denmark) by Jacob Thuesen, Burnt Out (France) by Fabienne Godet, Evil (Sweden-Denmark) by Mikael Håfström, Japanese Story (Australia) by Sue Brooks, The Edukators (Germany) by Hans Weingartner, A Way of Life (UK) by Amma Asante, Red Dust (South Africa/UK) by Tom Hooper.

"The Boy on a Galloping Horse" ("Chlopiec na galopujacym koniu") Director: Adam Guzinski (Poland)
Every scene hangs like a painting in this plaintive feature-length debut from Polish director Adam Guzinski. Screened at Cannes' Directors Fortnight, the film tells the story of a couple whose marriage is on the verge of collapse and the son whose dream it is to visit a distant toy store. (East Coast Premiere)

"Fraulein" Director: Andrea _taka (Switzerland/Germany)
Three women from the former Yugoslavia work in a Zurich cafeteria. Owner Ruza represses her Serbian roots, while longtime employee Mila dreams of returning to Croatia. Into their orderly lives arrives Ana, a young, impulsive Bosnian whose outgoing disposition disrupts the tedium of their day-to-day. “Fraulein” won best film at the Locarno International Film Festival. (East Coast Premiere)

"God Willing" ("Om Gud vill") Directors: Amir Chamdin, Erik Eger (Co-Director) (Sweden)
In 1975, hardworking immigrant Juan prepares for his wife’s arrival in Stockholm. But there’s one thing that he hasn’t planned for: true love. When he meets Juli, a fetching tango performer from Finland, she takes his seat at the bus stop and a permanent place in his heart. The film stars Nina Persson of the band The Cardigans. (East Coast Premiere)
"A Grave-keeper's Tale" ("Maati Maay") Director: Chitra Palekar (India)
Celebrated screenwriter and producer Chitra Palekar makes her directorial debut with this affecting tale of a low caste woman (Nandita Das) shunned by a patriarchial and superstitious society. Boasting a strong social message and lyrical visuals, the film addresses the universal issues of integrity, community responsibility and motherhood. (U.S. Premiere)

"L'Aria Salata" ("Salty Air") Director: Alessandro Angelini (Italy)
While prisoners serve hard time, their families, filled with feelings of abandonment, anger and remorse, serve a sentence of their own, albeit outside a locked institution. The psychological underpinnings of this harsh reality are explored in this emotionally riveting drama about father-son relationships. The film garnered the award for best actor at the Rome Film Festival. (East Coast Premiere)

"Life Can Be So Wonderful" ("Sekaiwa Tokidoki Utsukushii") Director: Osamu Minorikawa (Japan)
This beguiling five-part anthology in the form of a cine-poem adds up to far more than the sum of its separate parts. It is a tender mood piece in which the sheer beauty of image, sound and text, and their unpredictable collision, prove more important than the cohesive narrative of dramatic fiction.
(U.S. Premiere)

"My Son" ("Mon fils à moi") Director: Martial Fougeron (France)
In this suspenseful, emotionally challenging film, a mother’s smothering love for her adolescent son drives the boy to take desperate, defensive action. Nathalie Baye, here cast against type, won the award for best actress at the San Sebastian International Film Festival, where “My Son” shared best film honors with “Half Moon”. (U.S. Premiere)

"The Only One" ("Vidange perdue") Director: Geoffrey Enthoven (Belgium)
“The Only One” is a deeply human and frequently funny exploration of the elderly and their place in society. An octogenarian widower’s battle with loneliness and his determination to remain independent take an unexpected turn when a neighbor helps him start a new life. This heartwarming film took home the Grand Prix at the Mannheim-Heidelberg Film Festival. (U.S. Premiere)

"Padre Nuestro" ("Our Father") Director: Christopher Zalla (USA)
In this suspenseful tale of stolen identity, Juan flees his criminal past by hopping on a truck transporting illegal immigrants from Mexico to New York City. During the journey he meets naïve Pedro, who is in search of the father he has never met. Pedro’s American dream turns into a nightmare, however, as Juan attempts to rob him of his legacy. (East Coast Premiere)

"Red Road" Director: Andrea Arnold (Scotland)
Academy Award winning short film director Andrea Arnold makes her feature length debut with this taut psychological thriller about Jackie, a CCTV operator who monitors Glasgow’s gritty Red Road housing district. When a figure from her past suddenly appears on her screens, Jackie begins an obsessive pursuit in which revenge is the ultimate goal. The film was the Jury Prize winner at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival. (East Coast Premiere)

"The Silence" Director: Cate Shortland (Australia)
After his involvement in a brutal murder, sad and subdued homicide detective Richard Treloar is relegated to a desk job at Sydney’s police museum. While going through the museum’s old crime scene photos, he becomes transfixed by the image of a woman gunned down 40 years earlier, and begins an obsessive quest to find her killer. (U.S. Premiere)

"Someone to Run With" ("Mishehu Larutz Ito") Director: Oded Davidoff (Israel)
Two parallel stories drive this exhilarating coming-of-age tale set in a vibrant, at times frightening, Jerusalem. Assaf is in search of the owner of a lost dog; Tamar is in search of her missing brother. As their stories converge, the two discover themselves and first love. The film is based on the bestselling novel by David Grossman. (U.S. Premiere)
"Sonja" Director: Kirsi Marie Liimatainen (Germany)
Former Finnish actress Kirsi Marie Liimatainen goes behind the camera to direct this sun-glossed tale, set during the radiant last days of summer, about a young girl’s crush on her best girlfriend. A hit at many European gay-and-lesbian festivals, “Sonja” captures the uncertainty, fear, and beauty of coming of age. (North American Premiere)

"Sweet Mud" ("Adama Meshuga'at") Director: Dror Shaul (Israel)
While living on an Israeli kibbutz in the 1970s, 12-year-old Dvir realizes that his mother is mentally ill. As he comes of age in the settlement, the boy must learn to reconcile the ideology of the kibbutz with the stinging realization that the collective community has abandoned his mother. The film is Israel’s submission for the Academy Awards’ foreign-language category. (East Coast Premiere)

Dramatic Features - Ibero-American Cinema Competition

This inspiring competition showcases dramatic features by first- and second-time directors from Latin America, Spain and Portugal. A Knight Grand Jury Prize of $25,000 is awarded and each entry is eligible for a MIFF Audience Award. Past award recipients include: Life in Color (Spain) by Santiago Tabernero, Días de Santiago (Perú) by Josué Méndez, Nada Más (Cuba) by Juan Carlos Cremata Malberti, En la ciudad sin límites (Spain) by Antonio Hernandez, Nicotina (Mexico) by Hugo Rodriquez, La Espera (Uruguay) by Aldo Garay Dutrey..

"Alice's House" ("A Casa de Alice") Director: Chico Teixeira (Brazil)
The men in Alice’s life—her husband and three sons—ignore her. Her mother, the family’s live-in maid and the only person she can confide in, is as neglected as she is. Life, however, takes an unexpected turn when a man from Alice’s past returns. “Alice’s House” features notable performances by Carla Ribas and Berta Zemmel. (North American Premiere)

"Anytime Soon" ("Esas No Son Penas") Directors: Anahí Hoeneisen, Daniel Andrade (Ecuador)
In this impressive filmmaking debut, Anahí Hoeneisen and Daniel Andrade co-direct an intimate portrait of five 30-something women from Quito who reunite for the first time since graduating high school 14 years earlier. As the reunion unfolds, the filmmakers ably capture the friends’ emotional journey with unusual and refreshing subtlety. (U.S. Premiere)

"The Custodian" ("El Custodio") Director: Rodrigo Moreno (Argentina/France/Germany/Uruguay)
Silent and withdrawn, Ruben (Julio Chavez, in a brooding, tightly controlled performance) is a high-level bodyguard to a government minister in this existential drama from Argentina. The film’s muted cinematography artfully captures the protagonist’s isolated existence and the tedium of his daily routine. “The Custodian” won the Alfred Bauer Prize at the 2006 Berlin International Film Festival. (U.S. Premiere)

"The Dog Pound" ("La Perrera") Director: Manuel Nieto Zas (Uruguay/Argentina/Canada/Spain)
After failing his college exams, a lackadaisical 25-year-old is put to work by his old-school father building a house in the quiet coastal town where the family keeps a home. This Uruguayan comedy-drama offers an examination of the ennui and idleness that are often by-products of a prosperous society.
(U.S. Premiere)

"Drained" ("O Cheiro do Ralo") Director: Heitor Dhalia (Brazil)
A pawnshop owner becomes obsessed with his office’s backed-up drain, and the derrière of a young waitress, in this daring look at perversity and madness starring Selton Mello and Alice Braga (“Lower City”). “Taxi Driver” in a cubicle, “Drained” won the award for best film at the São Paulo International Film Festival. (East Coast Premiere)

"Fish Dreams" ("Sonhos de Peixe") Director: Kirill Mikhanovsky (USA/Brazil/Russia)
Winner of the Prix Regards Jeune at Cannes Critics’ Week, “Fish Dreams” is a tale of small town infatuation and soap opera-fueled big city dreams that captures the beauty, simplicity and hardship of life in a remote fishing village on Brazil's sun-drenched coast. (U.S. Premiere)
"Glue" ("Glue - una historia adolescente en el medio de la nada") Director: Alexis Dos Santos (Argentina/UK)
Lucas is a teenager consumed by lust, longing, and boredom. Disaffected with life, he and his friends Nacho and Andrea use drugs, and each other, to satisfy their urges and break free from the desperation within. This promising debut from Alexis Dos Santos vibrantly captures the essence of adolescence with biting humor. (East Coast Premiere)

"Hole" ("Zulo") Director: C. Martín Ferrera (Spain)
An ordinary man finds himself imprisoned in a dank 20-foot high hole for no apparent reason. This Kafkaesque nightmare from first-time director Carlos Martín Ferrera combines the eerie atmosphere of a horror movie with a searingly intense portrait of a man’s psychological and physical disintegration. A knockout performance from Jaume García Arija anchors the film. (U.S. Premiere)

"Meanwhile" ("Mientras Tanto") Director: Diego Lerman (Argentina/France)
From award-winning director Diego Lerman, “Meanwhile” is about life in between the big moments. Set in Buenos Aires, the films follows a group of characters who are as contradictory as the city itself—they yearn for more out of life without knowing exactly what that is or how to get it. (U.S. Premiere)

"The Most Beautiful of My Very Best Years" ("Lo más bonito y mis mejores años")
Director: Martín Boulocq (Bolivia/USA)
Two not-so-young Bolivian slackers find their relationship tested by a girl and a car in this thoughtful piece on hope, friendship, and longing. Placing the improvised, observational aesthetic of John Cassavettes in a rarely seen Latin American setting, Martín Boulocq’s powerful debut puts Bolivian cinema on the map.
(East Coast Premiere)

"The Night of the Sunflowers" ("La noche de los Girasoles") Director: Jorge Sánchez-Cabezudo (Spain)
A case of mistaken identity by a trio of city folk results in a harrowing episode of violence in the backwoods of Spain. This atmospheric noir thriller twists and turns in six interconnected “episodes,” each of which puts the spotlight on a different character. (Regional Premiere)

"Paraguayan Hammock" ("Hamaca Paraguaya") Director: Paz Encina (Argentina/Paraguay/TheNetherlands/Austria/France/Germany)
In the stillness of rural Paraguay, a farmer and his wife distract themselves with the mundane while they wait for their son to return home from the Chaco war. More relevant now than ever, “Paraguayan Hammock” is the country’s first contribution to the international film scene in over 25 years.
(East Coast Premiere)

"Satanas" Director: Andi Baiz (Colombia/Mexico)
This drama from director Andi Baiz interweaves several stories about a priest, a con woman and an English teacher, all of whom want more from life than what it can offer. As each is tempted by a taste of their deepest desires, their character is tested to the core. (World Premiere)

"The Violin" ("El Violín") Director: Francisco Vargas Quevedo (Mexico)
The men of the Hidalgo clan – father, son and grandson – lead a double life. They are rural street musicians and active sympathizers of a peasant rebellion against a brutal military government. When their village is occupied by military forces, patriarch Plutarco employs his violin to wile his way into the good graces of the squad captain and gain access to rebel ammunition hidden in his cornfields.
(U.S. Premiere)

Documentary Features - World & Ibero-American Cinema Competition

Documentary feature films from around the world are screened in this prestigious competition. Social issues, diverse cultures, icons and inspiring people are an integral part of this category. A Knight Grand Jury Prize of $25,000 is awarded and each entry is eligible for a MIFF Audience Award. Past award recipients include: En el hoyo (Mexico) by Juan Carlos Rulfo, La Sierra (Colombia) by Scott Dalton and Margarita Martinez, The Untold Story of Emmett Louis Till (US) by Keith A. Beauchamp, Ônibus 174 (Brazil) by Jose Padilha, The Story of the Weeping Camel (Germany) by Byambasuren Davaa and Luigi Falorni, Balseros (Spain) by Carles Bosch and Josep Domènech, Beah: A Black Woman Speaks (US) by Lisa Gay Hamilton.

"Accident" ("Acidente") Directors: Cao Guimarães, Pablo Lobato (Brazil)
Part of the “city symphony” tradition of documentary filmmaking, the mesmerizing “Accident” beautifully weaves a tapestry of scenes shot in the 20 towns that comprise the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais. Narrated in the form of a nursery rhyme that pays tribute to each of the places visited, the film deftly captures the unpredictable moments of daily life. (East Coast Premiere)

"Banished" Director: Marco Williams (USA)
This powerful documentary chronicles a shameful and obscure chapter in America’s post-Civil War history—the violent, and complete, expulsion of African Americans from a number of communities across the country. Centering on three of these communities, the film explores what can be done to redress a legacy of racial injustice and reconcile the past. (East Coast Premiere)

"The Cemetery Club" ("Moadon Beit Hakvarot") Director: Tali Shemesh (Israel)
Poignant, intimate, at times hilarious, this prize-winning documentary follows the complex relationship between 80-year-old Lena and her 85-year-old sister-in-law Minia. The two are Holocaust survivors and members of a social club of elderly Polish-born Jerusalemites who meet every Sabbath to discuss philosophy, politics and poetry at the Mount Herzl National Cemetery. (U.S. Premiere)

"Cocalero" Director: Alejandro Landes (Bolivia/Argentina/USA)
Bolivia, 2005: An Aymara Indian and union leader named Evo Morales launches a seemingly impossible bid to become his country’s first indigenous president. A must for anyone interested in Latin America’s present and future, this fly-on-the-wall documentary reveals the personalities and politics behind one of the region’s most astounding stories. (East Coast Premiere)

"Fabricating Tom Zé" ("Fabricando Tom Zé") Director: Décio Matos Júnior (Brazil)
Composer and musician Tom Zé hears music wherever he goes—in guitars, in a double-bass and, yes, even in vacuum cleaners. This absorbing documentary follows the controversial Brazilian artist as he tours through Europe, mixing music and life along the way. The film won Best Brazilian Documentary at the São Paulo International Film Festival. (East Coast Premiere)

"Ghosts of Cité Soleil" Director: Asger Leth (Denmark/USA)
Thug life and political warfare merge in this raw look at two street gang leaders in Haiti’s lawless Cité Soleil, named “the most dangerous place on earth” by the U.N. Executive-produced by Wyclef Jean, “Ghosts” is a startling Caribbean exposé of guns, gangs and politics during the fall of the regime of Jean-Bertrand Aristide. (East Coast Premiere)

"Manufactured Landscapes" Director: Jennifer Baichwal (Canada)
This stunning portrait of celebrated Canadian photographer Edward Burtynsky—whose grand scale photographs capture the changes to natural landscapes wrought by modern industry—is as much about the aesthetic, social and environmental dimensions of globalization (shown here primarily in China) as about the artist and his work. The film took home Best Canadian Feature Film at the 2006 Toronto International Film Festival. (East Coast Premiere)

"Mississippi Chicken" Director: John Fiege (USA)
Questions of race, workers’ rights and exploitation form the crux of this intriguing documentary about Latin American immigrants living in rural Mississippi, where poultry plants promise jobs, but little else. Shot on Super-8mm film, which gives it a lustrous, saturated color, “Mississippi Chicken” reveals the textures, moods, and struggles of the New South. (North American Premiere)

"Off the Grid: Life on the Mesa" Directors: Jeremy Stulberg & Randy Stulberg (USA)
This engrossing documentary follows a hardscrabble community of hippies and war veterans who live on the fringe and off the grid, without electricity or running water, along the mesas of northern New Mexico. Sibling filmmakers Jeremy and Randy Stulberg have unearthed a place that stands at the bizarre crossroads of utopian ideals and post-apocalyptic nightmares. (East Coast Premiere)

"The Railroad All Stars" ("Estrellas de la Línea") Director: Chema Rodríguez (Spain)
The hookers of Guatemala City’s La Linea slum eke out a meager living in constant fear of being attacked or killed. When a local soccer championship rolls around, the ladies form a team to publicize the dangers of their trade. The resulting story becomes a media sensation giving the women a newfound voice and much-needed sense of empowerment. (East Coast Premiere)

"Septembers" ("Septiembres") Director: Carles Bosch (Spain)
The director of festival favorite “Balseros” returns with this touching film about love, imprisonment, and the power of song. For the participants of the 2005 Festival of Song held at a prison near Madrid, singing love songs isn’t just fun, it is, rather, a poignant reminder of those they long for and are without.
(World Premiere)

"Serambi" Directors: Garin Nugroho, Tonny Trimarsanto, Viva Westi, Lianto Luseno (Indonesia)
Aceh, historically a center of trade between East and West, was ravaged by the tsunami of 2004. In the months that followed the tragedy, a documentary crew chronicled the devastation left behind—a cratered landscape of destroyed homes, dead bodies, and orphans searching for their families—capturing the extent to which civilizations can be literally washed away by nature’s wrath. (U.S. Premiere)

"These Girls" ("El-Banate Dol") Director: Tahani Rached (Egypt)
Tata is tough and she'll let you know it. In a country—Egypt—where unemployment runs near 10% and girls are fourth-class citizens of a Muslim world, Tata and the homeless teens of “These Girls” are driven by a paradoxical mix of empowerment and powerlessness as they live their lives on the streets of Cairo. (Regional Premiere)

"To Play and to Fight" ("Tocar y Luchar") Director: Alberto Arvelo (Venezuela)
One of the music world’s most uplifting social phenomenons, the Venezuelan Youth Orchestra System has made world-class musicians out of otherwise forgotten young children. Interviews with music luminaries Placido Domingo, Sir Simon Rattle, and many others appear throughout this inspirational documentary about music, courage, determination and teamwork. (East Coast Premiere)

"Two Homelands Cuba and the Night" ("Dos Patrias Cuba y la Noche") Director: Christian Liffers (Germany)
What is it like to be a gay man in today’s Cuba? Director Christian Liffers traveled to the island on two occasions in 2004 to seek answers to that question. The result is a film that presents six unforgettable personal stories that underscore the many differences in experiences, social status, and opinions among gay men in and around Havana. (North American Premiere)

"Yokohama Mary" Director: Takayuki Nakamura (Japan)
“Yokohama Mary” was a World War II prostitute and legendary Japanese street eccentric who mysteriously disappeared in 1995. Rumors surrounding Mary were myriad, but little was ultimately known about her. Director Takayuki Nakamura’s engrossing documentary embarks on a poignant journey through post-war Japan as it pieces together the life and disappearance of this peculiar and fascinating woman. (U.S. Premiere)

International Panorama

Amazing works from the masters and up-coming filmmakers who have created more than two features are on view in this vibrant array of films from all corners of the world. Compelling dramas, poignant biographies, innovative docudramas, comedies, challenging animations, and groundbreaking documentaries premiere in this category from the UK, Spain, Germany, Iran, Argentina, Portugal, Colombia, Rwanda, Jamaica, Denmark, Cuba, France, Canada, and the U.S. In addition, International Panorama pays a special tribute to Colombian cinema as well as films that touch Florida.

International Panorama - Dramatic Features: World Cinema

"7 Dwarves - The wood is not enough" ("7 Zwerge - Der Wald ist nicht genug")
Director: Sven Unterwaldt (Germany)
Snow White, the seven dwarves, Rumpelstiltskin, and several other Brothers Grimm characters are run through a punk-rock blender in this maniacal candy-coated comedy that mixes camp aesthetics with the anarchy of the Three Stooges. One of Germany’s highest-grossing films, “7 Dwarves” features rock diva Nina Hagen as the Evil Queen. (North American Premiere)

"Choking Man" Director: Steve Barron (USA)
Recently named “Best Film Not Playing at a Theater Near You” by the Independent Feature Project's Gotham Awards, this intense blend of psychological drama and magical realism unfolds at the Olympic Diner in multicultural Queens. It is here that we find Jorge, a shy dishwasher caught between his Ecuadorian roots and his new American life. (Regional Premiere)

"Half Moon" ("Niwemang") Director: Bahman Ghobadi (Iran/Iraq/France/Austria)
Bahman Ghobadi’s allegorical tale follows a group of musicians as they journey from Iran to Iraqi Kurdistan to celebrate the fall of Saddam Hussein. The film’s meditation on death is juxtaposed against images of ravishing beauty, all part of a visual poetry that lightens the harsh realities depicted.
(Regional Premiere)

"Living with Hannah" ("Leben mit Hanna") Director: Erica von Moeller (Germany)
Life with 30-something Hannah is anything but easy. Noticeably troubled by events in her past, she wraps herself in a cocoon of inapproachability that neither her parents, who are raising her daughter, her colleagues, or her boyfriend can penetrate. Things take a turn, however, when a series of photos spark repressed memories. (Regional Premiere)

"No Place Like Home" Director: Perry Henzell (Jamaica/USA)
Perry Henzell’s long-lost follow-up to “The Harder They Come” traces the journey of a New York TV producer and a local taxi driver as they delve deep into the heart of the “real Jamaica.” Rediscovered and restored after 30 years, the delightfully digressive film brims with cultural and political insights, all set to a classic reggae soundtrack. (U.S. Premiere)

"The Old Garden" ("Orae Doin Jung Won") Director: IM Sang-soo (South Korea)
Following the May 1980 Gwangju massacre in South Korea, a student activist wanted by the police flees to a mountain village where he finds love with a local art teacher. Happiness, however, has its price—the young man is racked with guilt over the comfortable life he enjoys while his comrades continue to fight.
(East Coast Premiere)

"The Valet" ("La Doublure") Director: Francis Veber (France)
A tabloid photo catches a married billionaire red-handed with his supermodel mistress. Fearing a messy divorce, and the loss of his fortune, he attempts damage control by bribing a homely parking attendant (who also appears in the shot) to pretend he is the lover's boyfriend. Hilarity ensues in this wicked comedy from France’s master of farce, Francis Veber. (Regional Premiere)

International Panorama - Dramatic Features: Ibero-American Cinema

"The 12 Labours" ("Os 12 Trabalhos") Director: Ricardo Elias (Brazil)
This powerful take on the Hercules myth offers a sobering examination of the gap between rich and poor in contemporary São Paulo. Eighteen-year-old Heracles wants to make a new life for himself after several years in a reformatory. To obtain employment as a motorcycle courier, however, he must first pass a one-day trial comprised of 12 challenging assignments. (East Coast Premiere)

"Belle Toujours" Director: Manoel de Oliveira (Portugal/France)
Renowned filmmaker Manoel de Oliveira follows up Belle de Jour, Luis Buñuel’s 1967 study of erotic perversion, with this wickedly sly and surprisingly affecting tribute. Bulle Ogier replaces Catherine Deneuve as the masochistic housewife-turned-whore, and Michel Piccoli reprises his role as the family friend who stumbled on her secret 38 years earlier. (Regional Premiere)

"Bluff" Director: Felipe Martínez (Colombia)
When girlfriend Margarita cheats on him with boss Pablo and he is subsequently fired, Nicolas swears revenge. Armed with pictures of Pablo’s infidelity, he attempts blackmail only to find the tables turned: Pablo wants him to murder Margarita. Instead, Nicolas schemes to nail his former boss and save his ex. Double-crosses abound until the very end in this wickedly funny thriller. (World Premiere)

"Celia's Lives" ("las vidas de Celia") Director: Antonio Chavarrías (Spain)
The ineffable Najwa Nimri plays the title character in this cunningly structured whodunit. On the same night Celia tries to commit suicide, a teenage girl is murdered nearby. Celia’s efforts to give meaning to her life intertwine with the criminal investigation. This film noir with a bolero beat is directed by Antonio Chavarrías. (Regional Premiere)

"Chronicle of an Escape" ("Crónica de una Fuga") Director: Israel Adrián Caetano (Argentina)
Based on harrowing real-life events, director Israel Adrián Caetano’s “Chronicle of an Escape” tells the story of four young men who attempt to flee a detention center after they are “disappeared” during Argentina’s brutal dictatorship of the 1970s. Suspense abounds in this beautifully shot, superbly acted and immensely moving drama. (Miami Premiere)

"Colossal Youth" ("Juventude em marcha") Director: Pedro Costa (France/Portugal/Switzerland)
Artful and poetic, Pedro Costa's searing, semi-fictionalized look at life on the skids in Lisbon centers on the elderly Ventura, a slum dweller whose quiet poise contrasts sharply with the squalor around him. Collaborating with the real residents of the Casal Balboa shantytown, Costa exquisitely captures a veiled world of beauty and dignity. (East Coast Premiere)

"Fiction" ("Ficción") Director: Cesc Gay (Spain)
The great Spanish actors Javier Cámara and Eduard Fernández star in this romantic tale of love, friendship and temptation among the soon-to-be-middle-aged. Set in the gorgeous Catalan Pyrenees and cued to a swooning Nick Cave soundtrack, “Fiction” is a love story for adults, about adults, from acclaimed director Cesc Gay (“Krampack,” “In the City”). (East Coast Premiere)

"More than Anything in the World" ("Más que a nada en el mundo")
Directors: Andrés León Becker, Javier Solar (Mexico)
The bond between a single mother and her young daughter is tested in this understated Mexican drama, deserving winner of the award for Best First Fiction Feature Film at the World Film Festival of Montreal. When her mother starts bringing men home, lonely Alicia lets loose her imagination and becomes convinced that mom has been the victim of a vampire. (East Coast Premiere)

"Our Father" ("Padre Nuestro, La Ultima Cita") Director: Rodrigo Sepúlveda Urzúa (Chile)
Director Rodrigo Sepúlveda Urzúa’s “Our Father” takes a bumpy journey through the heart and soul of an ordinary family. When an ailing patriarch discovers that his days are numbered, he decides he doesn’t want to die in a hospital, but rather in the company of friends and loved ones. (U.S. Premiere)

"The Trial" ("La Prueba") Director: Judith Vélez (Peru/Cuba/Argentina)
A woman from Lima must travel to a desolate area in Peru to find the father who abandoned her family 13 years earlier, because only he has the blood type that can save her dying brother. Resentment and
loyalty intermingle with old hopes and new dreams in this meditative, mournful road-trip drama.
(U.S. Premiere)

International Panorama - Documentary Features: World & Ibero-American Cinema

"Back Home" Director: J.B. Rutagarama (Rwanda)
The first documentary about Rwanda made by an actual survivor of the 1994 genocide, “Back Home” tells the remarkable story of a young filmmaker who was taken in by journalists as he fled the killings and given a new life in New York City. After 9/11, he returns to his homeland to confront his nightmares and come to terms with the past. (East Coast Premiere)

"Let's Get Lost" Director: Bruce Weber (USA)
Shot in black and white by prominent fashion photographer and filmmaker Bruce Weber, this tribute film about famed jazz musician Chet Baker reveals the truth behind an artist who lived as much for the drugs that consumed him as for the music he played. “Let’s Get Lost” was nominated for Best Documentary Feature at the 1989 Academy Awards. (Retrospective)

"Perpetual Movements" Director: Edgar Pêra (Portugal)
This vibrant tribute to the late Portuguese guitarist Carlos Paredes uses clips of the musician and funky visual artwork inspired by his music to tell the story of this fascinating activist, artist, and national hero. “Perpetual Movements” is a visually rich and moving portrait of one of Portugal’s most revered musicians.
(U.S. Premiere)

"Radiant City" Directors: Gary Burns, Jim Brown (Canada)
Shows such as ABC’s Desperate Housewives and Showtime’s Weeds satirize suburbia and the secrets behind the white picket fences. Is it merely good television, or is there more beneath the surface? This documentary follows a family living in a suburban housing community, juxtaposing what the family believes is gained from life in the suburbs against what is lost. (U.S. Premiere)

“Straight to the Point” (Onde a coruja dorme) Directors: Márcia Derraik, Simplício Neto (Brazil)
This engaging documentary profiles Bezerra da Silva, a Brazilian music legend known as the father of “gangsta samba”. Da Silva’s songs, many of them written by residents of the slums of Rio de Janeiro, are social critiques that champion the underdog who must do whatever it takes to survive. (U.S. Premiere)

International Panorama - Gone But Not Forgotten

Two masters of Cuban music are being celebrated this year at the Festival. We are proud to present the World Premiere of La Lupe and the East Coast premiere of El Benny. No better place than Miami to commemorate their lives and their music!

"El Benny" Director: Jorge Luis Sánchez González (Cuba/UK/Spain)
The colorful life and exuberant music of Cuban legend Benny Moré burst onto the screen in this stirring account of his rise to fame in the 1950s. Renny Arozarena shines in the title role of this biopic that has played to packed houses on the island since its July 2006 premiere. (East Coast Premiere)

"La Lupe Queen of Latin Soul" Director: Ela Troyano (USA)
This energetic and captivating documentary portrait traces the rise to fame and eventual disintegration of the campy “queen of Latin soul” known as La Lupe. Deemed anti-revolutionary in her native Cuba—she was told by Castro that she stole too much of his limelight—La Lupe cultivated a new existence in the U.S., where she remained until her death in 1992. (World Premiere)
International Panorama – Special Animation: For Kids and NOT for Kids

In this special animation category, the Festival presents two strikingly different animated features: One, a fantastic, colorful and poetic adventure for young audiences—a magical tale of friendship, love, separation, death, and parental relationship. The other, takes a high and mighty line on the sex industry, mesmerizing the audience through its obsessive, over-the-top sex, violence and vengeance.

"Princess" Director: Anders Morgenthaler (Denmark)
Danish director Anders Morgenthaler has crafted an alternately mesmerizing and disturbing vision of sex, violence and religion in his uniquely rendered and sharply caricatured anime feature. This pointed critique on the extremes of modern life took home the youth jury award at the Flanders International Film Festival.
(U.S. Premiere)

"U" Directors: Grégoire Solotareff, Serge Elissalde (France)
“U” stands for unicorn in this charming animated comedic drama. When U becomes a confidante and companion to melancholy Princess Mona, life for both becomes sweeter. Then Mona finds love. Will the friend’s relationship remain the same? “U” is based on the book by acclaimed French children’s author Grégoire Solotareff. (Regional Premiere)

International Panorama - Touching Florida

The Festival proudly celebrates the latest works from filmmakers from Florida and from directors and producers with films whose subjects touch on Florida. Feature films and documentaries are showcased in this special section devoted to the Sunshine State.

“Bella” Director: Alejandro Gómez Monteverde (USA)
In Bella, José (Eduardo Verástagui, Chasing Papi) is a soccer star on his way to sign a professional contract when a horrible event brings his future to a halt. Years later, José is the silent and reserved chef in his brother Manny's restaurant in New York. Manny (Manny Perez) fires repeatedly tardy (and newly pregnant) waitress, Nina (Tammy Blanchard, The Good Shepard). Although José barely knows her, he runs after her to spend a day that will change them forever.
(East Coast Premiere)

"Full Grown Men" Director: David Munro (USA)
What’s the point of growing up? Alby Cutrera doesn’t see one, which is why the 35-year-old leaves his wife and child to move back in with mom and hang with long-lost childhood buddy Elias. The trouble is, Elias never liked him much. Reality collides with rose-tinted memories of youth in an irresistible comedy about arrested development. (Regional Premiere)

"Thanks to Gravity" Director: Jessica Kavana Dornbusch (USA)
Debate is the passion that moves Jordan, a Latina Jew from Miami whose oratorical skills gain her admission into Harvard. Her romantic life, however, is complicated by pressure from her parents and a date rape that leaves her shattered. One woman’s coming of age makes for a tender, touching drama.
(East Coast Premiere)

"Those I Left Behind" Director: Lisandro Perez-Rey (USA)
Filmed in both the United States and Cuba, Lisandro Perez-Rey's powerful documentary examines the transnational ties that bind Cuban-Americans to the family members who remain on the island. The film follows four families whose lives are directly, and emotionally, impacted by controversial new travel restrictions backed by the U.S. (Regional Premiere)

Shorts Screening Prior to Those I Left Behind:
"Wet Foot/Dry Foot" (USA) Director: Carlos V Gutierrez and "Castro in Central Park" (USA) Director: A.D Calvo

Big Picture Discussions

The Big Picture program highlights films that tackle world issues and the human struggle for life and dignity. Often asking more questions than they answer, these films aim to increase awareness and inspire dialog that will lead to understanding and meaningful change. The program includes a thought-provoking discussion, engaging filmmakers, international experts and the audience.

"Ghosts" Director: Nick Broomfield (UK)
In February 2004, 23 illegal Chinese migrant workers were drowned by high tides as they picked cockles on England’s Morecambe Bay. “Ghosts” tells the fictional story of a woman who died that day and the circumstances that drive other desperate workers to similar ends. The film won the Solidarity Award at the 2006 San Sebastían International Film Festival. (East Coast Premiere)

Shorts
Programs I, II & III
This international collection of short films is presented in three dynamic, eclectic programs featuring amusing comedies, animation, tense thrillers, compelling dramas, romantic vignettes and edgy experimental works.

Shorts Program I
The Danish Poet (Canada/Norway), Director: Torill Kove
Primera Nieve (Argentina), Director: Pablo Aguero
Drake (Austria), Director: Christoph Rainer
Berlitad (Mexico), Director: Pablo Ángeles
Silencio (Brazil), Director: Sergio Borges
Conte de Quartier (Canada/France), Director: Florence Miailhe

Shorts Program II
At The End of the Day (USA/Mex), Director: Dionisio Ceballos
The Shovel (USA), Director: Nicholas Childs
La Primavera (USA/Spain), Director: Ruben Obregon
Film Noir (UK), Director: Osbert Parker
Wood (USA), Director: David Fenster
Glosoli (Iceland), Director: Arni & Kinski

Shorts Program III
Something Like That (Brazil), Director: Esmir Filho
The Saddest Boy in the World (Canada), Director: Jamie Travis
We Are Everywhere (Mexico), Director: Sofia Perez Suinaga
The Milk and the Water (Mexico), Director: Celso Garcia
Good Girl (Korea/USA), Director: Heayun Kang
Sniffer (Norway), Director: Bobbie Peers

MIFF Abroad: Inside Colombia

The Miami International Film Festival celebrates its second year of this film exchange program with an exciting selection of films from emerging Colombian filmmakers. These outstanding films continue a new MIFF tradition of celebrating one Latin American country each year, with a special program of films, discussions and events. Later this year, MIFF will travel to Colombia with films and U.S. industry professionals to participate in this new program with the Colombian film industry.

"Bluff" Director: Felipe Martínez (Colombia)
When girlfriend Margarita cheats on him with boss Pablo and he is subsequently fired, Nicolas swears revenge. Armed with pictures of Pablo’s infidelity, he attempts blackmail only to find the tables turned: Pablo wants him to murder Margarita. Instead, Nicolas schemes to nail his former boss and save his ex. Double-crosses abound until the very end in this wickedly funny thriller. (World Premiere)
"Satanas" Director: Andi Baiz (Colombia/Mexico)
This drama from director Andi Baiz interweaves several stories about a priest, a con woman and an English teacher, all of whom want more from life than what it can offer. As each is tempted by a taste of their deepest desires, their character is tested to the core. (World Premiere)

"A Ton of Luck" ("Soñar no Cuesta Nada") Director: Rodrigo Triana (Colombia/Argentina)
When the members of an anti-guerrilla unit, on patrol in the jungles of Colombia, stumble on $46 million in drug money, they decide to give in to temptation and divvy up the treasure. This tale of moral choices and their consequences is based on actual events. (East Coast Premiere)

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 Theatre in Miami Beach.

Guests who have recently attended the Miami International Film Festival have included Wim Wenders, Andy Garcia, Jonathan Demme, Woody Harrelson, Rosie Perez, Jimmie Smits, Nestor Carbonell, 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.

Countries MIFF 2007 includes films from 43 countries including:

Argentina
Australia
Austria
Belgium
Bolivia
Brazil
Canada
Chile
Colombia
Cuba
Czech Republic
Denmark
Egypt
France
Ecuador
Germany
Iceland
India
Indonesia
Iran
Iraq
Israel
Italy
Jamaica
Japan
Mexico
Norway
Paraguay
Peru
Poland
Portugal
Russia
Rwanda
Scotland
South Korea
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
The Netherlands
UK
Uruguay
USA
Venezuela

The Miami International Film Festival to be held March 2-11, 2007, 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 67,000 people attended the Festival in 2006
• In addition, more than 300 filmmakers, producers, talent, and industry representatives from around the world attended the 2006 Festival to introduce their work to Miami audiences and industry professionals
• The 2006 Festival held more than 250 screenings, including features, shorts, Outreach and press

During the last four years, the Festival has presented films from more than 60 countries, including 200 East Coast, U.S. and World Premieres, scores of Oscar winners and nominees, and many international prizewinners. Tickets go on sale to Members Feb. 2, 2007 and to the General Public Feb. 16, 2007.

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 and public safety management.

For more information contact the Miami International Film Festival at (305) 237-3456 or visit www.miamifilmfestival.com. For more information on Miami Dade College, please visit www.mdc.edu.

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