HBO’s THE BEE GEES: HOW CAN YOU MEND A BROKEN HEART
& RIZ AHMED’S SOUND OF METAL TIE FOR AUDIENCE AWARD 
 AT 2020 MIAMI FILM FESTIVAL GEMS  
Fest Unveils Poster for 2021 Miami Festival, Scheduled for March 5-14

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, October 12, 2020

Miami, FL — Miami Dade College’s (MDC) Miami Film Festival (MFF) announced that HBO’s The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend A Broken Heart and Amazon’s Sound of Metal starring Riz Ahmed have tied for the MIAMI GEMS 2020 Audience Award. MFF’s annual fall event took place from October 8-11 as a hybrid event that included virtual screenings and panels.

Directed by Frank Marshall, The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend A Broken Heart is an emotional documentary through the memories of the brother band’s only surviving member, Barry Gibb, as he recalls how the best-selling music act evolved their unique sound after relocating to Miami in the mid-1970s. Sound of Metal, directed by Darius Marder, is already generating Oscar buzz for a Best Actor nomination for Ahmed’s blistering performance as a heavy-metal drummer whose life begins unravelling when he discovers he is losing his hearing. Last year’s MIAMI GEMS Audience Award winner, The Two Popes, went on to receive three Academy Award nominations while first runner-up Parasite, received the Academy Award for Best Picture.

Spain’s double-Goya Award-winning Out in the Open, directed by Benito Zambrano, was chosen by audiences as first runner-up, and another HBO documentary, 537 Votes, directed by Billy Corben of the Miami-based production company Rakontur, was selected as second runner-up.

Sound of Metal will open nationwide in theaters on November 20^th and stream on Amazon Prime starting December 4th, while 537 Votes will air October 21^st on HBO and stream afterwards on HBOMax.

Miami Film Festival reiterated their commitment to a safe, in-person event of the 38^th edition, March 5 – 14, 2021 – opening on “305 Day,” which is the area code for Miami.  The festival released its poster for the edition ahead, a specific homage to Miami Film Festival’s pride in the “305,” designed by Los Angeles-based artist Akiko Stehrenberger.

Stehrenberger is one of the most respected movie poster designers and illustrators of her generation. Stehrenberger imbues a unique brand of surrealism to the art of the movie poster, utilizing various techniques – including painting, computers, and traditional forms of graphic design – all while conceptually dissecting the films themselves, which helps to illuminate why Akiko is such a vital visual artist. Vanity Fair included her Funny Games and Kiss of the Damned posters in their “Best Movie Posters of All Time” list.

“I have heard Miami’s great historian Dr. Dorothy Jenkins talk about the importance of protecting traditions while embracing future generations,” said Miami Film Festival executive director Jaie Laplante. “Those words take on even greater meaning in the COVID era, and Akiko Stehrenberger’s image for our 2021 season finds the perfect balance of honoring our great history and placing faith in our hopes and dreams for cinema in the years ahead.”

For more information on the festival, visit miamifilmfestival.com.

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About Miami Dade College’s Miami Film Festival                               
Celebrating cinema in two annual events, Miami Film Festival GEMS, October 8-11, 2020 and its 38th annual edition March 5-14, 2021, Miami Dade College’s Miami Film Festival is considered the preeminent film festival for showcasing Ibero-American cinema in the U.S., and a major launch pad for all international and documentary cinema. The annual Festival welcomes more than 45,000 audience members and more than 400 filmmakers, producers, talent and industry professionals. It is the only major festival housed within a college or university. In the last five years, the Festival has screened films from more than 60 countries, including 300 World, International, North American, U.S. and East Coast Premieres. Major sponsors of Miami Film Festival GEMS include Knight Foundation, Telemundo, American Airlines, Estrella Damm, and Miami-Dade County. The Festival also offers unparalleled educational opportunities to film students and the community at large. For more information, visit miamifilmfestival.com or call 305-237-FILM (3456).

About the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation
Knight Foundation is a national foundation with strong local roots. We invest in journalism, in the arts, and in the success of cities where brothers John S. and James L. Knight once published newspapers. Our goal is to foster informed and engaged communities, which we believe are essential for a healthy democracy. For more, visit kf.org.

Miami Film Festival Media Relations Contacts:
Steven Wilson, Scenario PR | 310-497-4951 | steven.wilson@scenariopr.com
Emmanuel Genao, director of marketing & community relations | egenao@mdc.edu

MDC Media Relations Contacts:
Juan C. Mendieta, MDC director of communications, 305-237-7611, jmendiet@mdc.edu
Sue Arrowsmith, director of media relations, 305-237-3710, sarrowsm@mdc.edu