For Immediate Release:
March 9, 2013
30th Miami International Film Festival, Produced and Presented by Miami Dade College, Honors Grand Jury Prize Winners of the Competition Categories
Miami, FL — Miami International Film Festival (MIFF), produced and presented by Miami Dade College (MDC), celebrated the closing of the Festival (with one additional day of film screenings still to go) by reflecting on 138 films from 41 countries that culminated in its annual Awards Night Ceremony at the Olympia Theater at the Gusman Center for the Performing Arts.
The screening of the revealing documentary, Venus and Serena, directed by Maiken Baird & Michelle Major, followed the awards ceremony. The film gave the audience an unprecedented, intimate look inside the lives of the tennis superstar siblings, Venus and Serena Williams.
Juried awards were presented in the following competition categories: Knight Ibero-American Competition, Jordan Alexander Ressler Screenwriting Award, Knight Documentary Competition, Lexus Ibero-American Opera Prima Competition, University of Miami Shorts Competition, and a new prize, Miami Future Cinema Critics Award.
”What a great way to usher in the next 30 years of film magic. We are just getting started as we celebrate the milestone of the festival’s first three decades,” said Dr. Eduardo J. Padrón, president of Miami Dade College. “This gem of a festival will continue soaring to new heights and take its rightful place alongside the very best film festivals in the world, as we train the next generation of filmmakers at MDC. I commend Jaie, his team and all the college volunteers for making this the best year ever.”
“MIFF’s 30th Anniversary edition was even more successful than we could have ever dreamed,” exclaimed MIFF Executive Director Jaie Laplante. “As we close this 2013 edition, we can’t help but look forward to 2014.”
“The Miami International Film Festival brings the best of world cinema to Miami, inspiring not only South Florida audiences but our growing community of filmmakers who are helping to tell Miami stories,” said Dennis Scholl, VP of arts for Knight Foundation.
“Lexus is proud to be a part of another successful competition, recognizing all nine talented filmmakers from Latin America that were nominated for the Lexus Ibero-American Opera Prima Award this year,” stated Brian Smith, Lexus Vice President of Marketing. ”Lexus congratulates Guillermo and Carlos and their positive contributions to the film industry.”
2013 MIAMI INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL COMPETITION WINNERS
KNIGHT IBERO-AMERICAN COMPETITION:
- Knight Grand Jury Prize: So Much Water (Tanta agua), produced by CTRL Z FILMS, Uruguay, by AnaGuevara and Leticia Jorge (Uruguay/Mexico/Netherlands), will receive USD$15,000. If the film’s sales agent, Alpha Violet of France sells the film to a US distributor within 30 days, that US distributor will also receive $15,000. If not, the additional USD$15,000 will be added to CTRL Z FILMS’ prize.
- Grand Jury Best Performance: The cast of A Gun in Each Hand (Una pistola en cada mano), by Cèsc Gay (Spain), will receive USD$5,000.
- Grand Jury Best Director: Ana Piterbarg of Everybody Has a Plan (Todos tenemos un plan) (Spain/Argentina /Germany), will receive USD$5,000.
JORDAN ALEXANDER RESSLER SCREENWRITING AWARD:
- Ana Guevara and Leticia Jorge for So Much Water (Tanta agua) by Ana Guevara and Leticia Jorge (Uruguay/Mexico/Netherlands) will receive USD$5,000.
KNIGHT DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION:
- Knight Grand Jury Prize: Gideon’s Army, by Dawn Porter (USA) will receive USD$10,000.
LEXUS IBERO-AMERICAN OPERA PRIMA COMPETITION:
(The jury selected two films to tie as winners in this category)
- Solo, by Guillermo Rocamora (Uruguay/Argentina/Netherlands/France), will receive USD$2,500.
- The Swimming Pool (La piscina), by Carlos Machado Quintela (Cuba/Venezuela) will receive USD$2,500.
- Honorable Mention: Special recognition by the jury goes to Villegas, by Gonzalo Tobal (Argentina/Netherlands/France)
UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI SHORTS COMPETITION:
- Best Short Film: “Anna and Jerome”, by Mélanie Delloye (France) will receive USD$2,500.
MIAMI FUTURE CINEMA CRITICS AWARD:
- Beijing Flickers (You-Zhong), by Zhang Yuan (China)
The above award winning films joined completion winners in other categories, announced earlier in the week at the Festival. On Sunday, March 3rd, All About the Feathers (Por las plumas) by Neto Villalobos was awarded the $10,000 Miami Encuentros prize, sponsored by EGEDA, and it was also awarded the 6 Sales representation contract. On Thursday, February 28th, at a pre-event kick off to the Festival, “CANT” by Sam Shaib won the Cinemaslam Grand Prize, which included USD$500 from FilmFlorida, an artisan award from Miami-based Artist Robert McKnight, custom one-year download membership to VideoBlocks, one complete set of footage video (57 DVDs) courtesy of Footage Firm and all-access pass to the Festival.
ABOUT THE COMPETITIONS, JURORS AND AWARDS:
KNIGHT IBERO-AMERICAN COMPETITION featured 10 dramatic works from Latin America and Spain. The films competed for USD$40,000 in prizes courtesy of James L. & John S. Knight Foundation, and a USD$5,000 Screenwriting Award from the Jordan A. Ressler Foundation.
Knight Foundation Ibero-American films in competition were:
- Everybody Has A Plan (Todos tenemos un plan) by Ana Piterbarg (Spain/Argentina /Germany)
- Cinco De Mayo: The Battle, by Rafa Lara (Mexico)
- Dust (Polvo), by Julio Hernández Cordón, (Guatemala)
- Gone Fishing (Días de pesca), by Carlos Sorín (Argentina)
- A Gun in Each Hand (Una pistola en cada mano), by Cèsc Gay (Spain)
- Marriage (Matrimonio), by Carlos Jaureguialzo (Argentina)
- The Moving Creatures (O Que Se Move), by Caetano Gotardo (Brazil)
- So Much Water (Tanta agua), by Ana Guevara & Leticia Jorge (Uruguay/Mexico/Netherlands)
- Thesis on a Homicide (Tesis sobre un homicidio), by Hernán A. Golfrid (Spain/Argentina)
- Vinyl Days (Días de vinilo), by Gabriel Nesci (Argentina/Colombia)
Knight Ibero-American Competition Jury:
- Juan Gordon – Morena Films co-founder
- Cristián Jimenez – Filmmaker of Bonsái , winner of last year’s Knight Foundation Grand Jury Prize
- Whit Stillman – Filmmaker
KNIGHT DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION featured ten engaging and thought-provoking feature-length documentaries created by international filmmakers that examine social issues, diverse cultures, icons and inspiring people. The films competed for USD$10,000 courtesy of the Knight Foundation.
Films in Knight Documentary Competition were:
- Viva Cuba Libre: Rap is War, by Jesse Acevedo (USA)
- Blackfish, by Gabriela Cowperthwaite (USA)
- The Crash Reel, by Lucy Walker (USA)
- Cubamerican, by Jose Enrique Pardo (USA)
- Far Out Isn’t Far Enough: The Tomi Ungerer Story, by Brad Bernstein (USA)
- Gideon’s Army, by Dawn Porter (USA)
- Sagrada: The Mystery of Creation (Sagrada: El misteri de la creació), by Stefan Haupt (Switzerland)
- Valentine Road, by Marta Cunningham (USA)
- Which Way is the Front Line From Here? The Life and Time of Tim Hetherington, by Sebastian Junger (USA)
- Who Is Dayani Cristal?, by Marc Silver (United Kingdom/Mexico)
Knight Documentary Jury:
- Anne Chaisson – Hamptons International Film Festival executive director
- Dan Guando – The Weinstein Company senior vice president of acquisitions
- Michael Lumpkin – International Documentary Association executive director
LEXUS IBERO-AMERICAN OPERA PRIMA COMPETITION featured nine first-time feature filmmakers from Latin America that competed for a $5,000 cash prize presented by Lexus.
Films in Lexus Ibero-American Opera Prima Competition were:
- The Boy Who Smells Like Fish, by Analeine Cal y Mayor (Mexico/Canada)
- Edificio Royal, by Iván Wild (Colombia/Venezuela/Germany)
- Good Luck, Sweetheart (Boa Sorte, Meu Amor) by Daniel Aragão (Brazil)
- Miguel San Miguel, by Matías Cruz (Chile)
- Molasses (Melaza), by Carlos Días Lechuga (Cuba/France/Panama)
- No Autumn, No Spring (Sin otoño, sin primavera), by Iván Mora (Ecuador/Colombia/France)
- Solo by Guillermo Rocamora (Uruguay/Argentina/Netherlands/France)
- The Swimming Pool (La piscina), by Carlos Machado Quintela (Cuba/Venezuela)
- Villegas, by Gonzalo Tobal (Argentina/Netherlands/France)
Lexus Ibero-American Opera Prima Jury:
- Alejandro Landes, Filmmaker
- Tivi Magnusson, M&M Productions president & founder
- Elba McAllister, CinePlex executive president
UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI SHORTS COMPETITION featured 10 short films from around the globe. The jury selected winner receives a $2,500 cash prize.
Films in the University of Miami Shorts Competition were:
- “9 Meter”, by Anders Walter Denmark)
- “Anna and Jerome” (“Anna et Jérôme“), by Mélanie Delloye (France)
- “Ebb & Flow” (“A Onda Traz, O Vento Leva“), by Gabriel Mascaro (Brazil/Spain)
- “Edmond Was a Donkey” (“Edmond Était un âne“) by Franck Dion (Canada/France)
- “Eleven: Twelve”, by JC Barros (USA/Portugal)
- “Lost Country”, by Heather Burky (USA)
- “Of Other Carnivals” (De Outros Carnavais), by Paulo Miranda (Brazil)
- “Palmipedarium”, by Jérémy Clapin (France)
- “Skunk” (“Rotkop”), by Jan Roosens & Raf Roosens (Belgium)
- “Yasuni”, by Nicholas Entel (USA)
MIAMI FUTURE CINEMA CRITICS (MFCC) is a new program that aimed to provide Miami-based film aficionados with a fascinating opportunity to discover new cinema – outside of the roughly 600 films that are commercially released in the U.S. annually, and learn new ways to develop their voice and attract new audiences for their own critical work. Three Miami writers between the ages 21 to 30 were selected to blog about films from a playlist curated by MIFF’s 2013 programming team. The MFCC 2013 writers were Juan Barquin, Justin James and Grace Paulus. In addition to blogging, the MFCC designated one film in their playlist as an overall “best film,” based on the Critics’ own criterion of artistic merit.
MIAMI ENCUENTROS featured five Latin American and U.S. Hispanic feature film projects in post-production competing for a post-production prize of USD$10,000 designed to and propel them towards their upcoming debuts on the international stage. The films were screened for VeoMiami industry guests only on the first weekend of the Festival in private screenings.
Films in Miami Encuentros were:
- All About the Feathers (Por las plumas), by Neto Villalobos
- Produced by La Sucia Centroamericana Producciones, Costa Rica.
- Darwin’s Corner (Rincón de Darwin), by Diego Fernández Pujol
- Co-produced by Transparente Films, Uruguay and O som e a furia, Portugal.
- En la caliente -The Cuban Music Revolution, by Fabien Pisani
- Produced by Mokongo Films, France
- Gypsy River (Rio Cigano), by Julia Zakia
- Co-produced by Cinematográfica Superfilmes Ltda and Gato do Parque, Brazil.
- Liz in September (Liz en Septiembre), by Fina Torres
- Produced by Ararare Films C.A., Venezuela.
Miami Encuentros Jury:
- Mar Abadin, 6 Sales head of sales
- Leslie Cohen, HBO vice president of film programming
- Rebeca Conget, Film Movement vice president of acquisitions
- Eric Schnedecker, Urban Distribution International head of sales and acquisitions
# # #
Miami International Film Festival (MIFF), celebrating its 30th anniversary March 1 – 10, 2013, 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, produced and presented by Miami Dade College, attracts more than 70,000 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. MIFF’s special focus on Ibero-American cinema has made the Festival a natural gateway for the discovery of new talent from this diverse territory. The Festival also offers unparalleled educational opportunities to film students and the community at large. Major sponsors of the 2013 Festival include Knight Foundation, Lexus and Miami-Dade County. For more, visit miff2020.wpengine.com or call 305-237-MIFF (3456).
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 Center @ MDC, the Miami International Film Festival, the MDC Live Arts Performing Arts Series, the Cuban Cinema Series, the Miami Leadership Roundtable speakers’ series, numerous renowned campus art galleries and theaters, and the nationally recognized School of Entertainment and Design Technology. With an enrollment of more than 174,000 students, MDC is the largest institution of higher education in the country and is a national model for many of its programs. The college’s eight campuses and outreach centers offer more than 300 distinct degree programs including baccalaureate, associate in arts and science degrees and numerous career training certificates leading to in-demand jobs. MDC has served nearly 2,000,000 students since it opened its doors in 1960.
The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation supports transformational ideas that promote quality journalism, advance media innovation, engage communities and foster the arts. The foundation believes that democracy thrives when people and communities are informed and engaged. For more, visit KnightFoundation.org
Lexus launched in 1989 with two luxury sedans and a commitment to pursue perfection. Since that time, Lexus has expanded its line-up to meet the needs of global luxury customers. In every vehicle, Lexus incorporates innovative technologies, high-quality designs and luxury materials. With numerous models featuring Lexus Hybrid Drive, Lexus is the luxury hybrid leader and is dedicated to developing vehicles that are kinder to the Earth. Lexus’ current vehicles incorporate outstanding driving dynamic characteristics and feature a new design language that includes a spindle grille and distinctive lights, creating a signature look and feel for the luxury brand. In the United States, Lexus models are sold through 232 dealers who are committed to exemplary customer service.
MIFF Contacts:
Jessica Wade Pfeffer, Jessica Wade Inc., +1 305-804-8424, jessica@jessicawadeinc.com
Janice Roland, Falco Ink, +1 212-445-7100, janiceroland@falcoink.com
Shannon Treusch, Falco Ink, +1 212-445-7100, shannontreusch@falcoink.com
MDC Contacts:
Juan Mendieta, +1 305-237-7611, jmendiet@mdc.edu
Sue Arrowsmith +1 305-237-3710, sue.arrowsmith@mdc.edu
Alejandro Rios +1 305-237-7482, arios1@mdc.ed |
