| For Immediate Release
Monday, March 2, 2015
Crimson Carpets and Bulb Flashes! Miami Dade College’s Miami International Film Festival, Announces VIP Attendees
Attendees Include Local, National and Internationally Renowned Actors, Directors and Producers From the Worlds of Independent Film and Hollywood Studios
Miami, FL — Miami Dade College’s Miami International Film Festival, the only major film festival worldwide produced by a college or university, is delighted to announce its 2015 list of celebrated VIP attendees walking red carpet events, attending premieres, participating in onstage discussions and supporting this year’s spectacular 32nd Edition of North America’s largest Ibero-American film festival.
Drawn from both the worlds of international independent cinema and major Hollywood studios, notable attendees include Phil Lord, writer and director of Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs and The Lego Movie, whose films approach $1 billion in box office receipts; celebrated Spanish actress Paz Vega, supporting The Pilgrim – Paulo Coelho’s Best Story; award-winning documentary filmmaker Billy Corben, premiering the much-anticipated Dawg Fight, his latest project with Alfred Spellman following lauded documentaries Cocaine Cowboys, The U and Broke; Fugees founding member Pras Michel with his documentary Sweet Micky For President; Goya-nominated Spanish actress Inma Cuesta supporting the Awards Night Closing Film Sidetracked (Las ovejas no pierden el tren); 2013 Festival Opening Night film director Morgan Neville who recently won an Oscar for his widely acclaimed Twenty Feet From Stardom; and 70s disco music star Anita Ward best known for her chart-topper “Ring My Bell.”
Other confirmed attendees include Oscar president Cheryl Boone Isaacs, Benoît Jacquot, Elena Anaya, Iris Apfel, Jill Bauer, Lulu Wang, Maxi Iglesias, and Aura Garrido.
Surprises do happen at Miami International Film Festival, such as when a breathtakingly radiant Anne Hathaway showed up at the Elsa & Fred red carpet premiere in 2014 to support fellow actors and filmmakers. As the Festival nears, more VIP guests and attendees will be announced, or they’ll simply surprise us at premieres, Hathaway-style.
Acclaimed actors, filmmakers and industry professionals expected to attend include:
CINEDWNTWN GALAS presented by MIAMI DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY
- Filmmakers: Alvaro Fernandez Armero, Daniel Augusto, Juan Manuel Villar Betancort, Sergio Cabrera, Álex Pina, and Carlos Machado Quintela.
- Actors: Inma Cuesta, Alex Gárcia, Mario Guerra, and Paz Vega.
KNIGHT COMPETITION
- Filmmakers: Abner Benaim, Marco Berger, Ernesto Contreras, Andreas Dalsgaard, Lírio Ferreira, Oscar Ruiz Navia, Kenny Riches, Rodrigo Sepúlveda, and Gustavo Taretto.
- Actors: Ingrid Isensee and Robert Lorie.
KNIGHT DOCUMENTARY ACHIEVEMENT AWARD FILMS
- Filmmakers: Maite Alberdi, Jill Bauer, Asaf Galay, Ronna Gradus, Andrew Lancaster, and Daniel Junge.
- Subject: Iris Apfel.
MIAMI MANIFESTO
- Filmmakers: Andreas Dalsgaard and Morgan Neville.
LEE BRIAN SCHRAGER’S CULINARY CINEMA presented by FREDERICK WILDMAN & SONS
- Filmmakers: Laura Gabbert, Anthony Lucero, and Ferdinand Vicentini.
LEXUS IBERO-AMERICA OPERA PRIMA COMPETITION
- Filmmakers: Alejo Flah, Claudio Marcone, Carlos Caridad Montero, and Guillermo Zouain.
- Actor: Elena Anaya.
AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL
- Filmmakers: Justin Benson, Nelson Kim, Aaron Moorhead, and Lulu Wang.
CINEMA 360° presented by VIENDOMOVIES
- Filmmakers: Dan Abramovici, Kiki Álvares, Gonzalo Bendala, Jose Henrique Fonseca, Luis Franco, Maxime Giroux, Jose Mari Goenaga, Chus Gutierrez, Pituka Ortega Heilbron, Mars Horodyski, Pat Mills, Pinky Mon, Francesco Munzi, and Jacob Tierney.
FLORIDA FOCUS
- Filmmakers: Fabian Cardenas, Billy Corben, Noah Debonis, Christina Felisgrau, Carla Forte, Ismael Gomez, Jonathan David Kane, Mark Moormann, Ronnie Rivera, and Alfred Spellman.
- Subject: Dhafir “DADA 5000” Harris.
SPOTLIGHT ON ASIAN CINEMA presented by byejoe
- Filmmaker: Zhang Meng and Adam James Smith.
SPOTLIGHT ON FRENCH CINEMA presented by TV5Monde
- Filmmakers: Alain Choquart and BenoÎt Jacquot.
REEL MUSIC
- Filmmakers: Janelle Gueits, Brett Morgen, and Curro Sánchez Varela.
FROM THE VAULT
- Presenter for The Stranger: Scott Eyman.
The guest list doesn’t stop there. Walking the red carpets in support of fellow industry tastemakers and attending some of the Festival’s not-to-miss events include award-winning actor Carlos Gomez known for his leading role in A&E series “The Glades”; Latin sensation Osvaldo Rios who appeared at last year’s Festival Opening Night red carpet phenomenon of Elsa & Fred; and Latin Grammy winner, singer-songwriter, producer and actor Yotuel Romero who will host the Festival’s Tribute Award evening that will honor all Independent Cuban Filmmakers.
The 32nd edition of Miami International Film Festival runs March 6-15, 2015. For tickets, membership opportunities or more information the Festival, please visit www.miff2020.wpengine.com or call 305-237-FILM(3456).
# # #
About Miami Dade College’s Miami International Film Festival
Celebrating its 32nd annual edition March 6 – 15, 2015, Miami Dade College’s Miami International 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 more than 60,000 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. Miami International Film Festival’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 2015 Festival include Knight Foundation, Lexus and Miami-Dade County. For more information, visit www.miff2020.wpengine.com or call 305-237-FILM (3456).
About MDCulture
MDCulture is the Cultural Affairs Department of Miami Dade College (MDC). Comprising the Miami Book Fair International, Miami Dade College’s Miami International Film Festival, Tower Theater, the Center for Literature and Theatre, Koubek Center, Freedom Tower, MDC Live Arts and MDC Galleries and Museum of Art + Design. MDCulture is committed to providing its community with the opportunity to come in contact with innovative thinkers, creators and tradition bearers from around the world. With each presentation, MDCulture offers a bridge between cultures and ideas, creating new opportunities for the increasingly diverse population of Miami to come together through shared live arts experiences. For more information, visit www.mdculture.org.
Miami Dade College’s Miami International Film Festival Contacts:
Jessica Wade Pfeffer, Jessica Wade Inc., +1 305-804-8424, jessica@jessicawadeinc.com
Margie Sernik, Jessica Wade Inc., +1 305-456-0483, margie@jessicawadeinc.com
Juan C. 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.edu |
