FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
MARCH 12th, 2012
Juan Of The Dead Nabs Lexus Audience Award at 29th Annual Miami International Film Festival
Miami, FL – Celebrating a successful 29th annual Miami International Film Festival (MIFF), produced and presented by Miami Dade College (MDC), guests gathered at MDC’s Historic Freedom Tower this past weekend to see the coveted Lexus Audience Award presented to Juan Of The Dead director Alejandro Brugués.
After the sold-out Awards Night Gala at the Olympia Theater at the Gusman Center for the Performing Arts earlier in the evening, which saw top jury prizes go to Cristián Jiménez’s Bonsái, Bart Layton’s The Imposter and Kenya Márquez’s Expiration Date, hundreds of party-goers paraded into the MDC Freedom Tower for the Ultimat Social Life Awards Night Party. As Executive Director of MIFF Jaie Laplante presented the award to Brugués, guests shared the news with their friends via social media stations equipped at the party.
“I’m thrilled to have been able to present this award to Alejandro,” said Laplante. “The film that Miami has been clamoring for did not disappoint. The enthusiastic response to the film was enthralling.”
“It’s a great honor for my film to have been chosen by the audience and that I was able to share this amazing moment with my family and friends,” said Brugués. “I love Miami and would like to thank the Festival for all its support.”
Juan Of The Dead screened on Friday, March 9th, and all 1,567 seats were filled at the successful gala screening of the comedy at the Olympia Theater. The film follows Juan (Alexis Díaz de Villegas) and some of his friends as they realize something is amiss in Havana, which is gradually being taken over by zombies. As the social order begins to crumble, the two launch a thriving business, hiring themselves out to people who need to put their beloved ones out of their zombie misery.
As previously announced, Outsider Pictures recently acquired the comedy from Mexico-based Latinofusion, the international film sales and distribution company, for US theatrical distribution. Juan of the Dead will make its U.S. theatrical debut starting tomorrow, Tuesday, March 13th, opening in Miami and subsequently expanding to other markets.
More than 70,000 people attended the 29th annual Festival, which screened over 100 films from 35 countries after opening with the world premiere of Tom Gustafson’s Mariachi Gringo on March 2nd.
Miami International Film Festival (MIFF), is considered the preeminent Ibero-American film festival in the U.S. 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 have made the Miami International Film Festival a natural gateway for the discovery of Ibero-American talent. Additionally, the Festival offers unparalleled educational opportunities to filmmakers and the community at large. For more, visit miff2020.wpengine.com or call 305-237-MIFF (3456). Major sponsors of the 2012 Miami International Film Festival include: Lexus, John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, Miami Beach Visitors & Convention Authority, FPL, EGEDA, Downtown Development Authority of the City of Miami, Comcast, Miami New Times, The Historic Alfred I. Dupont Building, ABC Management Services, Screen International and the City of Miami Beach. The official headquarter hotel of MIFF 2012 is The Standard Spa, Miami; and the Festival is produced with the support of the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs and the Cultural Affairs Council, the Miami-Dade County Mayor and Board of County Commissioners.
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 Florida Center for the Literary Arts, the MDC Live! Performing Arts Series, The MDC Tower Theater Cinema Series, nine visual arts galleries including The Freedom Tower at Miami Dade College and the School of Entertainment and Design Technology, in addition to the renowned 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 174,000 students, MDC is the nation’s top producer of degrees. The college’s eight campuses and outreach centers offer nearly 300 distinct degree programs including several baccalaureate degrees. It has admitted nearly 2 million students since it opened its doors in 1960. More at mdc.edu.
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