Miami International Film Festival Premiere Captures Jose Martí’s Youth
MIAMI, Feb. 23, 2011 – Following a slew of awards and critical acclaim, Marti, el ojo del canario (Martí, the Eye of the Canary) will make its East Coast premiere at the 28th Annual Miami International Film Festival (MIFF) at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Mar. 8, at the Gusman Center for the Performing Arts. Cuban director Fernando Perez is expected to attend.
Martí, the Eye of the Canary offers a look into the inner world of Cuban national hero and poet Jose Martí during his formative years. It is impressively set in Havana at the turn of the 20th Century and traces Martí’s life from age nine to 17, a period in Cuban history when he witnessed injustices perpetuated by the Spanish colonial rulers, which helped shaped his character.
Martí, the Eye of the Canary was named best Cuban film by the Cuban Association of Film Critics. It also won Colon de Plata Awards in Spain for Best Director and Best Photography, three Coral Awards and eight collateral awards at the Havana Film Festival. The film is in Spanish with English subtitles.
This is Perez’s third film showcased at the Festival – others were La vida es silbar (1998) and Suite Habana (2003).
WHAT: MIFF Presents Marti, el ojo del canario (Martí, the Eye of the Canary) WHEN: Tuesday, Mar. 8, at 7 p.m.
WHERE: Gusman Center for the Performing Arts, 174 E. Flagler St.
The 28th edition of the Miami International Film Festival runs March 4-13, 2011. Tickets for the general public go on sale Friday, Feb. 11. For tickets to Opening Night and all other Festival screenings and special events, visit www.miff2020.wpengine.com or call 305-405-MIFF (6433).
About Miami International Film Festival The Miami International Film Festival (MIFF), celebrating its 28th edition March 4-13, 2011, is the premier Ibero-American film festival in the U.S. The annual event, which is produced and presented by Miami Dade College, attracts more than 70,000 film enthusiasts and 400 filmmakers, stars and industry professionals. During the past five years, the festival has screened films from 60 countries and hosted 300 East Coast, U.S. and world premieres. Through Encuentros, the festival’s mentorship and film development program for filmmakers and projects from Spain, Portugal and Latin America, MIFF has become a primary gateway for the discovery of Ibero-American talent in the entertainment world. In addition, the festival’s REEL Education Seminar Series consistently attracts top executives from Warner Bros., Sony Pictures Classics, IFC Films, Fox Searchlight, DreamWorks Animation, HBO Films/HBO
Latino and William Morris Endeavor, among many others. For more information, visit www.miff2020.wpengine.com or call 305-237-MIFF (3456).
About Miami Dade College
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, nine visual arts galleries including The Freedom Tower at Miami Dade College 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 170,000 students, MDC is the nation’s top producer of associate in arts and associate in science degrees. The college’s eight campuses and outreach centers offer more than 300 distinct degree programs, including baccalaureate degrees in education, nursing, public safety management and other in-demand fields.
Additional MDC Media Contacts: Tere Estorino, director of media relations, 305-237-3949, testorin@mdc.edu; Sue Arrowsmith, 305-237-3710, sue.arrowsmith@mdc.edu;Tarnell Carroll, 305-237- 3359, tarnell.carroll@mdc.edu; or Alejandro Rios, 305-237-7482, arios1@mdc.edu.
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