Rehan Ally
Online Editor
This year marks the 35th anniversary of the Miami Film Festival held by Miami Dade College. The Miami Film Festival is a widely recognized event that showcases films and honors filmmakers from all around the world.
The festival was founded by the Film Society of Miami and debuted on Feb. 3, 1984.
One of the headlining films being screened at the festival is “Tully” starring Charlize Theron and directed by Jason Reitman. Tully tells the story of a mother who has too much on her plate and is expecting a newborn.
Another headlining film was a documentary called “Saura,” directed by Félix Viscarret. The film is a tribute to Spain’s greatest living film director, Carlos Saura. Saura has also had the most films selected for the Miami Film Festival than any other filmmaker.
The General Consul of Spain in Miami, Señor Candido Creis Estrada, and his wife Carla Cavero, attended the screening and introduced Viscarret and Saura on stage to say a few words before the film.
“They say that to have a great film you need a great central character, a strong conflict, and a mystery… you’ll see that in this particular case, these three elements are concentrated behind the same person,” Viscarret said in reference to Saura’s legacy.
Viscarret expressed the gratitude and honor he felt being able to create this film about such an influential creator.
“It’s been an adventure to try to create this portrait of not only the master, the genius, the director of more than 40 films, but also the family behind him, the kids behind, and the human side of a director like Carlos Saura,” Viscarret said.
This year’s festival has also been influenced by the recent movements that have risen in Hollywood such as the “Me Too” movement and the “Time’s Up” movement.
These movements focus on women’s rights, gender equality and ending sexual assault against women.
The documentary film “RBG,” directed by Betsy West and Julie Cohen, focus on the life and career of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the second woman in history to be appointed to the Supreme Court.
Ginsburg has been admired by feminists for her work in fighting sex discrimination cases before joining the Supreme Court.
Many films entered into the festival are relevant to the current political events that have taken place.
Another film that stands out in the festival is called “Make Love Great Again,” directed by Aaron Agrasanchez. It is about an interracial couple being interrogated by two federal agents who believe the marriage to be fraudulent.
With the recent racial tension in America, this film shows the story of a problem that some interracial couples face.
The Miami Film Festival proves to be a successful event for filmmakers to be honored and have their films shared with audiences. The festival features genres and stories with powerful messages that leaves lasting impressions on viewers.
For more information on the festival and its films, visit www.2018miamifilmfestival.com