The Circuit

by Dana Ballestero

Call it the anti-Oscars.    

Hundreds of exuberant film fans, film backers and filmmakers packed into Miami's historic Gusman Center on Saturday night, whistling and cheering for the winners of the Miami International Film Festival awards. But when time came to bask in the warm embrace of the Klieg lights, there were no rambling thank-yous, no political statements. Not even a besito blown to Mom. Just the classic countenance, one by one, of the novice filmmaker: exhausted, humbled -- and relieved.

"Wow. Wow, wow," was all stunned Chilean director Rodrigo Marín could muster into the microphone as he accepted his award for the thriller "Las Niñas" ("The Girls") in the festival's Ibero-American dramatic features competition.

"We are honoring a select few films, but the truth is that every film that has been able to be completed under difficult conditions is an award unto itself," boasted Patrick de Bokay, a former film production exec and the festival's new director.

So capped the 25th anniversary of the 10-day, 150-film festival, which bowed Sunday, March 9. De Bokay and his staff are credited with augmenting Miami's indie cred on the international film festival circuit by scoring a string of big-screen gets: the US premiere of British director Michael Radford's Demi Moore and Michael Caine diamond heist caper "Flawless;" the Americas premiere of Latin music mogul Emilio Estefan's tribute to renowned Cuban artists living in exile (featuring Arturo Sandoval, Cachao and his own songstress wife, Gloria) "90 Miles The Documentary" and the worldwide premiere of Oscar-nominated actress Kate Hudson's directorial debut, the feature short "Cutlass," starring Virginia Madsen, Dakota Fanning and Kurt Russell.

The festival also boasted a record 35 big-screen debuts and sophomore efforts from international female directors, including opening night honors for Mexican director Patricia Riggen's "La Misma Luna" ("Under the Same Moon"), about the enduring bond between a mother and her nine-year-old son separated by the U.S.-Mexico border; and Oscar-winning actress Helen Hunt's directorial debut, the romantic dramedy "Then She Found Me."    

But Miami's mantle remains at its core a Latin-spiced Sundance central for emerging indie auteurs from Spain, Mexico, Brazil and across the Americas.

by Dana Ballestero
"Mutluluk" ("Bliss"), a societal portrait of modern-day Turkey and Greece by director Abdullah Oguz, garnered the Miami International Film Festival's audience award for top dramatic world feature. "La Zona" ("The Zone"), director Rodrigo Plá's thriller about a wealthy Mexico City gated community under siege, earned the audience award for best Ibero-American feature. And the audience favorite among documentaries went to "Vengo de un Avión que Cayó en las Montañas" ("Stranded: I Come from a Plane that Crashed in the Mountains"), Uruguayan director Gonzalo Arijón's account of the infamous 1973 crash that stranded a rugby team in the Andes.

For the first time, the festival teamed with the Munich, Germany-based International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI). The federation awarded the group's top film honor to the Israeli road-rage revenge drama "Tnuah Maguna" ("Foul Gesture") by director Itshak Grad. 

The Miami-based John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, the international journalism and social change think tank created by The Miami Herald's founding fathers, sponsored the $250,000 Knight Grand Jury Prizes for top dramatic world feature, best Ibero-American feature, best documentary and best short film.

"Sztuczki" ("Tricks"), Polish director Andrzej Jakimowski's coming-of-age tale, won the Knight Grand Jury Prize for best world cinema dramatic feature. Honorable mentions: "Tesko Je Biti Fin" ("It's Hard To Be Nice"), Bosnian director Srdan Vuletic's look at an unlucky Sarajevo taxi driver; and FIPRESCI favorite "Foul Gesture."

Two films shared the Knight Grand Jury Prize for best Ibero-American dramatic feature: Mexican road adventure "Cochochi" by directors Israel Cardenas and Laura Amelia Guzman and the modern-day Haiti portrait "Eat For This Is My Body" from debut director Michelange Quay. Honorable mentions: Chilean director Rodrigo Marín's heart-wrenching "Las Niñas" ("The Girls") and Mexican director Ernesto Contrera's take on romantic destiny, "Párpados Azules" ("Blue Eyelids").   

In the documentary competition, Brazilian director João Moreira Salles earned the Knight Grand Jury Prize for "Santiago," his homage to his family's long-time butler. Honorable mention winners: "Calle Santa Fé" ("Santa Fe Street"), in which Pinochet-regime protestor Carmen Castillo documents her life in exile and return to her native Chile; and, "Un Tigre de Papel" ("A Paper Tiger"), director Luis Ospina's playful portrait of legendary Colombian artist Pedro Manrique Figueroa.

In the festival's first-ever Shorts competition, Canadian director Connie Diletti's post-war drama experience "Homecoming" earned the top Knight prize. An honorable mention went to Mexican director Daniel Sánchez Arévalo for his wedding/hospital drama "Traumología" ("Traumology"). Honorable mention for best animated short went to Chris Lavis and Maciek Szcerbowski's "Madame Tutli Putli." And best first-time shorts director honors went to Taiwanese director Viv Koh's "Overnight A Rose."

All grand jury prize winners received a $25,000 cash prize from the Knight Foundation. Executives recently established a $60 million grant fund to finance independent films worldwide. For more information, go to www.knightarts.org.

Patricia Riggen's drama on illegal immigration, "Under the Same Moon," will open the Miami Film Festival, which has announced 163 films for its 25th annual event, including 10 world premieres and 46 North American premieres.

Feature films will compete for Knight grand jury prizes, which will award $25,000 cash prizes to a film in each of three categories: World Dramatic, Ibero-American Dramatic and Documentary. Films in the running include a handful of Sundance selections such as Kenneth Bi's "The Drummer," Michelange Quay's "Eat, for This Is My Body," and Ernesto Contreras' Sundance special jury prize winner "Blue Eyelids."

Full lineup here.