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Miami Film Festival Kicks-Off March 6
Sweet Micky For President Wins 2 Top Awards (audience and jury) at the 21st Annual Slamdance Film Festival will have its Florida premiere at O Cinema Miami Beach, Friday, March 13, 2015 @ 9:30 pm. Directed by Ben Patterson
The Miami International Film Festival announced its line up for its 32nd edition, which will run March 6–15 featuring 125 films from 40 countries, including 14 world premieres.
The festival will take place at its traditional venue, the historic Olympia Theater at the Gusman Center, plus six additional cinemas scattered across Miami.
“Today’s film festival experience has become a major platform for thought-provoking subjects and has truly transcended into a powerful educational vehicle,” said María Muñoz-Blanco, Miami Dade College’s MD Culture executive director.
Curated by executive director Jaie Laplante and a team formed by Thom Powers, Andres Castillo, Orlando Rojas, Carol Coombes and culinary cinema specialist Lee Brian Schrager, the festival will open on the March 6 with a gala screening of Damian Szifron’s Oscar nominated comedy Wild Tales, while Álvaro Fernández Armero’s Sidetracked, starring Inma Cuesta and Raúl Arévalo will close the festival on the March 14.
This year’s recipient of the Festival’s Artist Tribute Award was presented as The Independent Cuban Filmmaker, which translates into a collective homage to independent cinema in Cuba. The section comes right after the US announced the reopening of diplomatic relations and trade between the country and the USA after 53 years –a challenge for the isolated Cuban filmmaking scene.
The tribute program will include the North American premiere of The Project of the Century, presented by Cuban filmmaker Carlos Machado Quintela, and the Emerging Cuban Independent Film & Video Artists Program, presented by The Related Group. The film professionals selected by the program are Machado Quintela, producer Claudia Calviño (Juan of the Dead) and directors Jessica Rodriguez (Dark Glasses) and Marcel Beltrán. The four latter will have retrospective screenings of their earlier works in the week preceding the Festival.
The full line-up of Miami fest’s Knight Competition, which grants a $40,000 cash prize, is:
– Aurora (Chile – Rodrigo Sepúlveda)
– Blue Blood (Brazil – Lírio Ferreira)
– Butterfly (Argentina – Marco Berger)
– Invasion (Panama – Abner Benahim)
– Life is Sacred (Denmark / Ireland / Norway / Colombia – Andreas Dalsgaard, Viviana Gómez, and Nicolás Servide)
– Los Hongos (Colombia / France – Oscar Ruiz Navia)
– The Obscure Spring (Mexico – Ernesto Contreras)
– The Project of the Century (Cuba / Argentina / Germany – Carlos Machado Quintela)
– The Strongest Man (USA – Kenny Riches)
– Sunstrokes (Argentina – Gustavo Taretto)
– Voice Over (Chile – Cristián Jiménez)
The documentary competition, presented by The James L. & John S. Knight Foundation, will give a $10,000 cash award to one of the following nominees:
– 13 Million Voices (USA, directed by Janelle Gueits)
– Being Evel (USA, directed by Daniel Junge)
– Before We are Forgotten (Mexico, directed by Matías Gueilburt)
– Best of Enemies (USA, directed by Robert Gordon & Morgan Neville)
– City of Gold (USA, directed by Laura Gabbert)
– Dawg Fight (USA, directed by Billy Corben)
– Finding Gastón (Peru, directed by Patricia Perez)
– The Holders (USA, directed by Carla Forte)
– Hot Girls Wanted (USA, directed by Jill Bauer, Ronna Gradus)
– Invasion (Panama, Argentina, directed by Abner Benahim)
– Iris (USA, directed by Albert Maysles)
– Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck (USA, directed by Brett Morgan)
– The Land of Many Palaces (China, UK, directed by Ting Song, Adam James Smith)
– Life is Sacred (Denmark, Ireland, Norway, Colombia, directed by Andreas Dalsgaard, Viviana Gomez, Nicolas Servide)
– The Lost Aviator (Australia, directed by Andrew Lancaster)
– The Muses of Bashevis Singer (Israel, directed by Shaul Betser, Asaf Galay)
– Paco de Lucía: A Journey (Spain, directed by Curro Sánchez Varela)
– Playing Lecuona (Spain, Colombia, directed by Pavel Giroud, Juan Manuel Villar)
– The Record Man (USA, directed by Mark Moorman)
– The Salt of the Earth (Brazil / Italy / France, directed by Juliano Ribeiro Salgado & Wim Wenders)
– Sweet Micky for President (USA, Haiti, Canada, directed by Ben Patterson)
– Tea Time (Chile, USA, directed by Maite Alberdi)
– This Is My Land (France, Israel, Palestine, Poland, directed by Tamara Erde)
– This Is What It Is (France, directed by Léa Rinaldi)
The Lexus Ibero-American Opera Prima Competition will give a $10,000 cash award presented to one of the following directorial debuts:
– 3 Beauties (Venezuela, directed by Carlos Caridad Montero)
– Easy Sex, Sad Movies (Argentina / Spain, directed by Alejo Flah)
– In the Grayscale (Chile, directed by Claudio Marcone)
– On the Road, Somewhere (Dominican Republic, directed by Guillermo Zouain)
– They are All Dead (Spain, Germany, Mexico, directed by Beatriz Sanchís)
KISSIMMEE, Fla. — U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds continued his campaign for governor by engaging Latino voters during a stop on his “Defending the Florida Dream” tour in Kissimmee, where he shared his vision for Florida’s future and discussed key issues impacting Hispanic communities.
Nación De Fe, Kissimmee, Florida. Photo by Hidekel Griffin / Florida National News
Florida National News was on hand to capture the event as Donalds met with supporters and community leaders while emphasizing economic opportunity, education, public safety, and preserving what he described as the “Florida Dream.”
Nación De Fe, Kissimmee, Florida. Photo by Hidekel Griffin / Florida National News
Latinos for Byron Coalition Launch
The Kissimmee event follows Donalds’ May 2026 launch of the Latinos for Byron Coalition, a statewide effort designed to strengthen support among Hispanic voters ahead of Florida’s Republican gubernatorial primary.
The Trump-endorsed congressman announced the coalition during a rally at Hialeah Park in Miami-Dade County, drawing approximately 300 supporters. Many attendees waved American and Cuban flags as Donalds outlined his vision for Florida and highlighted the growing influence of Latino voters in state politics.
Nación De Fe, Kissimmee, Florida. Photo by Hidekel Griffin / Florida National News
Republican Leaders Show Support
Joining Donalds at the Hialeah event were several Republican elected officials, including Hialeah Mayor Bryan Calvo, the city’s youngest mayor and a lifelong resident. State leaders in attendance included Sen. Bryan Avila and Reps. Juan Porras, David Borrero, and Alex Rizo.
Donalds said Hispanic communities play a vital role in Florida’s economy, culture, and future, and he pledged to continue policies focused on economic growth, educational excellence, and public safety.
Building a Statewide Coalition
The Defending the Florida Dream tour is expected to continue across Florida as Donalds works to build a broad coalition of supporters ahead of the 2026 election cycle. His campaign has placed a particular emphasis on engaging Hispanic voters, who represent one of the fastest-growing and most influential voting blocs in the state.
As the gubernatorial race develops, Latino outreach efforts are expected to play a significant role in shaping the Republican primary and the general election.
Florida National News will continue to follow the Defending the Florida Dream tour and provide updates from campaign stops across the state.
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