Film Gems in Miami

The Miami International Film Festival is known for introducing new talent and exposing the gems of the film industry. Next year’s festival introduces “Film Gems,” a private screening of one of the movies being featured at the festival with a meet and greet party afterwards. The event is slated to occur the day before the festival opens, with the festival running March 4-13, 2016. This event will be marketed to the heads of production companies, media, film makers and VIPs as a pre-film festival event. Special invites will be sent out a month in advance shaped like a film reel highlighting all the films being shown, as well as who will make special appearances at this event. Marketed as the premier event to attend prior to the festival, this event is a hot ticket item, consistently growing in demand each year, and slated as a black-tie affair.

The venue will be set up like a mini-festival, which will have different sections highlighting all the genres of films being shown. International and national artists, filmmakers and celebrities will make appearances, as well as musical talent to create a party atmosphere full of fun. Vendors will also be on hand to sell items relative to the films being presented through the production companies.

Special food vendors and trucks will be on hand to introduce different cuisine and delights to all the attendees. The food trucks will be set up in a special pavilion right outside to create a food court that will include seating and music.

This venue will introduce the nominees for the CinemaSlam, Knight Competition, Knight Documentary Achievement Award, Lexus Ibeo-American Feature Film Competition, Shorts Competition, Lexus Audience Awards, and the Jordan Alexander Ressler Charitable Fund Award. All nominees will have an opportunity to be photographed and interviewed after the presentation.

The Festival has hosted and introduced a diverse group of filmmakers including renowned filmmakers Pedro Almodóvar, Andrea Arnold, Hector Babenco, Luc Besson, Susanne Bier, Bertrand Blier, Juan Carlos Campanella, Joel & Ethan Coen, and Alfonso Cuarón. Stars that have attended include Candice Bergen, Helen Hunt, Kate Hudson, Anne Hathaway, Lori Singer, Aston Kutcher and Gregory Peck.

Tickets for this event will go on sale February 1. Tickets for the Film Society Members and Sponsors will go on sale Friday, February 5, and General Public tickets will go on sale Friday, February 12.

Past sponsors include the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, Lexus, Miami-Dade County Cultural Affairs, Comcast Communications, American Airlines, Telemundo 51, HBO, HBO Latin America, Miami Downtown Development Authority, 107.5, South Florida 6, and many others.

Miami Dade College’s Miami International Film Festival is a charity that connects audiences, and fosters a value for cinema or future generations. The mission is to bridge cultural understanding and encourage artistic development by provoking thought through film. By bringing the best of world cinema to Miami, the Festival presents the city and the film industry with a singular platform that fosters creative and technical talent.

Reel It IN!

What better way to kick off the Miami International Film Festival than with an event designed to add fun and intrigue to the venue before it even begins? Miami Dade College presents Reel It IN! - the kickoff party hosted on March 3, 2016 for those who want to party with a head-up on what the festival has to offer. The festival runs from March 3-14, 2016 and is sure to add a few surprises. Designed like a movie studio, the festival will have hosts and hostesses dressed like individuals from different movies as attendees go through each “scene” designed by sponsors and other vendors. Free acting classes, a forum, and clips from movies will be shown on the big screen. There will be a meet and greet session for celebrities and filmmakers, and a 2 minute pitching contest for those who think they can conjure up the thoughts for a movie in a quick instant.

A food station filled with foods from all over the world will be set up in the food court, with selections named after famous movies. Local performers will get the party started with a rendition of Dance Fever that will get the audience involved.

Designed to be a venue for the film industry and individuals who are interested in becoming a part of this world, there will be an entire section devoted to introducing workshops and events of interest to this crowd to assist in putting those important elements on their schedule for the week. This event draws hundreds of people every year with major celebrities. A VIP area will be available for those actors and actresses who will be making an appearance throughout the duration of the festival.

In the center of the room will be a life-sized version of the GEMS award, which is the mid-season festival. Designed to remind the crowd of the additional festival later in the year, applications for GEMS will be available at this event.

Tickets for this even go on sale in January, 2016 through Miami Dade College and Ticketmaster.

Previous sponsors for this event include the John S. & James L. Knight Foundation; Lexus; Miami-Dade County; Comcast, American Airlines; Telemundo 51; Miami Beach Visitor and Convention Authority; Miami DDA; HBO and HBO Latin America, and a host of other sponsors. Sponsorship opportunities for 2016 are still available.

The Miami International Film Festival was designed to bridge cultural understanding and encourage artistic development and excellence by provoking thought through film. By bringing the best of world cinema to Miami, the Festival presents the city and the film industry with a singular platform that fosters creative and technical talent.

Miami Book Soiree

The Miami Book Fair is one of the largest and most popular in the world, drawing thousands of spectators, celebrities, book enthusiasts and entertainers. This venue presents Book Soiree, a multi-day premiere event showcasing the authors, panelists and industry representatives in a laid-back environment to complement the Miami Book Fair November 15-22, 2015. Designed like the street fair which has six sections, this venue will simulate an author’s panel in the middle of the space, with a backdrop of previous book fair highlights. True to the name “fair,” there will be a “Kids Row” complete with face painting, cotton candy and popcorn, and children’s authors on hand to autograph books and take pictures.

There will be a few national celebrities and authors on hand to perform, read from their bestselling books, and offer workshops and classes on the art of writing and how to break into the industry. Major publishers and book editors will have their own booths throughout the space to speak with parties interested in becoming authors or seeking information on the industry and how it works.

An entire section will be devoted to food and other goodies, with chefs on-site to demonstrate how to cook different selections and showcase recipes from their books. Center stage will have performers from all over the world, creating a party atmosphere while immersing the venue into the world of literary wonder.

Past highlights of the Miami Book Fair include Meet-the-Author events, dancers and face painting in Kids Alley, and cooking demonstrations in the areas highlighting all participating chefs who have books.

Authors slated to appear this year include Elizabeth Alexander, Michael Barnett, Michael Buckley, Luther Campbell, Sandra Cisneros, and Pablo de Santis. Programs include Panels and Themed Discussions, The Swamp, Children’s Alley, Reading Queer, The Kitchen and Destination Comics.

Sponsors for the event this year include the Knight Foundation, OHL Arellano, The Batchelor Foundation, South Motors, The de Groot Foundation and the Green Family Foundation.

Tickets for this event are already on sale and can be acquired online.

The first Miami Book Fair International, founded by Miami Dade College and community partners, took place in 1984. Since then, it has been recognized as the nation’s finest literary festival. In 2001, the Fair became part of The Center for Writing and Literature @ Miami Dade College, a cultural and academic initiative that promotes the advancement and appreciation of literature throughout the year.