IndependentFilm.com

NEW YORK – The Miami International Film Festival, presented by Miami Dade College, will proudly showcase 33 films (25 features, 8 shorts) directed by women during its recently announced program for 2006. Among the 33 films, Nicole Holofcener’s “Friends with Money,” starring Jennifer Aniston and Frances McDormand, will serve as the Closing Night film. “Film, as a medium, has always been on the forefront of expanding boundaries. The amount of women directors at our festival this year is a testament to the fact that when you cross boundaries, you help erase them. So, as filmmakers, these women truly are first in line,” says Festival Director Nicole Guillemet.

In an industry where women have represented as little as 5% of working directors, the 2006 Miami International Film Festival boasts a program of 28%. As March is also Women’s History Month, the Miami International Film Festival takes extra pride in being able to celebrate these women of extraordinary talent.

Exemplifying the cultural exchange of the Miami International Film Festival, the women directors at this year’s festival come from over 12 different countries around the world, including Argentina, Iran, Canada, Israel, and Chile.

Coming from Chile, “Paréntesis,” directed by Francisca Schweitzer, will have the added honor of being included in the Miami International Film Festival’s newly launched program “MIFF Abroad.” Focusing on the filmmaking of one Latin American country each year, “MIFF Abroad” establishes a genuine cultural exchange. Given its tremendous resurgence of filmmaking, this year will focus on the beautiful output of Chilean cinema. Francisca Schweitzer’s “Paréntesis” is one of five films that will participate in “MIFF Abroad.”

The Closing Night film will be the East Coast Premiere of “Friends With Money.” With a fine ensemble cast of Jennifer Aniston, Frances McDormand, Catherine Keener, and Joan Cusack, “Friends With Money” centers on a group of people on the brink of middle-age who only pretend to have it all together.

The 25 features films directed by women at this year’s Miami International Film Festival include:

"After Innocence" (Regional Premiere)
Imagine serving prison time for someone else’s crime. Now imagine getting a second chance at freedom and facing a judicial system that resents being challenged. After Innocence takes a closer look at the legal revolution of DNA testing and its effect on inmates, who are suddenly proven not guilty. Discussion to follow film. (USA)
Director: Jessica Sanders
Executive Producers: Jessica Sanders
Producer: Marc Simon
Writers: Jessica Sanders, Marc Simon
With: Herman Atkins, Wilton Dedge, Scott Hornoff, Dennis Maher, Vincent Moto, Calvin Willis, Nick Yarris, Ronald Cotton, Governor George Ryan, Barry Scheck, Peter Neufeld, Dr. Lola Vollen, Phil Donahue, Jennifer Thompson, Nina Morrison, Eddie Joe Lloyd

"Alimentation Générale" (North American Premiere)
Ali's grocery store is the only shop of the decayed shopping center still in business. It's also the only place left for the forsaken inhabitants of the surrounding tower blocks, where they can get together. By filming time going by, this chronicle shows the importance of such a place where, in spite of difficulties and poverty, people still share friendliness, laughter and human warmth. (France)
Director: Chantal Briet
Producer: Ludovic Arnal
Writer: Chantal Briet

"Burnt Out" ("Sauf le Respect que Je Vous Dois") (North American Premiere)
In France, a white-collar worker (Olivier Gourmet) has a great job, a wonderful wife and a loving son. When a fellow co-worker gets fired, he leaves town at the same time that company employees have been murdered. A woman befriends him, not knowing if he may be a killer. A fine-tuned psychological thriller.
(France)
Director: Fabienne Godet
Producer: Bertrand Faivre
Writers: Fabienne Godet, Franck Vassal
Cast: Olivier Gourmet, Dominique Blanc, Julie Depardieu, Marion Cotillard

"Class Act" (World Premiere)
The failing state of American arts education is exposed in this lively profile of famed Miami teacher Jay W. Jensen. Created by the team behind Super-Size Me, Class Act gathers an impressive list of Miamians- Andy Garcia, Brett Ratner and many more- to attest what education and inspiration can do for students, society and this country. (USA)
Director: Sara Sackner
Executive Producers: Joe Morley, Morgan Spurlock
Producers: Heather Winters, Sara Sackner, associate producer: Jason Colón
Writers: Sara Sackner, Heather Winters, Joe Morley
With: Jay W. Jensen, Andy Garcia, Mitchell Kaplan, Brett Ratner, Roy Firestone, Adam Epstein, Annabelle Gurwitch, José Behar, Desmond Child, Anthony M. Davis, Debra Zane, Romero Britto, Paul Cothran, Donna Shalala,

"Close to Home" ("Karov La Bayit") (North American Premiere)
Two young, diametrically opposed female soldiers patrol the anxious streets of Jerusalem, questioning Palestinians and looking for suicide bombers. The rebellious one finds the army demeaning; the controlled one is obedient. Under intense pressure, against a backdrop of any-minute-now terrorist attacks, a friendship takes hold and roles reverse. A touching, observant Middle-East allegory. (Israel)
Directors: Dalia Hager, Vidi Bilu
Producers: Marek Rozenbaum, Itai Tamir
Writers: Dalia Hager, Vidi Bilu
Cast: Smadar Sayar, Naama Schendar, Irit Suki, Katia Zimbris, Danny Geva, Anna Stephan

"Como Pasan Las Horas" (U.S. Premiere)
A father takes his son to the beach. His wife spends the afternoon with her ailing mother. They do simple family things as if their world could never stop turning. But does anyone's heaven last forever? Like an unfinished poem searching for an ending, this artful film takes you places you wouldn't expect. It's magical. (Argentina)
Director: Inés de Oliveira César
Executive Producer: Noemi Fuhrer
Producer: Alejandro Israel
Writers: Inés de Oliveira Cézar, Daniel Veronese
Cast: Roxana Berco, Agustín Alcoba

"El Calentito" (Regional Premiere)
The virginal Sara (Verónica Sánchez) joins an all-woman punk band, but her debut happens to fall amid the chaos of a failed military coup. Set in a bar in Madrid, this exuberant comedy re-creates the atmosphere of Spain’s movido liberation movement, when the sexual, the musical, the familial and the political all converged to burst out of Franco’s fascism. (Spain)
Director: Chus Gutiérrez
Executive Producers: Tomás Cimadevilla, José Herrero de Egaña
Producer: Álvaro Agustín
Writers: Chus Gutiérrez, Juan Carlos Rubio
Cast: Verónica Sánchez, Macarena Gómez, Juan Sanz, Ruth Díaz, Nuria González, Jordi Vilches, Lluvia Rojo, Nilo Mur, Estíbaliz Gabilondo, Antonio Dechent, Isabel Ordaz, Mariano Peña

"Familia" (East Coast Premiere)
A reckless woman with a gambling addiction infringes on her happily married best friend. She and her daughter move into the friend's home and create problems as the friend discovers her marriage may not be so stable! Dysfunctional families collide in this very observant and humorous family debacle. (Canada)
Director: Louise Archambault
Producers: Luc Déry, Kim McCraw
Writer: Louise Archambault
Cast: Sylvie Moreau, Mylène St-Sauveur, Macha Grenon, Juliette Gosselin, Vincent Graton, Micheline Lanctot

"For The Love Of Dolly" (World Premiere)
Tai Uhlmann’s documentary vividly illuminates the Dolly Parton fan phenomenon by focusing on the human stories of five of the entertainer’s most devoted followers. Interviews mixed with scenes from everyday life show how Dolly’s simple message of self-acceptance transforms their lives and inspires them to quasi-religious acts of devotion. (USA)
Director: Tai Uhlmann
Executive Producer: Valerie Stadler
Co-Producers: Lori E. Seid, Steak House
With: David Schmidli, Jeanette Williams, Melisa Rastellini, Harrell Gabehart, Patric Parkey

"Friends With Money" (East Coast Premiere)
What do the haves and have-nots have in common? They never have enough money! A fine ensemble cast of today’s top actors portray people on the brink of middle age, who only pretend to have it all together. Jennifer Aniston, Frances McDormand, Catherine Keener and Joan Cusack chase the almighty dollar, while we laugh and pretend we don’t love money, designer clothes and bling-bling as much as they do. (USA)
Director: Nicole Holofcener
Executive Producers: Ray Angelic, Anne Carey, Ted Hope
Producer: Anthony Bregman
Writer: Nicole Holofcener
Cast: Jennifer Aniston, Cass Asher, Reggie Austin, Ty Burrell, Scott Caan, Joan Cusack, Greg Germann, Catherine Keener, Frances McDormand

"In His Hands" ("Entre Ses Mains") (East Coast Premiere)
A successful, young married woman is attracted to a charming, naïve veterinarian while a mass murderer is on the loose. Anne Fontaine’s psychological thriller is a French feminist answer to the male-oriented fantasies of DePalma, Verhoeven and Hitchcock. More than a mere urban horror story, In His Hands clinically dissects the logic and illogic behind attraction, satisfaction and love. (France)
Director: Anne Fontaine
Producers: Bruno Pesery, Phillippe Carcassonne
Writers: Anne Fontaine, Julien Boivent -- based on novel "Les Kangourous" by Dominique Barbéris
Cast: Benoît Poelvoorde, Isabelle Carré, Jonathan Zaccaï, Valérie Donzell, Agathe Louvieaux

"Lover Other" (North American Premiere)
On the Jersey Isle during World War II, surrealist artists, lovers, and half-sisters Claude Cahun and Marcel Moore make art, love each other and commit imaginative acts of resistance against the Nazi occupation. Barbara Hammer’s daring documentary replicates the aesthetic and memorializes the heroism of these uncompromising, avant-garde pioneers. (USA)
Director: Barbara Hammer
Executive Producer: Barbara Hammer
With: Kathleen Chalfant, Marty Pottenger, Alana Chazan, Yves Musard

"Madeinusa" (East Coast Premiere)
High in the Cordillera Blanca mountains of Peru, a sweet-faced 14-year-old indigenous girl named Madeinusa is the victim of abuse that escalates every Good-Friday-to-Easter-Sunday, when sin is in and morals take an official holiday. One day, a young geologist comes to town. Can he save her? Can he break a cycle of cruel exploitation? (Peru/Spain)
Director: Claudia Llosa
Executive Producer: Claudia Llosa
Producers: José María Morales, Antonio Chavarrías
Writer: Claudia Llosa
Cast: Magaly Solier, Carlos de la Torre, Yiliana Chong, Ubaldo Huaman

"Memory Train" ("El Tren de la Memoria") (Regional Premiere)
This sensitive and thought-provoking documentary artfully weaves interviews and wonderful historical footage to tell the story of a hidden part of European history: the officially sanctioned mass exodus of two million Spaniards to work in European factories in the 1960s, when Germany and other countries were experiencing a boom, while in Franco’s Spain, families went hungry. (Spain)
Directors: Martas Arribas, Ana Pérez
Executive Producer: Santiago García de Leániz
Writers: Marta Arribas, Ana Pérez
With: Josefina Cembrero, Leonor Mediavilla, Victoria Toro, Heinz Seidel, Josefa Pérez, Hans Peter Steber, Hedi Stoinski, Pedro Serrano, Virginia Sánchez, José Luis Leal, Juan Chacón, Álvaro Rengifo, Victor Gano, Fernando Reinlein

"Muxes: Authentic, Intrepid Seekers of Danger " ("Muxes: auténticas, intrépidas buscadoras del peligro") (North American Premiere)
A lively and surprising portrait of a group of homosexuals, who defend their sexual diversity while preserving their identity as Zapotec Indians in the “queer paradise” of Juchitán, Mexico. Winner of the Audience Award at the Morelia International Film Festival, Muxes examines transgressive boundary-pushing within an indigenous culture that has historically embraced this “third gender.” (Mexico)
Director: Alejandra Islas
Executive Producer: Alejandra Islas
Writer: Alejandra Islas
With: Eli Bartolo, Kika, Chente "La Irma", Mística, Felina, Angel, Armando López, Pitufina, La Jarocha, Henoc López, Gema, Clara Chagoya

"The Notorious Bettie Page" (Regional Premiere)
Model extraordinaire Bettie Page pioneered the sexy, kinky nude pin-up pose way back in the ‘50s. Director Mary Harron (American Psycho) films her racy life story. A very svelte Gretchen Mol gives an amazing performance as Paige, the lady in leather who drove men wild. Partly shot in Florida, it perfectly re-creates a time gone by. (USA)
Director: Mary Harron
Executive Producers: John Wells, Mary Harron, Guinevere Turner
Producers: Pamela Koffler, Katie Roumel, Christine Vachon
Writers: Mary Harron, Guinevere Turner
Cast: Gretchen Mol, Chris Bauer, Jared Harris, Sarah Paulson, Cara Seymour, David Strathairn, Lili Taylor

"Nuestra Familia, Our Family" (East Coast Premiere)
A rare look inside the secret world of the NF, or Norteños, one of America’s most violent Latino street gangs, in Salinas, California. Exclusive interviews with gang members and never-before-seen FBI surveillance footage document the deadly toll waged by gang violence and the efforts being made to reveal their devastating effect on families, as well as the controversial war to stop their spread. (USA)
Director: Oriana Zill de Granados
Executive Producer for LPB: Luca Bentivoglio
Executive Producer for CIR: Burt Glass
Producers: Oriana Zill de Granados
Co-producer/reporter: Julia Reynolds
Writers: Julia Reynolds, David Ritsher, Oriana Zill de Granados
With: Narration: Pepe Urquijo, Armando R. Frias, Kristen Thoeni, Deborah Aguilar, Mark Lazzarini, Norteno Gang Member (Unnamed) Armando "Lil' Mando" Frias, Epi Cortina, George Collord, Former Santa Rosa Police Officer Willie Stokes-Ramirez, Fidel De La Riva, Devan Hawkes, CDC Gang Specialist, Elsa Sandoval, Nancy Novoa, Daniel Ortega, Julian Soto, Jose Castaneda, Antonio Avalos

"Offside" ("Eine Andere Liga") (North American Premiere)
A young football/soccer player is stricken with cancer. Her widowed father wants her to stop playing, bad health threatens her career, and a deep depression shrouds her. With the help of her friends and a new lover, can she persevere? Can she gain her life back? A rousing, romantic sports movie. (Germany)
Director: Buket Alakus
Producers: Ralph Schwingel, Stefan Schubert
Writers: Buket Alakus, Jan Berger
Cast: Karoline Herfurth, Ken Duken, Thierry van Werveke

"One Night" ("Yek Shab ") (Regional Premiere)
After an argument with her mother, a twenty-something fearless woman in conservative Iran goes out on the town, hitching rides from strange men. She becomes a sounding board for male angst in a film that thoughtfully, subtly reveals the sexual politics of the modern Islamic world, and a society on the brink of change. (Iran)
Director: Niki Karimi
Writer: Niki Karimi
Cast: Hanieh Tavassoli, Saeed Ebrahimifar, Nader Torkaman, Abdolreza Fakhar

"Play" (Regional Premiere)
A lonely man and a lonely woman almost cross paths as they search for love in a hostile city. Cristina takes care of an old man in what she sees as a modest city; Tristan wanders, heartbroken, in what he sees as a very modern city. Both are involved in loveless relationships. Chile's Oscar entry for Best Foreign Language Film, Play examines small things and looks for clues about what makes us breathe, in a city that denies itself. (Chile/Argentina/France)
Director: Alicia Scherson
Executive Producers: Macarena López, Sergio Gándara
Producer: Nathalie Trafford
Writer: Alicia Scherson
Cast: Viviana Herrera, Andrés Ulloa, Aline Kuppenhein, Coca Guazzini, Jorge Alis, Francisco Copello, J. Pablo Qyezada, Andrei Slobodianik, María José San Martín

"Si Sos Brujo, A Tango Story" ("Si Sos Brujo, Una Historia de Tango") (East Coast Premiere)
With the old maestros of the tango on the verge of dying off, a young musician, Ignacio Varchausky, forms the Tango School Orchestra to ensure that the true spirit of the music is passed on to the next generation. Caroline Neal’s engaging film documents the effort of Ignacio and Emilio Balcarce, a retired legendary violinist, bandoneonista and composer, and the music that ensued. Emilio collaborates with notable figures such as Pepe Libertella, Raúl Garello, Néstor Marconi and Ernesto Franco (Argentina).
Director: Caroline Neal
Executive Producers: Vanessa Ragone, Caroline Neal
Producers: TangoVia Buenos Aires, The Hawthorme Drivers
Writers: Alberto Muñoz, Caroline Neal
With: Ignacio Varchausky, Emilio Balcarce

"Sisters" ("Hermanas") (East Coast Premiere)
The last time these two Argentinean sisters had seen each other was in Buenos Aires in 1975, during the brutal military coup. Secrets from those turbulent days threaten to fracture the family again, when the sisters are re-united ten years later. This first feature from Julia Solomonoff is a tense drama of guilt and redemption. (Spain/Argentina/Brazil)
Director: Julia Solomonoff
Executive Producers: Mariela Besuievski, Pablo Bossi, Florencia Enghel, Sarah Green
Producers: Herardo Gerrero, Vanessa Ragone, Walter Salles, Ariel Saúl
Writer: Julia Solomonoff
Cast: Ingrid Rubio, Valeria Bertuccelli, Adrián Navarro, Nicolás Pauls, Eusebio Poncela

"Teen Mothers" ("As Meninas") (North American Premiere)
A stark and honest look at the explosion of teen pregnancy in Brazil, portrayed through the lives of four teenage girls—each from a different region and social stratum. By following them through the course of their pregnancies, this documentary puts a human face on what had been an impersonal statistic. (Brazil)
Directors: Sandra Werneck, Additional Director: Gisela Camara
Executive Producer: Luis Antonio Silveira
Producer: Sandra Werneck
Writer: Bebeto Abrantes
With: Edilene Ferreira da Silva, Evelin Rodrigues dos Santos, Luana Ferreira dos Santos Amaral, Joice Delfino Rosa

"Time Off" ("Paréntesis") (East Coast Premiere)
An aimless twenty-something man who works in a video store meanders through life. His lackadaisical attitude alienates his girlfriend, who calls for a week-long trial separation, a “paréntesis". While the cat’s away, the mouse starts to play — with a rebellious 16-year-old girl. He’s smitten. He’s happy. So why does she disappear? Que pasa? (Chile)
Directors: Francisca Schweitzer, Pablo Solís
Executive Producers: Ricardo Saieh, Pablo Solís
Producer: Francisca Schweitzer
Writers: Francisca Schweitzer, Pablo Solís
Cast: Sigrid Alegría, Francisco Pérez-Bannen, Carolina Castro, Luis Gnecco

"Yo Soy Boricua, pa'que tu lo sepas!" ("I'm Boricua, just so you know!") (World Premiere)
In her directorial debut, Rosie Perez pays tribute to Puerto Rican pride and surveys the complex, controversial history of Puerto Rican/U.S. relations. Alternately shocking and celebratory, this perceptive documentary examines the overarching themes of the Puerto Rican experience including family, language, and racism in a broad historical perspective. (USA)
Directors: Rosie Perez, Co-Directed by Liz Garbus
Executive Producers: Alison Palmer Bourke, Evan Shapiro, Rosie Perez
Producers: Liz Garbus, Rory Kennedy
Writer: Roger Sherman
Narrated by: Jimmy Smits

The 8 short films directed by women at this year’s Miami International Film Festival include:

May God Keep You
(Dios Te Salve)
Director: Cecilia Martínez
Mexico/US, 10 min., 35mm, Color, 2005
Spanish with English subtitles
Sister Mary's world is deeply moved when the Zapatista Delegation spends the night in the convent.

Phone Booth On Main Street
Director: Priscilla Cordoba
USA, 1 min., Beta SP, Color, 2004
A girl runs for her life into a phone booth to dial 911. The "1" has malfunctioned. Will the call go through in time before the perpetrator finds her?

Taina-Kan The Big Star
(TAINÁ-KAN, A GRANDE ESTRELA)
Director: Adriana Figueirdo
Brazil, 15 min., Digibeta, Color, 2005
Portugese with English subtitles
Brazilian Indian legend: the big star comes down to earth. Two sisters. Two kinds of love.

Mama Said
Director: Yasmina Cadiz
USA, 8 min., Digibeta, Color, 2004
Mama Said is a moving portrait of an abandoned young girl with a remarkable will to survive.

Missing
Director: Kit Hui
USA, 14 min., Digibeta, Color, 2005
Chinese Cantonese with English subtitles
Samuel catches a haunting glimpse of New York City as he follows a mysterious trail of words while searching for his missing girlfriend.

The Moor
Director: Caerthan M. Banks
USA, 19 min., Digibeta, Color, 2005
A middle-aged man and an 80-year-old woman revisit unspoken secrets and lies from their past on a bittersweet journey through time, place and memory.

She Sank on Shallow Bank
Directors: Nikki Rollason, Clifton Childree
USA, 12 min., BetaSP, Black & White, 2005
She Sank On Shallow Bank is a disjointed narrative about a washed up girl and her magical postmortem adventures.

Queen of Brazil petit
(Rainhas)
Directors: Fernanda Tornaghi, Ricardo Bruno
Brazil, 15 min., Digibeta, Color, 2006
Portugese with English subtitles
"Queen of Brazil petit" is a short version of a feature length documentary about a young man whose dream is to become the next Miss Brazil.

Screenings will take place at six venues throughout the city: The Gusman Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Miami, Regal South Beach Cinema in South Beach, Tower Theater in Little Havana, Sunrise Intracoastal Cinema in North Miami Beach, The Bill Cosford Cinema at the University of Miami in Coral Gables, and The Colony in Miami Beach.

Guests who have recently attended the Miami International Film Festival have included Andy Garcia, Jonathan Demme, Woody Harrelson, Geraldine Chaplin, Carlos Saura, Virginie Ledoyen, Zana Briski, HBO, Fox Searchlight, Liv Ullmann, Alexia de la Iglesia, Chris Terrio, Luis Mandoki, Stanley Nelson, Bob Rafelson, Sara Driver, Ted Hope, Sony Pictures Classics, Camilla Belle, Miramax, Baltasar Kormakur, Tony Safford, Rory Kennedy, Daniel Bruhl, Luis Tosar, Stephen Frears, Gaspar Noe, Fred Wiseman, Fernando Leon de Aranoa, Jesse Bradford, Daniele Thompson, Mikael Hafstrom, LisaGay Hamilton, Khyentse Norbu, Eve Ensler, Focus Features, ThinkFilm, Venevision, Maverick, Plural, PBS, Wellspring, Global Film Initiative, Emerging Pictures, Paradigm Consulting, Bristol Media, William Morris Agency, Ibermedia, Traction Media, Comerica Bank, amongst others.

The Miami International Film Festival brings the best of world cinema to South Florida and plays a leading role in maintaining and further enriching its film culture. MIFF uses the unique geographical and cultural position of Miami to be a premiere venue for the exhibition of international and US films, with a special focus on Ibero-American cinema.

More than 60,000 people attended the Festival in 2005, a 275% increase since 2002. In addition, more than 220 filmmakers, producers, talent, and industry representatives from around the world attended the 2005 Festival to introduce their work to Miami audiences and industry professionals. During the last three years, under the direction of Nicole Guillemet, the Festival has presented films from more than 50 countries, including 125 East Coast, US, and world premieres, scores of Oscar winners and nominees, and many international prizewinners.

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, 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 163,000 students, MDC is the nation’s top producer of associate of arts and associate of science degrees. The college’s eight campuses and outreach centers offer more than 200 distinct degree programs including baccalaureate degrees in education.

For more information contact the Miami International Film Festival at (305) 237-3456 or visit www.miamifilmfestival.com. For more information on Miami Dade College, please visit www.mdc.edu.