This fall, there’s one event in Miami that cinephiles will not want to miss.
Miami Film Festival’s (MFF) GEMS, a mini-festival focusing on the best and brightest movies awards season has to offer, will return this Halloween weekend, running Wednesday, Oct. 30 through Sunday, Nov. 3. It’s the place to go if you’re looking to get the jump on all the movies you’ll probably see at the Oscars and Golden Globes, as well as rare films from around the world you may not see elsewhere.
And this year, MFF has plans to make this year’s GEMS the biggest and best yet, growing by an extra day from last year and expanding its footprint to theaters across Miami. Regal South Beach, Coral Gables Art Cinema, and Miami-Dade College’s Wolfson Campus in downtown Miami will host programming in addition to last year’s venues, MDC’s Koubek Center in Little Havana and Silverspot Cinema Downtown.
A still from "Men of War", by local filmmakers Billy Corben and Jen Gaiten. The film will screen at Miami Film Festival's GEMS.
“We're just trying to make it as big and successful a festival as we can,” said James Woolley, MFF’s director, who joined the organization last year aiming to grow the festival’s footprint. This includes the main festival in April, GEMS, and year-round programming, such as preview screenings.
Prestige is the name of the game at GEMS, with a lineup focusing on Oscar prospects and award-winners. Case in point: The festival will open with “The Room Next Door,” the legendary Spanish auteur Pedro Almodovar’s first feature in English. Starring Tilda Swinton and Julianne Moore as an estranged mother and daughter, the film screened at the Toronto, New York, and Venice film festivals, winning the coveted Golden Lion at the latter.
Quite a few other awards hopefuls will screen at GEMS. Amy Adams continues her search for Best Actress with the drama, “Nightbitch,” based on the bestselling book about a housewife who thinks she’s turning into a dog. Two high-profile British filmmakers will also bow at the festival. Steve McQueen will follow up his “Small Axe” anthology series with “Blitz,” a historical drama about the Battle of Britain, starring Saoirse Ronan. Meanwhile, legendary Mike Leigh, known for stirring class-conscious dramas (“Naked,” “Meantime”) and period pieces (“Mr. Turner,” “Peterloo”) reunites with his “Secrets and Lies” lead actress Marianne Jean-Baptiste for his new film, “Hard Truths.”
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Lady Gaga as Harley Quinn and Joaquin Phoenix as the Joker in the musical thriller, “Joker: Folie a Deux” will screen at the GEMS film festival.
Already-decorated films will also be shown, like the centerpiece film “Emilia Pérez.” The musical-drama about a transgender cartel boss in Mexico came away from Cannes with the Jury Prize and Best Actress award for its female cast, which includes Zoe Saldaña, Selena Gomez, and Karla Sofia Gascón in the titular role.
Other international awards hopefuls are in the pack as well, such as “The Seed of the Sacred Fig,” an Iranian drama set against the backdrop of nationwide uprisings in 2022 over the killing of Mahsa Amini. Director Mohammad Rasoulof fled Iran for Germany after his home country sentenced him to eight years in prison for making the film; his adopted country has chosen the film as its official selection for Best International Feature Film at this year’s Oscars. Other contenders for the award screening at GEMS include the Brazilian film “I’m Still Here.”
Wooley hopes that playing the game of awards season prognostication will be part of the festival’s appeal to audiences.
“We're hoping that people continue to come out to the cinema and see great movies where they're meant to be seen,” he said. “We're hoping that people engage with award season in this way, where everyone sees some great potential awards-season hopeful, and then chat to each other about them, spark conversation, and engage with all of this great cinema that's coming out. And we want people to just have a good time, like these movies are really fun. Some of them are a bit challenging, but we want to remind people that the cinema is a great place to spend an evening.”
Of course, it’s not all about shiny trophies at GEMS. Fans of animation will be satisfied with “Memoir of a Snail,” a Tim Burton-esque claymation movie from Australia featuring voice work from “Succession” star Sarah Snook, and the highly-anticipated Japanese anime feature “The Colors Within.” Both competed at the prestigious Annecy International Animation Film Festival this summer, with “Memoirs of a Snail” taking home the top prize.
Documentary lovers will find plenty to like, including the latest film from a pair of locals. Billy Corben and Jen Gatien will show “Men at War,” their ripped-from-the-headlines look at a group of American-trained mercenaries attempting to overthrow the Venezuelan government. On the lighter side, “¡Casa Bonita Mi Amor!” follows “South Park” creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone as they attempt to restore their favorite kitschy Mexican restaurant to its former glory.
There are ways to engage with the movies beyond screenings. The festival is teaming up with The Hollywood Reporter for a live recording of their “Awards Chatter” podcast. Host Scott Feinberg will interview Marvel star Sebastian Stan, who’s getting attention this awards season for roles in two films. He plays a man with a facial deformity in Aaron Schimberg’s comedy-drama “A Different Man” and, in a role that will surely bring controversy ahead of election season, a young Donald Trump in “The Apprentice,” playing opposite Jeremy Strong as notorious Republican kingmaker and Trump mentor Roy Cohn. Meanwhile, costume designer Arianne Phillips, known for her work on “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” the original 1994 version of “The Crow,” and the upcoming “Joker: Folie à Deux,” will receive the festival’s Precious Gem Award.
All of this is meant to convince Miamians that great cinema is worth supporting. Woolley hopes the festival’s expansive programming will make locals fall back in love with movies and keep supporting the city’s cinematic institutions again and again.
“We're definitely trying to make our experiences feel like something you can't replicate at home,” he said. “You're not going to be getting what you get at GEMS on your couch, because what we try and do is make sure there are guests, or experiences, or a cocktail, or a chance to connect with people afterwards. It's an experience, and we're hoping that people fall in love with that experience.”
Miami Film Festival’s GEMS runs from Wednesday, Oct. 30 through Sunday, Nov. 3. Visit miamifilmfestival.com for the full lineup, schedule of events, and tickets.