Get your popcorn ready, there are a lot of films you should see this week!
Last week, we told you that there were more than 40 films in this year’s MiFo LGBT Film Festival which kicked off last Friday and continues through this weekend. This week, we have another batch of films that you should make it a point to watch. There are films for everyone from young to old, and all colors of the rainbow flag.
Films are shown at Regal Cinemas South Beach (1120 Lincoln Rd. Miami Beach) and at The Scottish Rite Temple (471 NW 3rd St, Miami). Tickets are available for advance purchase online at MiFoFilm.com or by phone Monday-Friday from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. at 877-766-8156. Many films will sell out in advance but there will be a “rush” line at each show to fill seats before the show starts. All ticket holders must be in their seat 10 minutes before show time or risk having their seat sold to guests in the rush line. Tickets will be sold at the door to all shows that don’t sell out in advance.
Check out our picks for this week’s lineup, you can get a complete lineup, watch trailers, and find out more info at MiFoFilm.com
Varichina: The True Story of The Fake Life of Lorenzo de Santis
Regal Cinemas South Beach – Thursday, April 27 at 9 p.m.
Bari is an ancient city on Italy’s Adriatic coast (if Italy is a high heeled boot, Bari is where the heel meets the sole of the boot) and Varichina is the first openly gay man the city in the 1970s. Described in Italian as “ANTICONFORMISTA, AMBIGUO, BIZZARO, ECCESSIVO, ICONA POP- all traits most gay men can relate to, Varichina is nothing like what an Italian gay man might look like in your fantasies. But that’s what makes him real and gives him character. He’s gaudy, brash, and in your face at a time when it was not at all popular or acceptable to be so. In Italian with English subtitles, this film is a hybrid documentary/fictionalized story that takes a look back at how things were a few decades ago.
Before the show, enjoy a special screening of “MYami,” a film by local filmmaker Dmitry Zhitov about three artists who make their living and home in The Magic City. The film runs 24 minutes. There will also be a special screening of the Israeli film “Video Bar” that will run 11 minutes. Director Laura Lopez as well as “MYami” director Zhitov will have a Q&A after the films.
Play the Devil
Regal Cinemas South Beach- Thursday, April 27 at 9:15
Gregory is a handsome young Caribbean islander whose talent leads him to star the carnival play. His role causes him to be noticed by a successful older business man James, who takes Gregory under his wing, pushing him to grow in many ways, but awakening feelings that the young man struggles to come to terms with. Fraught with angst and tension, this tale from Trinidad and Tobago and The Bahamas is dark and intriguing. As the plot thickens, a confrontation with life-changing results brews between Gregory and James. Directed by Maria Govan, this film has won a slew of awards including The Jury Award for Best Feature Film at qFlix Philadelphia.
B&B
Regal Cinemas South Beach- Friday, April 28 at 7 p.m.
A British gay couple returns to throw their marriage in the face of a B&B owner who they successfully sued for discrimination after he refused to allow them to sleep in the same bed at his B&B. Now that they are married, they come back to start a bit of trouble and end up in a situation that is a bit more than they bargained for. This dark comedy is thriller with a plot that twists and turns and will keep audiences guessing till the very end. The film is making its North American debut and is really well done. It is directed by Joe Ahearne who, along with producer Jayne Chard, will be on-hand after the film for a Q&A with the audience.
The Pass
Regal Cinemas South Beach- Friday, April 28 at 9:15 p.m.
Ok, I have to admit- of all the films that are playing this year, this is the one that really piqued my interest. “The Pass” follows Jason (Russel Tovey) and Ade (Arinzé Kene) as soccer players who have known each other since their teens when they played together at the academy for a famous football (soccer) club. After a kiss in a hotel room when they are 19, their lives take separate paths in the world of professional soccer but the effects of that kiss in a Romanian hotel room reverberate through both of their lives. Tovey is at his absolute best in this film and not just because he (and his co-star Kene) spend A LOT of time in their undies. If you only see one film, this is the one to see.
Carlos Jauregui: The Unforgettable Fag
Regal Cinema South Beach- Saturday, April 29 at 2:30 p.m.
Carlos Jauregui was many things: gay rights activist, friend, lover, fighter, icon, and an inspiration to the masses. He fought for the visibility of gays, lesbians and transgender, and his conviction and courage transformed the lives of the Argentine LGBT community and the laws within the country. He led the first Pride March in Argentina, unifying the LGBT movement. He laid the foundations of dialogue leading the way to anti-discrimination laws. Not only did he fight for LGBT rights, he also fought his own internal battle with AIDS. In Spanish with English subtitles.
Closing Night Film
The Constitution (Ustav Repulike Hrvatske)
Regal Cinema South Beach- Saturday, April 29 at 7:30 p.m.
“The Constitution” is a collaboration film from Croatia, The Czech Republic, Slovenia, and The UK and is presented in Croatian with English subtitles. Four very different people live in the same building, but avoid each other because of the differences in how they live, what they believe in, and where they come from. They would probably never exchange a word, but misfortune pushes them towards each other. Their lives entangle in ways that profoundly challenge deeply held beliefs and prejudices surrounding material status, sexual orientation, nationality and religion. Slowly and painfully, they begin to open up to each other and recognize the essential humanity each of them possesses. This film is poignant and comedic in equal measures. “The Constitution” is directed by Rajko Grlić and runs 90 minutes.
Deep Water: The Real Story
Regal Cinemas South Beach- Sunday, April 30 at 4:45 p.m.
This documentary from Australia tells the true life story of up to 80 murders, 30 unsolved cases, thousands of assaults on gay men. In the 1980s and 1990s a murderous epidemic grips Sydney. The attackers are united by contempt. Their targets united by the fact they are gay. “Deep Water: The Real Story” presents the full account of the gay hate crimes that bloodied Sydney’s coastline. It stirs up old cases in the hope that new evidence will rise to the surface and maybe, after all these years, there will be peace for the dead and justice for their loved ones.
Like Foam (Como La Espuma)
Regal Cinema South Beach- Sunday, April 30 at 7 p.m.
This film from Spain presents an emotional journey of lost human beings trying to find themselves takes place in what could be considered a fairly strange place: an orgy in a Spanish mansion. A message circulates from mobile phone to mobile phone and it is started! All at once, a diverse range of strangers get together, searching for sex, and in doing so they expose their funny, sexy and profound sides. Like Foam shows that things are not always what they seem and never has an orgy been so funny and full of love. The film is in Spanish with English subtitles and is directed by Roberto Perez Toledo.
For more information, a full line up of films or to purchase tickets, visit MiFoFilm.com
