Miami Film Festival to Kick Off With ‘The Burnt Orange Heresy’

By Variety Staff

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – The Miami Film Festival will open on March 6 with “The Burnt Orange Heresy,” starring Mick Jagger, Donald Sutherland, Elizabeth Debicki and Claes Bang.

Miami Dade College’s festival, now in its 37th edition and running March 6-15, will screen more than 125 narrative features, documentaries and shorts from 30 countries.

“Charles Willeford’s classic 1971 art world noir thriller ‘’ has been updated by director Giuseppe Capotondi and Academy Award-nominated screenwriter Scott Smith into a biting satire of the world of contemporary high art and the attendant, controversial role of art criticism that swirls around it – an apt examination for Miami’s current major destination status on the international art market,” said festival director Jaie Laplante. “The film is swanky, steamy and sexy, with Willeford’s jet-black, cruelly ironic humor firmly intact.”

A 30th anniversary screening of “Miami Blues,” also adapted from a Willeford story,
will screen during the festival, along with a month-long tribute to the author ahead of the festival at MDC’s Tower Theater.

Closing night film on March 14 is “Mucho Mucho Amor,” about legendary Puerto Rican astrologer Walter Mercado. The documentary was acquired by Netflix and screened at the Sundance Film Festival.

“There will be no better way to wrap up our 37th year of sharing our love for cinema and Miami than with Cristina and Kareem’s sharing of the incredibly positivity and love that the life of Walter Mercado represents,” added Laplante.

Amy Ryan will be honored by the festival on March 9, along with a screening of her new film “Lost Girls,” directed by Liz Garbus. Emma Suárez will receive a career achievement tribute before a screening of her new film “Window to the Sea.”

Three filmmakers with Florida connections will share their expertise in sessions from the Knight Heroes program: “Midsommar” director Ari Aster, “The Farewell” director Lulu Wang and “The Photograph” director Stella Meghie will be on hand to offer advice to audiences.

Among the films coming to Miami from the Sundance Film Festival are “Boys State,” which won Sundance’s documentary jury grand prize, “Crip Camp,” which won the documentary audience award, “Charm City Kings,” which won the U.S. dramatic jury prize for ensemble cast and “The Fight,” which won the U.S. documentary special jury prize for social impact filmmaking.

For the full program, go to the festival’s website .