Film

Born to slaves in the arid wastes of Northern Brazil and sold by his mother at the age of 7, he pursued his freedom on the mean streets of Lapa, Rio de Janeiro. Jet-black, six feet tall, 13 stone of proud muscle in a silk shirt and tight pants, a cut-throat razor in his back pocket. Karin Aïnouz's extraordinary portrait of the triumphs and tragedy of this explosive and paradoxical personality unfolds against the vibrant, sordid background of Lapa: thronging underworld of pimps and whores, of cut-throats, queers and artists, of dark bars and brothels thick with smoke, drenched in sweat and cheap perfume. A world run through with violence and raw desire, where desperate dreams spring from poverty and squalor. This film screens as part of Dr. Terri Francis' program "Echoing Josephine Baker" and will be followed by a conversation with Mr. Jordan Rogers, a PhD Student and UGrow Communications Fellow in the English Department, College of Arts and Sciences, at the University of Miami.

In much of America, progress in HIV/AIDS treatment suggests the worst is behind us, but every year 50,000 Americans are still diagnosed with the virus that causes AIDS. Astonishingly, it’s one of the leading causes of death of African American women. And nearly half of the Americans with HIV live in the South, where the AIDS epidemic has taken root in rural communities. "Wilhemina's War" is an intimate, personal narrative that tells the story of one family’s struggle with HIV over the course of five years. Despite facing institutional and personal obstacles every step of the way, 62-year-old Wilhemina Dixon works tirelessly to combat the stigma and care for her daughter and granddaughter, both HIV-positive. Emmy award winning journalist and Professor June Cross finds Wilhemina, a one woman army fighting against a systemic dehumanization that’s the result of centuries of racism, and lack of access to drugs and treatment. Her story touches upon many of the structural issues that contribute to the alarming rising trend of HIV-positive women in the South: lack of education, lack of access to quality healthcare, lack of transportation, and silence and stigma in the local church congregations. This urgent documentary lays bare the intersection of poverty, race and politics with women’s health and security in the rural south, while showing determination in the face of adversity, and the triumph of the human spirit. Essential viewing for African-American Studies and Public Health courses. June Cross is a writer and documentary producer who covers the intersection of poverty, race and politics in the United States. She has been a Professor of Journalism at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism in New York since 2006.

Join us for a ScreenDance Miami Festival 2023 Projection Wall Screening with Feature-length Film Selections.

Stanley Kubrick redefined the limits of filmmaking in his classic science fiction masterpiece, a contemplation on the nature of humanity, "2001: A Space Odyssey." Stone Age Earth: In the presence of a mysterious black obelisk, pre-humans discover the use of tools--and weapons--violently taking first steps toward intelligence. 1999: On Earth's moon astronauts uncover another mysterious black obelisk. 2001: Between Earth and Jupiter, the spacecraft's intelligent computer makes a mistake that kills most of the human crew--then continues to kill to hide its error. Beyond Time: The sole survivor of the journey to Jupiter ascends to the next level of humanity. Based on the short story The Sentinel by Arthur C. Clarke. Award-winning filmmaker Christopher Nolan, a longtime admirer of Stanley Kubrick’s masterpiece, worked closely with the team at Warner Bros. Pictures throughout the restoration process, which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in 2018.

"Damsels in Distress" follows a trio of beautiful girls who set out to revolutionize life at a grungy East Coast College – the dynamic leader Violet Wister (Greta Gerwig), principled Rose (Megalyn Echikunwoke) and sexy Heather (Carrie MacLemore). They welcome transfer student Lily (Tipton) into their group which seeks to help severely depressed students with a program of good hygiene and musical dance numbers. The girls become romantically entangled with a series of men -- including slick Charlie (Brody), dreamboat Xavier (Hugo Becker) and the mad frat pack of Frank (Ryan Metcalf) and Thor (Billy Magnussen)—who threaten the girls’ friendship and sanity.

An ironically comic look at Manhattan's endangered debutante scene, "Metropolitan" chronicles the rise and ultimate decline of a group of young Park Avenue socialites who gather nightly to discuss love, honor, and the impending demise of their class. Whit Stillman, the film's director, will be at the cinema in person for a conversation following the film.

Queen Elizabeth II was the most photographed, the most loved and talked about, spied upon, praised, criticized, popular woman on the planet. All over the globe and in every moment of her long life, that came to an end at the age of 96, people have always wanted to watch her through a peephole, discover new things about her, get to know her better, connect with her and understand her. "Portrait of the Queen" offers an original portrayal of the story of The Queen from a totally new perspective: through the most amazing, revealing photographic portraits of her, as shared by the extraordinary photographers who accompanied and often created the image of the British monarchy itself.

From Academy Award-winning director and writer Sam Mendes, "Empire of Light" is a moving drama about the power of human connection during turbulent times. Set in and around a faded old cinema in an English coastal town in the early 1980s, it follows Hilary (Olivia Colman) a cinema manager struggling with her mental health, and Stephen (Micheal Ward), a new employee who longs to escape this provincial town in which he faces daily adversity. Both Hilary and Stephen find a sense of belonging through their unlikely and tender relationship and come to experience the healing power of music, cinema, and community.

Following his award-winning productions of "Romeo & Juliet", "Twelfth Night" and "Antony and Cleopatra", director Simon Godwin returns with this irresistible comedy. The legendary family-run Hotel Messina on the Italian Riveria has been visited by artists, celebrities and royalty. But when the owner's daughter weds a dashing young soldier, not all guests are in the mood for love. A string of scandalous deceptions soon surround not only the young couple, but also the adamantly single Beatrice and Benedick.

King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard are a force to be reckoned with. They are, without a doubt, the best and hardest-working Australian rock band since AC/DC. They've released 23 studio albums in 10 years (including five in 2017 alone and five more in 2022), 10 of them charting in the Top 20 and earning well-deserved international acclaim. Though their style has its roots in the fuzzed-out psychedelia of the 1960s and classic jam bands like the Grateful Dead, King Gizzard are constantly evolving. They've tried their hand at just about every style of music: boogie-woogie blues, experimental jazz, acid-drenched spaghetti western country, environmentalist thrash metal, several mind-bending forays into microtonal music, and even a few old-school hip hop tracks. Aside from their prolific recorded output, the band have had a virtually nonstop international touring schedule since their inception, and their live shows are legendary. They have a full calendar in 2022, playing some of their biggest shows yet. They’re headlining 3 nights at the legendary Red Rocks Amphitheatre, along with a lengthy string of other festivals and venue shows around the world. Chunky Shrapnel is a rare look behind the scenes of the band's 2019 European tour in support of Infest the Rat's Nest. From the blistering performances to the fly-on-the-wall moments in between, you'll get to see what the band is like on and off stage. Spoiler alert: they're a bunch of lovable Aussie weirdos.