Miami Dade College’s Miami International Film Festival 2015 Announces Opening Night Film Wild Tales (Relatos salvajes) Directed by Damián Szifron

Miami Dade College proudly announces that Wild Tales (Relatos salvajes), an Argentina-Spain feature film directed by Damián Szifron, will star as the Opening Night Film of its Miami International Film Festival’s 32nd edition’s CINEDWNTWN Galas presented by Miami Downtown Development Authority, taking place March 6 – 15, 2015.

The black comedy, featuring an all-star cast made up of the who’s who of Argentina cinema (including perennial Miami International Film Festival audience favorite Ricardo Darín), makes its Florida premiere and marks the third directorial achievement for Miami International Film Festival alumnus Szifron, a deftly talented filmmaker hailing from Buenos Aires. Wild Tales is currently shortlisted for the 2015 Best Foreign Language Film Academy Award nominations, one of just nine titles whittled down from a record 83 films submitted worldwide. The final list of nominees will be revealed tomorrow, January 15th, from Los Angeles, home of the Oscars.

Says Miami Dade College’s Miami International Film Festival executive director Jaie Laplante, “A Ricardo Darín-starring, Damián Szifron-directed, Pedro Almodóvar-produced, Cannes Official Competition, Oscar-shortlisted film? Yes, please. The Festival is absolutely delighted to choose Wild Tales as our CINEDWNTWN Galas’ Opening Night Film, because it combines the talents of so many of our audience’s favorite artists, all of whom are working at the absolute top of their game.”

Szifron’s debut feature film, The Bottom of the Sea (2003) played at 21st Miami International Film Festival in 2004, while his equally celebrated second film, On Probation, was released in 2005. Wild Tales marks Szifron’s first collaboration with legendary Spanish filmmaker and producer Pedro Almodóvar, who along with his brother Augustin, helm El Deseo, the film’s co-producers with Kramer & Sigman Films of Argentina.

Wild Tales is a wickedly funny roundabout of six standalone but related shorts featuring dozens of characters, reaching operatic heights of subversive humor in tales of conflicts between the classes under common themes of violence and vengeance. Simon (Darín) is pushed to the breaking point by Buenos Aires civic bureaucrats who have towed his car on the day of his daughter’s birthday; whereas white-collar businessman Diego (Leonardo Sbaraglia) is enraged by blue-collar righteousness on a dusty, deserted highway. By chance, a roadside diner waitress (Julieta Zylberberg) meets the pompous jerk who destroyed her family; and wealthy patriarch Mauricio (Oscar Martinez) is determined to be the pompous jerk who won’t let anyone destroy his family.
Actor Ricardo Darín is no stranger to Miami Dade College’s Miami International Film Festival, having starred in numerous Official Selection films for many years, and attending the Festival in 2012 with Chinese Take-Away at the 29th Miami International Film Festival at that year’s Closing Awards Night Gala. Erica Rivas, Diego Gentile, Dario Grandinetti, Oscar Martinez, Leonardo Sbaraglia, Julieta Zylberberg, German de Silva and many more complete the outstanding ensemble.

“As the new Executive Director for MDCulture, I’m excited to be a part of a film festival with a long standing history of providing our community with the best that the film industry has to offer,” states María Muñoz-Blanco, Miami Dade College’s MDCulture Executive Director. “Wild Tales is the perfect fit as our Opening Night film.”

The full program of the 32nd edition Miami Dade College’s Miami International Film Festival will be announced on January 27th. Advance ticket packages are currently on sale until January 16th; for membership opportunities or more information about Miami International Film Festival, please visit www.miamifilmfestival.com or call 305-237-FILM(3456). The Festival is the only major film festival event housed within a college or university.

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