Miami Film Festival GEMS 2026: Full Lineup, Oct 29 to Nov 5

Miami Dade College's Miami Film Festival GEMS runs October 29 through November 5 — eight days of awards-season films before they reach wide release, with filmmakers in the room. This year's edition is the largest ever: 50 feature films, 8 international feature submissions for the Academy Awards, and a guest list that includes Julianne Moore, Paul Giamatti, John Turturro, Kyle MacLachlan, Pedro Pascal, Miles Teller, Adam Driver, Mark Ruffalo, Penélope Cruz, Javier Bardem, and the Cannes Best Director winners Javier Ambrossi and Javier Calvo.

Thursday, October 29 at 6 PM — MDC's Koubek Center. Jesse Eisenberg's darkly funny new film stars Julianne Moore as Mona Friedman, a shy housewife cast in a bit part at a community theater who transforms into a zealous method actor willing to do anything to protect her marginal role. Paul Giamatti co-stars. Fresh from an acclaimed festival run, The Debut has entered the awards-season conversation — Moore's performance in particular. Tickets at miamifilmfestival.com .

Thursday, November 5 at 7 PM — MDC's Koubek Center. Jordan Firstman's Club Kid closes the festival after making a sensation at Cannes, Telluride, and Toronto. A hard-partying New York City club promoter's whirlwind lifestyle is upended when his 10-year-old son — a child he never knew he had — suddenly arrives in his life. Tickets at miamifilmfestival.com .

La Bola Negra — Cannes Best Director winners Javier Ambrossi and Javier Calvo bring their film to GEMS along with its star, Guitarricadelafuente. The film also stars Penélope Cruz and Glenn Close. The directors will be honored with the Variety Virtuoso Award at a live conversation on Wednesday, November 4 at 7 PM at Chapman Auditorium .

Behemoth! (Tony Gilroy) — Sunday, November 1 at 3:30 PM, Bill Cosford Cinema. Pedro Pascal plays Alex Serian, a gifted cellist who returns to Los Angeles after 20 years on the road. Music, which has been the constant river of his life, begins carrying him on an adventure that will change him forever.

Paper Tiger (James Gray) — Saturday, October 31 at 3 PM, Bill Cosford Cinema. Set in 1986 New York, naïve engineer Irwin ( Miles Teller ) accepts a lucrative proposition from his brother Gary ( Adam Driver ), a former cop. When Irwin witnesses something he wasn't meant to see, the brothers are pulled into a dangerous confrontation with the Russian mafia.

Wild Horse Nine (Martin McDonagh) — Monday, November 2 at 7 PM, Bill Cosford Cinema. Shortly before the 1973 Chilean coup, CIA agents Chris ( John Malkovich ) and Lee ( Sam Rockwell ) are dispatched to Easter Island by their bureau chief MJ ( Steve Buscemi ). Amid the island's iconic statues, the longtime partners wrestle with dark pasts and present conspiracies.

Bunker (Florian Zeller) — Tuesday, November 3 at 6 PM, Bill Cosford Cinema. An architect accepts a morally ambiguous project — building a survivalist bunker for a tech billionaire — while his wife begins to question their marriage. Penélope Cruz and Javier Bardem star as a married couple whose fractured relationship breeds paranoia and desire. Also starring Stephen Graham, Patrick Schwarzenegger, and Paul Dano.

Being Heumann (Siân Heder) — Wednesday, November 4 at 7 PM, Silverspot Cinema. In 1977, a young disabled woman ( Ruth Madeley ) and a coalition of outsiders stage what becomes the longest occupation of a federal building in American history, refusing to leave until a government bureaucrat ( Mark Ruffalo ) takes action.

Elsinore (Simon Stone) — Saturday, October 31 at 12:15 PM, Bill Cosford Cinema. The true story of Ian Charleson, best known for Chariots of Fire , who dreams of playing Hamlet at London's National Theatre — and receives an AIDS diagnosis just as the opportunity arrives. Andrew Scott stars.

Campeón Gabacho (Jonás Cuarón) — Friday, October 30 at 8:45 PM, Silverspot Cinema. Winner of the SXSW Audience Award. An undocumented Mexican immigrant in the Bronx finds an unexpected shot at something better in the boxing ring. Funny, joyful, and an underdog story about fighting for the American dream.

Variety Creative Vanguard Award: A Conversation with John Turturro — Monday, November 2 at 7 PM, Chapman Auditorium. Turturro joins GEMS for a Variety Virtuoso Award conversation celebrating a career that has produced some of cinema's most unforgettable characters.

Fictional Selves: An Evening with Kyle MacLachlan — Friday, November 7 at 7 PM, Bill Cosford Cinema. Emmy-nominated, Golden Globe–winning actor, podcaster, winemaker, and internet sensation. MacLachlan attends GEMS for an extended talk about his new memoir Fictional Selves , spanning a career from Dune to Twin Peaks to Sex and the City .

Risa and the Wind Phone — Saturday, October 31 at 3 PM, Silverspot Cinema. Q&A with director Pablo Minces. In this Argentine film, a young girl discovers a mysterious phone booth that lets her speak with the dead and fulfill their final requests, bringing her closer to her late father.

Summer of Three — Monday, November 2 at 7 PM, MDC's Koubek Center. Q&A with Carlitos Ruiz-Ruiz and Marcel Ruiz. Following his grandfather's death, 17-year-old Javi returns to Puerto Rico and meets social misfits who pull him into a tender and volatile love triangle.

Mouse — Tuesday, November 3 at 6 PM, Silverspot Cinema. Q&A with Kelly O'Sullivan and Alex Thompson. Set in 2002, best friends Minnie and Callie head into their senior year — until their friendship is upended and Minnie forms a complicated relationship with Callie's attentive mother (Sophie Okonedo).

First Light — Thursday, November 5 at 7:30 PM, Coral Gables Art Cinema. Q&A with James J. Robinson. An Australian-Philippine co-production and Australia's submission for Best International Feature at the 2027 Academy Awards. Selected at Rotterdam, Sydney, and Marrakech.

Fingernails (Noah Segan) — Harry (John Turturro) is an aging pickpocket getting ever-diminishing returns in a drastically changed New York, where cash-stuffed wallets have given way to easily canceled credit cards. When he unwittingly lifts and fences a valuable USB stick, he's thrown into a race against time to return the loot before a vengeful crime family catches up with him. A Sundance premiere co-starring Steve Buscemi and Giancarlo Esposito, Segan's nostalgic love letter to New York gives Turturro one of the best roles of his career.

The Performance (İlker Çatak) — Life in Turkey is good for celebrated artist couple Derya and Aziz until an incident at the premiere of their latest play. Suddenly targeted by the state and struggling to balance their ideals with life's necessities, they see their marriage pushed to the breaking point as their own government becomes an insurmountable opponent. Winner of the Golden Bear at the Berlin Film Festival, the latest from Academy Award nominee İlker Çatak ('The Teachers' Lounge', GEMS 2023) is a timely, sobering look at political persecution and censorship in the arts.

Campeón Gabacho (Jonás Cuarón) — In a Bronx barrio, an undocumented Mexican immigrant loses his job and nearly loses his life as bad luck keeps knocking him down. But when he finds himself in a boxing ring, he learns to roll with the punches and discovers something worth fighting for. Winner of the SXSW Audience Award, director Jonás Cuarón's funny, defiantly joyful film features a magnetic lead performance from Juan Daniel García Treviño and a soundtrack of wall-to-wall original songs.

The Iron Corset (Louis Clichy) — On a farm in rural France, Christophe tries desperately to live up to the expectations of his rigid, distant father. Then he starts collapsing without warning, an affliction that forces him to wear an iron corset to stay upright. Pushed to reinvent his life away from the farm, he discovers a whole new version of himself. Winner of the Special Jury Prize in Cannes' Un Certain Regard section and three awards at the Annecy Animation Film Festival, Clichy's heartfelt coming-of-age story comes to life through glorious hand-painted animation.

The Beloved (Sandra Wollner) — A tragedy brings together a mother, her daughter, and a teenage boy. Struggling with blame and forgiveness, the uneasy trio sets off to Tenerife for the family holiday that never happened. Under the island sun, past and present quietly begin to overlap. Winner of the Un Certain Regard Prize at Cannes and Germany's official submission for the 2027 Academy Awards, Wollner's haunting drama captures grief and longing in a way that feels entirely new.

Risa and the Wind Phone — After losing her father in a tragic fire, 10-year-old Risa discovers an out-of-service phone booth that lets her speak with the dead. Every caller has a story, a lingering regret, a final wish. They strike a deal: if Risa helps them settle their unfinished business, they'll grant her the impossible — one last conversation with her dad. Winner of Best Argentine Film and Best Director at the Mar del Plata International Film Festival, this enchanting fable is co-written by Miami local Pablo Minces, who will be in attendance for a Q&A. It stars Diego Peretti and marks the acting debut of music superstar Cazzu.

All of a Sudden (Ryûsuke Hamaguchi) — Marie-Lou (Virginie Efira), the director of a nursing home, is determined to bring a new philosophy of care built on listening and respect for her residents' dignity. Her path changes when she meets Mari (Tao Okamoto), a Japanese theater director battling cancer, and the two women form a deep friendship that pushes them to make the impossible possible. Japan's official submission for the Academy Awards and the latest from Oscar-winning filmmaker Ryûsuke Hamaguchi ('Drive My Car', 'Evil Does Not Exist'), this is a moving exercise in radical empathy.

The Sentence (Tim Blake Nelson) — A teacher (Amanda Seyfried) trapped in an abusive marriage takes a job leading creative writing classes at a maximum-security prison, and she begins to fall for a charismatic inmate (Scoot McNairy). The consequences call into question the nature of punishment and retribution, and the very limits of our humanity. Based on actual events and premiered as a gala at the Toronto International Film Festival, actor-turned-director Tim Blake Nelson's morally complex, utterly intense drama asks us to wrestle with our own ideas of justice, culpability, and redemption.

Hard Earned (Mike Leigh) — Amy (Kate O'Flynn), a child protective services worker, moves in with her bubbly best friend, Rosie, after a breakup. She stays close to her aging parents, and their worries mirror each other's: Amy frets over her father's cognitive health, while they wonder whether she'll find happiness without a partner or children. Winner of the Golden Shell for Best Film at the San Sebastián Film Festival, plus Best Screenplay and a Best Lead Performance award for O'Flynn, this warm, quietly devastating family drama may be the final film from Palme d'Or winner Mike Leigh.

Burgundy (Michael Dweck & Gregory Kershaw) — In France's Burgundy region, the world's most celebrated wines are only part of the story. Behind every bottle lies a way of life shaped by ritual and inheritance, and a new generation searching for its place within it. This documentary opens the doors to a world rarely seen from the inside, where devotion, desire, and heritage intertwine. From the filmmakers behind 'The Truffle Hunters' (MFF 2021), who will be in attendance for a Q&A, 'Burgundy' is a gorgeous, dreamlike portrait — a must for wine lovers and cinephiles alike.

Mouse (Kelly O'Sullivan & Alex Thompson) — It's 2002, and best friends Minnie and Callie are heading into senior year. Minnie has long lived in Callie's shadow, so when their friendship suddenly falls apart at the start of summer, she's left adrift. She then forms a complicated bond with Callie's poised, attentive mother (Sophie Okonedo), far from the chaos of her own home. From the celebrated filmmaking duo behind 'Saint Frances' and 'Ghostlight', who will be in attendance for a Q&A, 'Mouse' is a deeply human look at grief, how we cope, and the people who get us through it all.

Juntas (Fernanda Tovar) — Paula and La Maestra are 16 and inseparable. One night at a party, Paula ends up alone with Daniel, a good friend and her longtime crush. Soon after, La Maestra senses something has changed. As Paula slowly opens up about what happened that night, the girls' bond is put to the test, pushing them toward a decision that will redefine who they are. Winner of the Crystal Bear for Best Film in the Berlin Film Festival's Generation 14plus section, Tovar's striking debut is a compassionate, clear-eyed portrait of teenage friendship and the strength of standing by each other.

Being Heumann (Siân Heder) — They wouldn't take Judy Heumann's phone calls, so she took their building. In 1977, a young disabled woman (Ruth Madeley) and a scrappy coalition of outsiders launch what becomes the longest occupation of a federal building in American history. They refuse to leave until the bureaucrat in their way (Mark Ruffalo) takes action. GEMS' Centerpiece film and the opening night selection of the Toronto International Film Festival, Oscar winner Siân Heder's follow-up to 'CODA' is the irreverent, deeply human true story of the 'Mother of the Disability Rights Movement' and the unlikely heroes who changed millions of lives.