The 43rd edition of Miami Dade College's popular Miami Film Festival returns April 9-19, bringing together emerging and established filmmakers for 11 days of world-class cinema to South Florida.
The annual Miami Film Festival has become a prestigious platform for international, American, and Ibero-American filmmakers, welcoming luminaries such as Nicolas Cage, Sophia Loren, Antonio Banderas, Anne Hathaway, Spike Lee, Pedro Almodóvar, Penélope Cruz, Rita Moreno, Alfonso Cuarón, and Ethan Hawke, among many others.
Miami Film Festival highlights
This year's festival will showcase more than 200 feature narratives, documentaries, and short films from 45 countries, drawing in thousands of attendees and hundreds of filmmakers, producers, and industry professionals from around the world.
Special guests expected to attend include actor Bob Odenkirk ( Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul) who will receive a Precious Gem Award and participate in the screening of “Normal,” and Danielle Brooks (The Color Purple (2024), Orange is the New Black) who will be honored with an Art of Light Award and join audiences for the screening of “If I Go, Will They Miss Me?”
Screenings and events will be held at multiple venues across Miami, including Miami Dade College’s Koubek Center, Olympia Theater, Silverspot Cinema, Coral Gables Art Cinema, O Cinema, Cosford Cinema (University of Miami), PAMM, the New World Symphony, Vizcaya Museum and Gardens, and the Manuel Artime Theater.
“I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve assembled this year,” said James Woolley, Executive Director of Miami Dade College’s Miami Film Festival. “Theatergoers can expect packed houses, major red carpets, powerful conversations and films that will move, challenge and entertain them."
"From Made‑in‑Miami films and Cuban‑themed stories to the best of Ibero‑American cinema, international discoveries, Hollywood productions and bold indies, this is a lineup built to surprise audiences and remind us why we love experiencing film together," Woolley added.
Supporting local filmmakers
Miami Film Festival champions local talent year-round, investing directly in filmmakers through funding initiatives that support stories rooted in South Florida’s culture and identity.
Through The Louies, six Miami-based filmmakers collectively receive $100,000 in production funding to create or complete films grounded in South Florida’s culture and history.
Created in partnership with the Lynn & Louis Wolfson II Family Foundation, the program also provides winners with access to the Lynn & Louis Wolfson II Florida Moving Image Archives at Miami Dade College. Once completed, their films will have the opportunity to premiere at upcoming and future editions of the Miami Film Festival.
Miami Film Festival and ArtesMiami will present the Miami Film Fund, a new initiative designed to further strengthen Miami’s filmmaking ecosystem. The Fund will award three grants of $5,000 each, totaling $15,000. The funding is made possible by a $15,000 donation from ArtesMiami to the Coral Gables Foundation.
The festival is made possible through the generous support of Miami-Dade County, Miami Downtown Development Authority, Silverspot Cinema, NBC 6, Telemundo 51, Historic Alfred I. DuPont Building, Tilia Companies, and additional support from the City of Miami Beach and the City of Coral Gables, with festival headquarters located at the JW Marriott Marquis Miami, according to festival organizers.
IF YOU GO
WHAT: 43rd Annual Miami Film Festival
WHEN: April 9-19, 2026
WHERE: Screenings and events will be held at multiple venues across Miami, including Miami Dade College’s Koubek Center, Olympia Theater, Silverspot Cinema, Coral Gables Art Cinema, O Cinema, Cosford Cinema (University of Miami), PAMM, the New World Symphony, Vizcaya Museum and Gardens, and the Manuel Artime Theater.
Ticket info: Individual tickets go on sale to the general public on Wednesday, March 11.
Tickets range from $10 to $100. Discounts are available for members and MDC students.
Visit www.miamifilmfestival.com for full ticket information.
For more information and updates, visit the Miami Film Festival website and follow the Festival on Facebook, Instagram, and Youtube.
