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The Miami Film Festival’s GEMS is returning with its swagger intact, unscathed by the institutional timidity that now dilutes too many cultural events. Thank goodness nobody at MDC has chickened out, sanitized, or ethnically cleansed GEMS. Before the main festival kicks off next April, GEMS offers its tantalizing preview from October 28 to November 5, a cinematic hors d’oeuvre for film lovers. We learned this at the recent festival unveiling at the Koubek before the screening of After the Hunt, its recent appetizer.
This year’s GEMS is a powerhouse, boasting a roster of five-star directors including Chloe Zhao, Laura Poitras, Paolo Sorrentino, Jafar Panahi, Joachim Trier, James Vanderbilt, Rian Johnson, Noah Baumbach, Richard Linklater, Park Chan-wook, and Bradley Cooper. And for those who still quote Cher Horowitz like scripture, there’s a 30th anniversary screening of Amy Heckerling’s Clueless—still sharp and stylish. With 46 films on the docket, GEMS 2025 isn’t just growing—it’s flexing.
And speaking of flexing, After the Hunt didn’t pull punches. Julia Roberts, Andrew Garfield, Ayo Edebiri, Michael Stuhlbarg, and Chloë Sevigny dove into dysfunction like an Olympic sport. Roberts, especially, shed every ounce of Pretty Woman charm to play a character drowning in nausea, drugs, booze, and abuse of every kind. Raw, real, and a little too familiar, the film uncomfortably underscores our times.
Now, let’s talk about enthusiasm. Americans have it in spades. When I was working in Japan, I was visited by a German friend named Peter. One of my colleagues there had a flair for raving about everything. When I asked Peter what he thought of her excitement, he said, “Oh, she’s a typical American, she’s very enthusiastic – about everything and nothing.” Not mean, just honest — this common characteristic of unbridled enthusiasm.
Before the screening, Executive Director James Woolley gave a proper British intro like afternoon tea. (I won’t say jolly good.) Then Lauren Cohen, Director of Programming, took the mic—and lit it on fire. Her passion was contagious, and her love for cinema undeniable.
She didn’t just speak; she radiated. That kind of energy is what makes GEMS more than a festival — but essential. With a lineup this stacked and with the kind of buzz that makes you cancel plans, the Miami Film Festival is levitating. If you haven’t grabbed tickets yet, what are you waiting for?
Browse here and thank me later: https://miamifilmfestival.com/
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