Day 10: We know you’re exhausted, but it’s the last day of the Festival (sniff, sniff) and there’s still a full day of screenings all over town, a Beatles bash at the Hard Rock Café, and two more directors discuss their films…  

The final day of the Festival saw the most sold-out screenings ever in a single day with 10: the last showings of 25 Carat (25 Kilates), The Accordion Kings and The Beatles on Record; the other Oscar nominee, Peruvian stunner The Milk of Sorrow (La teta asustada); the other Colombian ode-to-accordions drama The Wind Journeys (Los viajes del viento); the Israeli Orthodox Jews gay love story Eyes Wide Open; the Argentine indie flick Invention of Flesh (La invención de la carne); another Sins of My Father (Pecados de mi padre); and two showings of The Secret in Their Eyes (El secreto de sus ojos)…

Directors in Action: Up-and-coming Bahamian director Kareem Mortimer discussed the issues of everyday life on the Caribbean island nation, including racial and sexual orientation discrimination, after the final screening of his feature debut Children of God at a packed Tower Theater; and acclaimed Haitian director Raoul Peck lamented about the incalculable losses (of people, landmarks and culture) his homeland sustained during the devastating January earthquake and his vow to one day shoot another film there, after the final screening of the last feature to be filmed in-country, Peck’s satirical portrait of a despot in decline, Moloch Tropical.

A Fab-ulous sendoff!: After the sold-out screening of The Beatles on Record, the masses retreated to (where else?) Miami’s Hard Rock Café at Bayside Marketplace for munchies, mojitos and more mingling with brilliant rock n’ roll historian and director Bob Smeaton…followed by (what else?) karaoke singing until 5 a.m….

Thanks, everyone, for a fantastic 2010. See you in 2011.

Bravos and endless standing ovations to our partners and sponsors for their continued and unwavering support:   

PREMIERE PARTNERS:  
American Airlines, Comcast, Screen International, Stella Artois, University of Miami

PRINCIPAL PARTNERS:
AmericaFilmworks, Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs, Miami New Times, Poder magazine, VeneMovies/SomosTV, WLTV Univision 23 & WAMI Telefutura 69, Univision Radio

PRODUCING PARTNERS:
América Economia magazine, Barefoot Wine & Bubbly, Classical South Florida 89.7 FM, Diario Las Américas, Diesel, Eastman Kodak, Florida Power & Light, Gusman Center for the Performing Arts, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, The Miami Herald & El Nuevo Herald, Miami Parking Authority, Regal Entertainment Group, Telemundo, Warner Bros. TV

SUPPORTING PARTNERS:
CAMACOL, Film Annex, Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau, Internet Movie Database (IMDb)/Withoutabox, La Estancia Argentina, Miami Beach Visitor and Convention Authority, MovieMagic, Nespresso, New You magazine, Novecento restaurant, Ocean Drive magazine, Royal Palm Hotel, Rums of Puerto Rico, Sony, Terra.com, Tu-Be Branding, Venevision International, Wachovia Wells Fargo Foundation

TARGETED & HOSPITALITY PARTNERS:
Art District Cigar Lounge, Avent Gardens, Avis, Banana Republic, Botequim Carioca restaurant, The Café at Books & Books, Catalina Hotel, Chophouse Miami restaurant, Consulate of Brazil, Consulate of France, Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany, Consulate of Mexico, Consulate of the Netherlands, Cravings magazine, Crazy Pianos, CVI.CHE 105 restaurant, Digital Devoid, DonQ Rum, ECCO Pizzateca + Lounge, Einstein Bros. Bagels, El Rancho Grande restaurant, Epicure Florist, Film Florida, Florida Governor’s Office of Film & Entertainment, Florida International University’s Latin American and Caribbean Center, Flower Bazaar, Garner Foundation, Ghirardelli Chocolate, the Graspa Group, Hard Rock Café Bayside Marketplace, Hung Chains, International Cinematographers Guild/ICG magazine, the Jordan Alexander Ressler Foundation, Kiehl’s, La Loggia, LatAmCinema.com, MIA at Biscayne, Miami Art Guide, Miami Coalition for the Homeless, Miami Downtown Development Authority, National Endowment for the Arts, NuStar Films, The Opium Group, Parmalat/La Gelateria, Pasha’s on Lincoln Road, Piola, Pizza Rustica, Puntino Downtown, Raw Indulgence, The River Oyster Bar, Romart International, Screen Actors Guild/Indie, Selecta magazine, Segafredo Café  Española Way South Beach, St. Thomas University, Starbucks Coffee, Tap-Tap Haitian Restaurant, Tarpon Bend Raw Bar & Grill, Tasti D-Lite, Titanic Brewing Company, Trë restaurant, Viceroy Hotel and Resorts, W South Beach, World Resources Café

Take a bow, our theater and ticketing partners:
B-side
Bill Cosford Cinema, University of Miami
Complete Ticket Solutions (CTS): Paul Bellacqua, Matt Filloe, Danny Katz, Mani Tate
Gusman Center for the Performing Arts
Miami Beach Cinematheque
Regal Cinemas South Beach
Miami Dade College's Tower Theater

And, finally, a big round of applause to all the Miami film fanatics and members of the movie-loving public from the management and staff of the 2010 Miami International Film Festival. We do this for you, and we couldn’t do it without you.

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Vivian Donnell Rodriguez, Miami Dade College Department of Cultural Affairs

ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
Tiziana Finzi, MIFF 2010  

OPERATIONS & INDUSTRY OFFICE
Danette Wolpert, Department Head
Diana Baxter, Ibero-American Competition Jury Liaison
Jackie Birnbaum, REEL Education Seminar Series Intern
Kara Briola, REEL Education Seminar Series Coordinator & Encuentros Program Coordinator
Jessica Brodsky, Senior Business and Legal Affairs Coordinator & Jury Coordinator
Joycelyn Brown, Regal Cinemas Assistant Theater Manager
John Cardellino, Assistant Industry Coordinator
Clemence Chollet, Special Assistant to the Artistic Director
Soraya Daid, DOX Competition Jury Liaison
Heather Eades, Regal Cinemas Assistant Theater Manager
George Fernandez, Industry Coordinator
Amida Frey, Shorts Competition Jury Liaison
Vanessa Frias, Student Administrative Assistant
Precious Gualtieri, Tower Theater Manager
Annie Jones, Volunteer Coordinator
Cee Keegan, Special Assistant to the Executive Director
Dantris Lawrence, Student Administrative Assistant
Maria Linares, Educational Initiatives
Eileen Matos, Student Administrative Assistant
Victoria Nemzoff, Miami Beach Cinematheque Theater Manager
Tim Nicholson, Theater Operations Supervisor
Isabel Oswaldo-Cruz, World Competition Jury Liaison
Karina Pais, Cosford Cinema Theater Manager
Enrique Quevedo, REEL Education Seminar Series Intern
Debbie Read, Regal Cinemas Theater Manager
Ruth Rodriguez, Regal Cinemas Theater Manager
Xiara Rodriguez, Tower Theater Assistant Theater Manager
Sarah Roffman, Ticketing Coordinator
Hakeen Rome, Student Administrative Assistant
Abigail Sarmiento, REEL Education Seminar Series Coordinator & Encuentros Program Coordinator
Kaity Stanton, Gusman Center Theater Manager
Alina Tawil, REEL Education Seminar Series Intern
Ashley Valle, Cutting the Edge Competition Jury Liaison
Breven Warren, Gusman Center Assistant Theater Manager
Bryn Williams, REEL Education Seminar Series Intern
Susan Wrubel, Head of Industry Office & REEL Education Seminar Series Programmer 

PROGRAMMING & SPECIAL EVENTS
Valeria Sorrentino, Department Head
Kevin Bosch, Print Traffic Coordinator
Alba Carreras-Vazquez, Awards Night Stage Events Coordinator
Andres Castillo, Programmer, REEL Music Video Art Curator & Filmmaker Coordinator
Jo Anne Czirr, Film Reviser
Richard Fowler, Technical Supervisor
John Glafcke, Film Reviser
Carlo Gomez, Guest Services Liaison
Gerry Guarch, Transportation Supervisor
Geani Guarconi, Special Events Coordinator
Nagila Guimaraes, Guest Services Office Manager
Denise Hughes, Programmer & Programming Office Coordinator
Paul Hughes, Guest Services Liaison
Amada Martinez, Guest Services Supervisor
Dominique McQueen, Guest Services Liaison
Craig Miller, Guest Services Office Manager
Leonardo Morales, Transportation Coordinator
Rocco Quaglia, Video Reviser
Monika Wagenberg, Senior Ibero-American Competition Programmer & Encuentros Program Director
Juan Carlos Zaldivar, Cutting the Edge Competition Advisor

GRANTS & CORPORATE PARTNERSHIPS
Betsey Freeman, Department Head
Sofia Sohl, Sponsorship Coordinator

MARKETING, OUTREACH & PRESS RELATIONS
Tatyana Chiocchetti, Department Head
Dana Ballestero, Press & Publicity, Daily Wrap Editor
Rachel Bleemer, Marketing & Social Media Coordinator
Tom Davia, Publications & Business Development
William Graydon, Marketing Intern
Yazmet Perez, Marketing Intern
Maria Ramirez, Publicist, Rogers & Cowan PR
Joanne Schioppi, Publicist, Rogers & Cowan PR
Katherine Townsend, Outreach Coordinator

MIAMI FILM SOCIETY
Anabel Fariñas, Manager
Bianca Cuffia, Membership Intern
Sara Feldman, Membership Intern
Nick Orsini, Membership Coordinator
Jennifer Perez, Membership Intern

DISTRIBUTION TEAM
Jose Sanchez, Team Leader
Marlene Antahuara, Giselle Avila, Yobani Bauta, Sylvia Betancourt, Nathan Bien-Aime, Sandra Castellon, Eduardo Chavez, Gloria de los Reyes, Ana M. Echavarria, Nehemie Emile, Rodney Escoto, Carlos Fiallo, Margett Gaitan, Alex Gancedo, Nic Genao, Ana Hernandez, Rulx Jean-Bart, Mark Keene, Aleyda Martinez, Sonia Mierisch, Yisel Milian, Marvin Morales, Yves Osirus, Miguel Palacio, Gloria Paredes, Sergio Pena, Consuelo Perez, Santos Perez, Daryl Perry, Iomer Pierre-Philippe, Adam Porro, Yara Ribero, Maria Rodriguez, William Storm Sanchez, Yuri Ybarra

2010: That's a WRAP!

by Dana Ballestero, Daily Wrap Editor