Miami Dade College Launches Cuban Film Series at Koubek Center
Miami Dade College (MDC) announces the launch of the Cuban Film Series, presented by the Miami Film Festival. Starting Friday, January 26th, the series (with free admission) will feature screenings of six iconic Cuban films at the recently renovated and modern theater of MDC's Koubek Center located at 2705 S.W. 27th Ave, in the heart of Little Havana. The first two films will have English subtitles.
James Woolley, the executive director of the Miami Film Festival, celebrates the launch of the series: “It seems the perfect time to announce the Cuban Film Series. With a newly renovated Koubek Theater as part of the Miami Film Festival family, we have an exceptional venue to showcase classics loved by the entire community."
As he added, "this is a great addition to the extensive Cuban film programming of the 41st Miami Film Festival which will take place from April 5 to 14.”
Founded and directed by renowned film critic and author Alejandro Ríos, who originated the series in 1993, this year's programming kicks off with El Súper, featuring filmmakers, special guests, free valet parking, live music, and refreshments available for purchase.
Inaugural Film Program:
Friday, January 26th at 7:30 p.m.
El súper (1979)
The series begins with a special presentation of the film El Súper, directed by León Ichaso and Orlando Jiménez Leal. The film was released in 1979 and is based on the play of the same name written by Iván Acosta and premiered in 1977 with notable public and critical success. This presentation, which will feature the appearance of Orlando Jiménez Leal, producer Manolo Arce, and some of the actors who participated in the film, pays tribute to León Ichaso, one of the most outstanding directors of Cuban exile cinema, who passed away on May 21, 2023. With the presence of León Ichaso, the Cuban Film Series sponsored the first comprehensive tribute to his filmography in 2005, when the audience enjoyed, among other films: Azúcar amarga, Piñero, Sugar Hill, Crossover Dreams, The Fear Inside, Execution of Justice, and Hendrix. In April 2024, El Súper celebrates 45 years and remains the emblematic cinematographic work of Cuban exile.
Thursday, February 29th at 7:30 p.m.
8-A (1989)
The Cuban Film Series continues its screenings on February 29th at 7:30 p.m. at the Koubek Center with the cinema of Orlando Jiménez Leal and the reissue of his revealing documentary 8-A, which recreates the Kafkaesque judicial process carried out by the Castro regime against one of its military heroes in 1989.
Tickets
Reserve free tickets for the first two films here. The series will resume after the 41st Miami Film Festival, scheduled from April 5 to 14, 2024. The next festival will include numerous new Cuban films also programmed by Ríos.
About the Miami Film Festival of Miami Dade College
Celebrating cinema in two annual events, the Miami Film Festival (41st annual edition, April 5-14,
and the Miami GEMS Film Festival (11th annual edition, November 2024), the Miami Dade College's Miami Film Festival is regarded as the most prominent festival for showcasing Ibero-American cinema in the USA and a significant launch platform for all international and documentary films.
The annual festival welcomes over 45,000 viewers and more than 400 filmmakers, producers, talents, and industry professionals. It is the only major festival conducted within a college or university. In the last five years, the Festival has screened films from over 60 countries, including 300 world, international, North American, U.S., and East Coast premieres. Major sponsors of the Miami GEMS Film Festival include the Knight Foundation, the Miami Downtown Development Authority, Miami-Dade County, and the State of Florida. The Festival also offers unparalleled educational opportunities for film students and the community at large. For more information, visit miamifilmfestival.com or call 305-237-FILM (3456).
