The 2006 Miami International Film Festival will include a tribute to German director Wim Wenders, followed by a screening of Wenders' Don't Come Knocking, which was nominated for the European Film Academy's Best Film award. The film stars Sam Shepard and Jessica Lange.
One of the festival's highlights is the Big Picture program, which exhibits films "that tackle world issues and the human struggle for life and dignity." This year's program will focus on the French banlieue uprisings, the death penalty, children affected by war and terrorism, and soldiers questioning war. Among the films being shown are Abdelatif Kechiche's L'Esquive / Games of Love and Chance, winner of last year's César; Jessica Sanders' damning documentary After Innocence; Joop van Wijk's Echoes of War; and David Zeiger's Sir, No Sir!.
The Miami festival opens tonight with a screening of Eliseo Subiela's Argentinian-Spanish co-production Heartlift / Lifting de corazón, starring Pep Munné, Mariana Anghileri, and María Barranco.