Premiering this August at Palm Court is the Reel Creative Cinema film festival, a thoughtful selection of feature-length and short films chosen by locals who have been vital to the growth of the Miami Design District. There are few better ways to build community than to collaborate with neighbors and stage a meeting of the minds around art, design, fashion and food.
From the silent surrealism of Buñuel and Dali’s Un Chien Andalou (1929), to Shoval’s IWC Schaffausen/Tribeca Film Institute award-winning film AWOL (2015), Reel Creative Cinema curators were asked to select movies that uniquely influenced and made an impact on them.
(Scene from Tampopo)
Tampopo (1985), the Japanese Western about a truck driver, a noodle shop, love and food can be traced back to Genuine Hospitality Group chef/restaurateur Michael Schwartz, while the aforementioned Un Chien Andalou was ICA Miami director Ellen Salpeter’s pick. Curators from the neighborhood also included filmmaker and Obsolete Media Miami co-founder Barron Sherer and celebrated architect Terrence Riley.
“Palm Court has become a gathering place in the heart of the Miami Design District,” explains Tiffany Chestler, Director of Cultural Programming for MDD. “Events like the Genuine Summer Series, ICA Speaks and the screening of Jonas Mekas's Walden with Obsolete Media Miami gave us the idea to bring together all these unique event partners and acknowledge the creative spirit they each contribute to the neighborhood.”
In addition to these curators’ selections, Giorgio Armani’s Films of City Frames: Frames of Life will for be presented for the first time in the United States. Since launching this initiative two years ago the luxury brand’s international competition has been challenging young filmmakers to create shorts that capture every day events, emotions, and interactions in their city, as viewed through the lens of their characters’ Armani glasses.
(Scene from AWOL)
Luxury Swiss watchmakers Parmigiani Fleurier will show a more documentary-styled approach to storytelling with Mesure et Démesure (2014), which spotlights the Sandoz Family and their hand – both with large manufacturers and the most independent of artisans – in the global timekeeping business. And as a special treat, award-winning director Deb Shoval will be on hand to introduce her film, AWOL, at its Reel Creative Cinema screening on August 6.
“Everyone has a favorite movie; Reel Creative Cinema is an opportunity for visitors to spend some time in the neighborhood and get to know the people and retailers that make up the Miami Design District,” continues Chestler. “All the films screened this weekend have been chosen by individuals with ties to the Design District and it’s also an opportunity for guests to learn more about the wonderful contributions that corporations like Giorgio Armani and IWC Schaffhausen are making to nurturing up and coming talent in the film industry. We hope this will be the first of an annual summer program.”
Stay cool at Reel Creative Cinema from August 5 to 7pm at the third floor event space in Palm Court at 140 NE 39th Street. The festival is free and open to the public with RSVP through Eventbrite and offers an exciting roster of cocktail receptions, pop-ups, and screenings. Visit https://www.miamidesigndistrict.com/reel-creative-cinema/ for the complete schedule.
