Lola and Alamar Stand Out at Miami’s Film Festival

Lola and To the Sea, also known as Alamar, were among the leading winners as the 27th Miami International Film Festival came to a close. The awards placed two very different films in front of local audiences looking for a route through the festival’s international selection.

The results also included recognition for The Last Summer of La Boyita through the Jordan Alexander Ressler screenwriting award. Giving writing its own place in the prize structure directs attention toward a part of filmmaking that can disappear behind performances, cinematography and the final image on screen.

For viewers, a festival’s closing list is most useful as a set of invitations. It identifies work worth pursuing after the concentrated screening period has ended, without pretending that a jury can replace each audience member’s response. This year’s awards leave Miami with several such starting points, spanning different countries and approaches to storytelling while keeping international film visible in the city’s cultural calendar.