Miami, FL – March 11th, 2024. The Miami Media & Film Market (MMFM) and the Miami Film Festival (MFF) have revealed the five official “Mastershots” for the Miami Film Festival’s 42nd edition, set to take place between April 4-13, 2025.
These special industry events, under the banner “Mastershots – Indie Film Means Business” will cover a wide range of industry disciplines from directing and producing, to marketing, sales & distribution, as well as trending topics such as how current and future technologies will affect the global screen industry.
The Five official Mastershots for 2025 include:
- A Conversation with Roger Ross Williams in Partnership with CineVisun and the
Black Film and Media Group (BFMG). Join us for an up close conversation with the Oscar®, Emmy® and Peabody® award-winning director, producer, writer, and the first African-American director to win an Academy Award®. Talk to be hosted by Kevin Sharpley, CEO, Kijik Multimedia and preceded by a screening of Stamped From The Beginning. Ticket Info. - The Power of PR – A fireside chat with 42 West VP Hilda Somarriba, top Industry film publicist and creative media strategist. Somarriba has represented over 300 films both theatrically and in the top film festivals around the world. Get an inside look at how a creative media strategy and generating “buzz” can lead to multi-million dollar acquisitions and awards season success, including the coveted BAFTAs® and Oscars®. Ticket Info.
- Raiders of the Lost Archives – A masterclass in archival producing with director Monica Berra and producer Sasha Wortzel. Using their collaboration on River of Grass as a case study, Wortzel and Berra offer a deep dive into the archival filmmaking process. Learn key steps, from research planning to rights clearances, and explore how archival discovery helps shape your film’s visual language and direction. Ticket Info.
- AI You Ready? – In partnership with MDC’s EnTec, GPTuesdays, and CineVisun, this panel presents the future of film and Entertainment: An immersive conversation on cinema at the crossroads of artificial intelligence, featuring Daniel Gordon, CEO of Moonmax and Head of AI at Raindance Film Festival, Sebastian Macchia, Award-winning AI filmmaker and producer, and Raffael Dickreuter CEO of Superba AR and AI filmmaker. The talk will be moderated by Kevin Sharpley, Founder, CineVisun, Award-Winning Filmmaker and Founder of multimedia company Kijik Multimedia. Ticket Info.
- Encounters of Cinema – In partnership with the Mexican Consulate in Miami, immerse yourself in Spanish-language filmmaking with two top international directors whose latest breakout works, both premiering at the 42nd Miami Film Festival, have taken the indie world by storm. Immediately following the premiere of Corina, join Estrella Araiza, General Director of the Guadalajara International Film Festival for an in-depth conversation with Mexico’s Urzula Barba Hopfner (Corina) and Gemma Blasco from Spain (Fury). Note: Talk will be in Spanish. Ticket Info.
In addition, the MMFM is supporting additional industry events including the “Monetize Your Film Panel” hosted by Arts Accelerator, featuring Francois Martin, Senior VP, Vertical Entertainment; Chris Beaver, CCO, Allrites; and Film Director Billy Corben (Rakontur). Talk will be moderated by Dana DellaCamera, Director of Arts Accelerator. Ticket Info.
Patty Arias, CEO and Co-Founder MMFM said “We are delighted with this partnership and know it will provide many benefits for our community and our industry.”
According to Kevin Sharpley, Founder & CEO, Kijik Multimedia, CineVisun and Black Film and Media Group (BFMG), “I’m excited that Roger Ross Williams is coming to Miami Film Festival 2025! He’s one of the most prolific and engaging director/writer/producers working today.” He added, “The Master Shot: AI You Ready panel is going to be amazing. This panel has some of the biggest experts and we’re going to get down to what exactly is going down with AI.”
“We are thrilled to partner with MMFM, who are experts in organizing film industry events, to curate an extra special list of masterclasses and conversations in our upcoming 42nd edition,” said James Woolley, the Executive Director of Miami Film Festival. “Miami Film Festival is a rare moment in the calendar where hundreds of visiting filmmakers and Industry leaders fly in from around the world and meet the wonderful local filmmakers of Miami. Adding a strong Industry program will be of great benefit to the Miami Film Festival line-up.”
For more information on MMFM please visit: https://www.miamimediafilmmarket.org/
For more information on the Miami Film Festival please visit: https://miamifilmfestival.com/
About MMFM:
For almost fifteen years, The Miami Media & Film Market (MMFM), has grown into one of the top creative and business development conferences for film, tv, and digital content creation in Florida, benefitting both the local entertainment community and the global industry. With the completion of its 14th edition, MMFM is poised for strategic growth, adapting and growing along with the ever changing needs of the global entertainment industry.
About MFF:
Miami Film Festival is a world-class platform for International, American, and Ibero-American films. The 42nd edition of the Miami Film Festival will take place from April 4-13, 2025. The Festival showcases the work of the world’s best emerging and established filmmakers to the diverse cosmopolitan community of Miami. Cash awards totaling more than $100,000 are given in competition categories.