The South Florida festival wrapped its star-studded 11-day run, naming key winners in narrative and documentary categories and reinforcing its status as a premier showcase for Ibero-American cinema.
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MIAMI — The 43rd Miami Film Festival concluded its 11-day run this week, announcing prize winners across narrative and documentary categories after what organizers described as a particularly strong edition marked by a robust lineup of international and Ibero-American titles.
On the Road (En El Camino) claimed top honors in the narrative competition, while the Documentary Achievement Award went to TheyDream, directed by William D. Caballero. The documentary traces the director’s family history in Fayetteville, North Carolina, using a blend of 2D and 3D animation, live-action footage, archival materials, and personal interviews to explore how art can serve as a lifeline in the wake of loss. The Miami Film Festival program noted that Caballero draws on two decades of mixed-media filmmaking practice to construct the deeply personal film.
Also earning honorable mention recognition in the documentary category was Everybody to Kenmure Street, directed by Felipe Bustos Sierra and executive produced by Oscar winner Emma Thompson. The film examines a 2021 protest in Glasgow, Scotland, in which a community rallied to prevent UK Home Office officials from detaining two men in an immigration enforcement action — a story that has since become a touchstone in debates about immigration policy and civic resistance in Britain.
Revolution’s Daughter, directed by Thaddeus D. Matula, received a second documentary honorable mention.
In the short film category, the Audience Award went to One Last Order, directed by Lauren DeFilippo and Sam Soko, with The Floor Remembers, directed by Jayme Gershen, finishing as the first runner-up and Beast of the Seine, directed by Jon Portman, as second runner-up.
The Miami Film Festival runs under the auspices of Miami Dade College and is widely regarded as the foremost showcase for Ibero-American cinema in the United States. The event welcomed more than 45,000 audience members over its 11-day duration, along with more than 400 filmmakers, producers, performers, and industry professionals — numbers that reflect both the festival’s sustained community investment and its growing international profile.
The festival’s sister event, Miami Film Festival GEMS, also wrapped alongside the main program. Festival director Jaie Laplante has built the event’s reputation around its commitment to showcasing voices from Latin America, Spain, and Portugal alongside strong international documentary programming.
