'Birds of Passage' wins Marimbas Award at 36th Miami Film Festival; 'Screwball' takes Audience Award
'Birds of Passage', a film on the origins of the Colombian narcotics trade directed by Cristina Gallego and Ciro Guerra, has won the $40,000 Knight Marimbas Award, the top Grand Jury prize of the 36th season of Miami Dade College’s acclaimed Miami Film Festival.
The cash prize will be evenly split between Ciudad Lunar Productions of Colombia and the US distributor The Orchard, who are currently releasing the film theatrically in select markets, including Miami beginning March 15. It was presented by Grand Jury members Francesa Silvestri (The Florida Project), René Sampaio (Brazilian Western) and Tabaré Blanchard (Veneno).
The Festival’s Audience Award for Best Feature went to 'Screwball' from the Miami-based production company Rakontur. Directed by Billy Corben, the documentary traces the roots of the recent high-profile Major League Baseball scandal to bizarre origins in shady south Florida tanning salons. Set for a major release from New York-based Greenwich Entertainment, 'Screwball' will open in Miami theaters on March 29th. The $10,000 Documentary Achievement Award was awarded to Rakontur and Corben’s Magic City Hustle.