{"id":39747,"date":"2026-04-16T09:03:42","date_gmt":"2026-04-16T13:03:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.abff.com\/miami\/?page_id=39747"},"modified":"2026-04-16T12:11:44","modified_gmt":"2026-04-16T16:11:44","slug":"spotlight-screenings","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.abff.com\/miami\/event-lineup\/spotlight-screenings\/","title":{"rendered":"Spotlight Screenings"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The following offers a preview of the 2026 festival events, with more to be announced. Some events require a ticket purchase, others are exclusive to pass holders, and select events are free and open to the public. Follow us on social media for the latest updates.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section>

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[vc_text_separator title=”EVENT LINEUP” title_align=”separator_align_left” align=”align_right” color=”custom” css=”.vc_custom_1775231116113{margin-bottom: 14px !important;padding-top: 13px !important;padding-bottom: 10px !important;}” accent_color=”#27A1B8″][vc_widget_sidebar sidebar_id=”programming-preview-sidebar”]<\/div><\/div><\/div>
Spotlight Screenings<\/h5>[vc_separator color=”custom” css=”.vc_custom_1717517019717{margin-top: 32px !important;}” accent_color=”#ededed”]<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
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Opening Night Film – <\/span>Strung<\/h2>\n<\/div>

Sponsored by Comcast NBCU<\/h4>\n<\/div>

Wednesday, May 27 | 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm<\/p>\n

New World Center – Performance Hall<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

From director Malcolm D. Lee, a talented violinist takes a prestigious job as a music tutor for the gifted daughter of an influential and enigmatic family. As she becomes entangled in their opulent world, unsettling secrets begin to surface, forcing her to question her safety, her dreams, and even her sanity.<\/p>\n

Directed by Malcolm D. Lee, Starring Chloe Bailey, Lynn Whitfield, Lucien Laviscount, Anna Diop and Coco Jones<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>[vc_separator color=”custom” css=”.vc_custom_1748024722954{margin-top: 4px !important;margin-bottom: 36px !important;}” accent_color=”#ededed”]

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29th Annual HBO\u00ae<\/sup> Short Film Award Showcase<\/span><\/h2>\n<\/div>

Sponsored by Warner Bros. Discovery\/HBO<\/h4>\n<\/div>

Thursday, May 28 | 8:15 pm – 10:15 pm<\/p>\n

New World Center – Performance Hall<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

Now in its 29th year, the HBO\u00ae<\/sup> Short Film Award is regarded as one of the most prestigious short film showcases in the world. Five filmmakers are selected as finalists, with one Grand Prize winner receiving the HBO\u00ae<\/sup> Short Film Award and a $10,000 cash prize. Each of the four runner-up finalists will receive a $5,000 cash prize.<\/p>\n

Hosted by Bevy Smith<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>[vc_separator color=”custom” css=”.vc_custom_1748024772923{margin-top: 4px !important;margin-bottom: 36px !important;}” accent_color=”#ededed”]

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Special Screening: “The Brittney Griner Story”<\/span><\/h2>\n<\/div>

Sponsored by ESPN<\/h4>\n<\/div>

Friday, May 29 | 4:30 pm – 6:30 pm<\/p>\n

Miami Beach Convention Center, Screening Room 1<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

A towering figure and presence both on and off the court, few have risen as far and fast in the game of basketball as Brittney Griner. But as she reached new heights, a minor mistake at home threw her into a cruel imprisonment abroad \u2014 turning her from a globally respected player to the geopolitical pawn of an adversarial nation. “The Brittney Griner Story” follows a tumultuous path to sports stardom that culminates in the incarceration at the hands of a repressive dictatorship, the fortitude and perseverance of her family and friends to force her release, and following that release, her renewed lease on life and new perspective on the freedom her home country provides. Talkback to follow with director, Alexandria Stapleton.<\/p>\n

Directed by: Alexandria Stapleton<\/p>\n

Panelists: Alexandria Stapleton<\/p>\n

ABFF Sports Track<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>[vc_separator color=”custom” css=”.vc_custom_1748024787780{margin-top: 4px !important;margin-bottom: 36px !important;}” accent_color=”#ededed”]

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Basement People and Q&A, courtesy of BLACC<\/span><\/h2>\n<\/div>

Sponsored by The Black Leadership AIDS Crisis Coalition (BLACC) powered by AHF<\/h4>\n<\/div>

Saturday, May 30 | 11:00 am – 11:45 am<\/p>\n

O Cinema<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

Seven-year-old Tina is left in the care of her extended family after a traumatic event exposes the fault lines of a volatile household. Sensitive and emotionally fragile, she navigates a home ruled by control, neglect, and barely contained rage. As tensions escalate into violence, Tina retreats into the basement, seeking refuge from the chaos above.<\/p>\n

There, she finds an unlikely sanctuary with her reclusive uncle Keith, a man the family has long dismissed as unstable and unfit for the world upstairs. In the quiet isolation of the basement, Tina experiences something she has been denied throughout the house: safety without judgment. As the family struggles to restore order aboveground, Tina must decide where she truly belongs.<\/p>\n

Basement People is an intimate portrait of childhood sensitivity, inherited trauma, and the unexpected places where protection and belonging can be found.<\/p>\n

Directed by Christine Swanson; Written by Kyale Akeem Williams; Produced by Geert Heetebrij, Christine Swanson, Kim Ogletree<\/p>\n

*Free Community Event<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>[vc_separator color=”custom” css=”.vc_custom_1748024820075{margin-top: 4px !important;margin-bottom: 36px !important;}” accent_color=”#ededed”]

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Kanan’s Evolution: An Inside Look at Season Five of “Power Book III: Raising Kanan”<\/span><\/h2>\n<\/div>

Sponsored by STARZ<\/h4>\n<\/div>

Saturday, May 30 | 4:00 pm – 5:15 pm<\/p>\n

Miami Beach Convention Center, Screening Room 1<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

Join stars from the fifth and final season of STARZ’s original series “Power Book III: Raising Kanan” for an exclusive preview event. Through curated clips and a moderated discussion, guests will experience the Southside through a new lens\u2014exploring Kanan’s evolution, rising family tensions, and the high-stakes drama ahead. Be among the first to discover what’s in store for Season Five, premiering June 12 on STARZ.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>[vc_separator color=”custom” css=”.vc_custom_1748024841594{margin-top: 4px !important;margin-bottom: 36px !important;}” accent_color=”#ededed”]

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Meeting the Moment: A Documentary from L’Or\u00e9al Groupe and T Brand<\/span><\/h2>\n<\/div>

Sponsored by L’Or\u00e9al Groupe<\/h4>\n<\/div>

Saturday, May 30 | 6:45 pm – 8:00 pm<\/p>\n

New World Center – Truist Hall<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

What’s the secret behind the Olympian Noah Lyles’s record-breaking sprints? How do star lucha libre wrestlers Persephone and La Catalina prepare their game face ahead of a match? And how does the FC Barcelona soccer player Jules Kound\u00e9 achieve greatness through routine?<\/p>\n

“Meeting the Moment” is a documentary narrated by the basketball legend Sue Bird that follows four athletes as they prepare for a major sports competition, revealing how physical training, mental fortitude and self-care rituals make up their winning formula.<\/p>\n

ABFF Sports Track<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"[vc_raw_html css=\"\"]JTNDaDElMjBjbGFzcyUzRCUyMmFsdC1mb250JTIwdGV4dC1leHRyYS1kYXJrLWdyYXklMjBmb250LXdlaWdodC02MDAlMjBuby1tYXJnaW4tYm90dG9tJTIwcG9mby1wYWdlLXRpdGxlJTIwdGV4dC11cHBlcmNhc2UlMjIlM0VFdmVudCUyMExpbmV1cCUzQyUyRmgxJTNF[\/vc_raw_html]The following offers a preview of the 2026 festival events, with more to be announced. Some events require a ticket purchase, others are exclusive to pass holders, and select events are free and open to the public. Follow us on social media for the latest updates. [vc_text_separator title=\"EVENT LINEUP\" title_align=\"separator_align_left\" align=\"align_right\" color=\"custom\" css=\".vc_custom_1775231116113{margin-bottom: 14px !important;padding-top: 13px !important;padding-bottom: 10px !important;}\" accent_color=\"#27A1B8\"][vc_widget_sidebar sidebar_id=\"programming-preview-sidebar\"]Spotlight Screenings[vc_separator color=\"custom\" css=\".vc_custom_1717517019717{margin-top: 32px !important;}\" accent_color=\"#ededed\"][vc_single_image image=\"39540\" img_size=\"full\" css=\"\"]Opening Night Film - Strung Sponsored by Comcast NBCU Wednesday, May 27 | 7:00 pm - 10:00 pm New World Center - Performance Hall From director Malcolm D. Lee, a talented violinist takes a prestigious job as a music tutor for the gifted daughter of an influential and enigmatic family. As she becomes entangled in their opulent world, unsettling secrets begin to surface, forcing her to question her safety, her dreams, and even her sanity. Directed by Malcolm D. Lee, Starring Chloe Bailey, Lynn Whitfield, Lucien Laviscount, Anna Diop and Coco Jones [vc_separator color=\"custom\" css=\".vc_custom_1748024722954{margin-top: 4px !important;margin-bottom: 36px !important;}\" accent_color=\"#ededed\"][vc_single_image image=\"39769\" img_size=\"full\" css=\"\"]29th Annual HBO\u00ae Short Film Award Showcase Sponsored by Warner Bros. Discovery\/HBO Thursday, May 28 | 8:15 pm - 10:15 pm New World Center - Performance Hall Now...","protected":false},"author":61,"featured_media":0,"parent":34712,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"class_list":["post-39747","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.abff.com\/miami\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/39747","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.abff.com\/miami\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.abff.com\/miami\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.abff.com\/miami\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/61"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.abff.com\/miami\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=39747"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.abff.com\/miami\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/39747\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":39814,"href":"https:\/\/www.abff.com\/miami\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/39747\/revisions\/39814"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.abff.com\/miami\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/34712"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.abff.com\/miami\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=39747"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}