‘Belén’ ‘Paula Deen’ Top Winners at Miami Film Festival Gems

Dolores Fonzi’s “Belén” took the Audience Award prize at the Miami Film Festival Gems.

The Amazon MGM Studios drama, based on the true story, chronicles the harrowing case of Julieta, a young woman falsely accused of infanticide, and Soledad Deza (Dolores Fonzi), the fearless lawyer who takes on the highly controversial, explosive case. “Belén” unspooled in the festival’s Centerpiece strand.

Festival audiences chose another Centerpiece title, Sony Pictures Classics’ “Nuremberg,” as first runner-up. “Nuremberg”follows the story of the Allied prosecutors, led by the Robert H. Jackson (Michael Shannon), as they seek justice for the atrocities of the Holocaust. As the Nuremberg trials begin, a U.S. Army psychiatrist (Rami Malek) becomes locked in a tense psychological duel with former Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring (Russell Crowe).

The second runner-up was a tie between two directorial debuts: Rick Gomez’s “She Dances” and Hasan Hadi’s “The President’s Cake.”

“She Dances,” which stars Steve Zahn alongside his real-life daughter Audrey Zahn, follows a father and daughter as they attempt to repair their relationship and reconcile a shared tragedy against the backdrop of a high-stakes dance competition.

The film also co-stars Ethan Hawke, who was honored at the Festival with the Variety Virtuoso Award.

Sony Pictures Classics’ “The President’s Cake” follows 9-year old, Lamia who has been selected to prepare a cake to celebrate the president of Iran’s birthday. In a landscape of fear and scarcity, where basic ingredients are nearly impossible to find, Lamia sets out on a determined journey throughout the big city in search of eggs, flour and sugar.

The first Documentary Audience Award winner was also selected: “Canceled: The Paula Deen Story,” directed by Billy Corben.The film revisits the rise and fall of the celebrity chef.

Miami Dade College’s 12th Miami Film Festival Gems unspooled Oct. 29-Nov. 5 with 42 films from over 20 countries. The fest opened with Neon’s “No Other Choice,” with the film’s director Park Chan-wook in attendance to receive the Precious Gem Master Award. The festival closed with Netflix’s “Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery.”