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Lights, camera, cue the Miami movies. The 43rd annual Miami Film Festival (MFF) kicks off this week with hundreds of selections to satisfy every cinephile. From shorts to documentaries, horror, and good old-fashioned romance, the options are endless. And while audiences can watch as many movies as their hearts desire between April 9 and 19, we’re helping them out by narrowing it down to ten films that prominently feature the Magic City or were made by its creatives. Here are 10 local films to catch at MFF 2026.
The Old Man and the Parrot
As its title suggests, director Gabriel de Varona’s film follows an old man, played by Miami legend Ruben Rabasa, and his parrot — played by a taxidermied parrot. But the dark comedy, chock-full of Miami actors and filmed with a wholly local crew, goes much deeper than just some old man running around Miami with a dead bird. Rabasa’s character believes the soul of his dead lover is inside the bird, and he aims to free it. And they say romance is dead. 7:15 p.m. Wednesday, April 15, at the Olympia Theater, 174 E. Flagler St., Miami; 305-237-3456. Tickets cost $22.66 via miamifilmfestival.com.
Everyone Is Lying to You for Money
Who knew the guy from The O.C. was so intro crypto — or rather, so against it? In 2020, actor and director Ben McKenzie got curious about digital currency. Three years later, he co-authored Easy Money, a book all about the fraud he uncovered in the industry. While the book and its subsequent documentary, Everyone is Lying to You for Money, feature many cities, Miami is spotlighted as a central hub for crypto. The doc, the actor’s directorial debut, will have its Miami premiere during the film festival, where you can catch McKenzie himself speaking with another anti-crypto superhero, Billy Corben. 7:15 p.m. Saturday, April 11, at the Olympia Theater, 174 E. Flagler St., Miami; 305-237-3456. Tickets cost $27.81 via miamifilmfestival.com.
Neon Reef
Miamians often forget that we live so close to a marvel of marine life. There is so much biodiversity beneath the blues of the Miami Beach waters, and much of it is under threat. Filmmaker Alex Mitow became fascinated by the advocacy work of locals Patrick Breshike and David Grieser, specifically their efforts to save a coral reef. In his debut film Neon Reef, premiering at MFF, Mitow follows the couple as they dive and fight to save the endangered ecosystem. As Mitow himself cleverly put in an Instagram post about the film, “not all heroes wear capes, some wear Speedos.” 5:30 p.m. Saturday, April 18, at Silverspot Cinema, 300 SE Third St. #100, Miami; 305-237-3456. Tickets cost $18.03 via miamifilmfestival.com.
Poetry City
In this documentary, filmmaker Aaron Glickman follows an unlikely pair of poets on their journey to discover the literary heartbeat of Miami. Oscar Fuentes, better known to many as The Biscayne Poet, and Miami-Dade County’s own poet laureate, Nicole Tallman, make their way around Miami and interact with a cast of literary characters, including poet Richard Blanco and Books & Books owner Mitchell Kaplan. 5:30 p.m. Saturday, April 18, at the Koubek Center, 2705 SW Third St., Miami; 305-237-3456. Tickets cost $18.03 via miamifilmfestival.com.
Tropical Park
What do you get when you put two estranged siblings together in a small car for a long drive? Now, imagine one sibling is trans, and the other is ultra-conservative. And both are super Cuban. Shot in a single take, local filmmaker Hansel Porras Garcia shines a light on familial love and the power of listening and holding space for others in Tropical Park. 2:45 p.m. Saturday, April 18, at the Koubek Center, 2705 SW Third St., Miami; 305-237-3456. Tickets cost $18.03 via miamifilmfestival.com.
Revolution’s Daughter
Imagine being the daughter of a dictator and not knowing it. Alina Fernandez, the daughter of Cuba’s Fidel Castro, grew up not knowing who her father was. While she eventually discovered the truth — and fled the island for a life in Miami — Fernandez has spent her life speaking out for a free Cuba. In the documentary Revolution’s Daughter, directed by Thaddeus D. Matula and produced by Fernandez herself, she shares her story. The film features conversations with other notable Cubans and Cuban-Americans, such as musician Gloria Estefan and playwright Nilo Cruz. It’s poignant, provoking, and screening for the first time ever at MFF. 7:30 p.m. Friday, April 10, at the Koubek Center, 2705 SW Third St., Miami; and 3 p.m. Saturday, April 18, at Florida International University, 11291 SW 12th St., Miami; 305-237-3456. Tickets cost $12.36 to $18.03 via miamifilmfestival.com.
An Instrumental Start
Miami has a storied history that is often forgotten or overlooked. An Instrumental Start aims to preserve some of that history with a look inside the African Heritage Cultural Arts Center in Brownsville. The film, directed by Brian Bayerl and Mike Huter, was shot over three years and touches upon the 50-year history of the institution and its mastermind, Marshall L. Davis. 8 p.m. Friday, April 10, at the Olympia Theater, 174 E. Flagler St., Miami; 305-237-3456. Tickets cost $22.66 via miamifilmfestival.com.
Eva y Adán en Miami
We’ve all hoped we’d get into the backseat of an Uber and our driver would be hot and single, right? That’s essentially what happens in the Spanish-language film, Eva y Adán en Miami. A hot Uber driver and his hot passenger spend the day exploring Miami and the chemistry between them. The stars of the film, Elizabeth Gutierrez and Julián Gil, as well as director Lilo Vilaplana, will be in attendance for a Q&A after the screening. 8:30 p.m. Saturday, April 11, at the Olympia Theater, 174 E. Flagler St., Miami; 305-237-3456. Tickets cost $22.66 via miamifilmfestival.com.
Forge
In Jing Ai Ng’s film, Forge, two siblings sell forged paintings in Miami’s underground art world. When an FBI agent specializing in art crimes moves to the city, the Zhang siblings need to step up their game. Ng, who was born in Malaysia and grew up in Miami, writes and directs this film, which is not so far from the truth in the era of figures like Leslie Roberts. Noon Saturday, April 18, at the Bill Cosford Cinema, 5030 Brunson Dr., Coral Gables; 305-237-3456. Tickets cost $27.81 via miamifilmfestival.com.
The Mecca: Legends of Traz Powell Stadium
What do Teddy Bridgewater, Lavonte David, Kenny Phillips, Sean Spence, and Nat Moore all have in common (besides having played in the NFL)? They all passed through Traz Powell Stadium in North Miami. They’re also just some of the many voices that share their story in The Mecca: Legends of Tax Powell Stadium, directed by Nicanson Guerrier. Premiering at the Miami Film Festival, the 88-minute documentary tells the story of this Miami high school stadium and the legends that played on its field. 12:30 p.m. Sunday, April 12, at the Olympia Theater, 174 E. Flagler St., Miami; 305-237-3456. Tickets cost $22.66 via miamifilmfestival.com.
