Special movie screenings happening in Miami this August

While plenty of Miami theaters are still running Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey” at full sail, many other cinematic options are available this month for those who have completed their journey back to Ithaca. Our selection of films to see this month includes repertory classics, experimental Caribbean short films, local interest documentaries, and a sneak preview of a certain chef’s hotly anticipated biopic. Here are the best movies to see in Miami this August: 

“Days of Heaven” at Coral Gables Art Cinema

Widely considered one of the greatest films of all time, Terrence Malick’s 1978 classic “Days of Heaven” is screening at Coral Gables Art Cinema on Sunday, August 2. 

Our Take: Set on a Texas wheat farm where secrets outnumber amber waves of grain, the film tells of a love triangle between two lovers, a factory worker on the run, his girlfriend who pretends to be his sister, and the farm’s illness-stricken proprietor who rules the land from a Victorian mansion that feels more like a European manor. Their lives all come to ruin in the film’s unforgettable climax, a natural disaster that resembles a biblical plague in its dramatic impact and devastating consequences. A number of Hollywood legends would be defined by “Days of Heaven” — it was Richard Gere’s debut as a leading man while Sam Shepard (the farmer) would go on to star in “The Right Stuff” and co-write “Paris, Texas” for Wim Wenders. And then there was Malick, whose mythical status was so solid that he was able to take a 20-year break from directing, eventually returning with “The Thin Red Line” in 1998. Even if he had never made another film after this, “Days of Heaven” would have still secured his status as one of American cinema’s most distinctive auteurs. The film marks a coalescence of a number of trends that defined New Hollywood and the cinema of the 1970s: It’s a revisionist western like “Heaven’s Gate” and “McCabe and Ms. Miller,” a period film incorporating labor politics like “Reds,” and its pastoral aesthetic, location shooting, and use of natural light in its cinematography makes it a peer of “Barry Lyndon,” “Picnic at Hanging Rock,” and even “The Godfather.” But no other film really feels like “Days of Heaven,” a movie that’s more like a dream or a faded memory. Noon Sunday, August 2, at Coral Gables Art Cinema, 260 Aragon Ave., Coral Gables; 786-472-2249; gablescinema.com. Tickets cost $10 to $11.75. 

“Tony” Preview Screening Presented by Miami Film Festival

It’s certainly valid to feel a bit squeamish about the ongoing commodification of Anthony Bourdain. Since the chef, writer, TV host, and legendary traveler died by suicide in 2018, his life story has been told in unauthorized biographies, a documentary that used AI to generate his voice, and, now, a fictionalized biopic adapting one segment of his famous memoir “Kitchen Confidential.” However, there is reason to believe that A24’s new film “Tony” isn’t some cash-grab destined to tarnish the man’s legacy. The director is Matt Johnson, of “Nirvanna the Band the Show” fame, who managed to make a movie about the founding of BlackBerry entertaining. The cast features the likes of Antonio Banderas, lauded comedian Stavros Halkias, and “The Leftovers” breakout Dominic Sessa as a young Bourdain spending a formative summer working at a greasy spoon in Provincetown on Cape Cod. Thankfully, you won’t have to wait very long to get a taste of “Tony”: Miami Film Festival’s CineClub membership program is hosting a free preview screening on Monday, August 3, two weeks before it goes national on August 21. 7:30 p.m. Monday, August 3, at AMC Aventura 24, 19501 Biscayne Blvd. #3001, Aventura. Admission is free with membership via miamifilmfestival.com. 

“The Last Days of the Miami News” at Freedom Tower

Before Miami’s iconic Freedom Tower became the city’s own Ellis Island in the years following the Cuban Revolution, it was the headquarters for the city’s other daily newspaper, The Miami News. In fact, the historical landmark was built by the newspaper, which operated out of the building until 1966, when it moved in with the Miami Herald. When the News finally closed in 1988, it printed its own obituary in the final issue. Now, years later, the paper is returning to its former home for one night only as the Museum of Art and Design at Miami Dade College hosts a free screening of “The Last Days of the Miami News,” a documentary shot during the final weeks of the paper’s operation and a time capsule of journalism in the pre-digital era. AV Club founder Katherine Labuda will host the screening and a Q&A with director Mel Kiser. Fans of journalism and local history (presumably, if you’re even reading this, that means you!) will not want to miss this. 6:30 p.m. Thursday, August 6, at the Freedom Tower, 600 Biscayne Blvd., Miami; 305-237-7700; moadmdc.org. Admission is free with RSVP via eventbrite.com. 

“Waves in the Eyes” Workshop and Film Screening at PAMM

Third Horizon Film Festival is sadly taking the year off in 2026, but that hasn’t stopped it from screening high-quality Caribbean cinema in Miami. To that end, it’s collaborating with the Pérez Art Museum Miami’s Caribbean Cultural Institute on a combination screening and workshop hosted by filmmaker Samuel Suffren. The director will discuss his creative practice, which draws on Haitian art and culture, before screening a trio of short films blending fiction and documentary. Those interested in the filmmaking process, the Haitian immigrant experience, or both, will enjoy this engaging event. 3 p.m. Thursday, August 13, at Pérez Art Museum Miami, 1103 Biscayne Blvd., Miami; 305-375-3000; pamm.org. Admission is free with RSVP at pamm.org. 

“Cielo” at O Cinema Miami Beach

Following last month’s Peruvian cinema showcase, we’re moving further down the Andes with a film from Bolivia. Alberto Sciamma’s magical-realist adventure “Cielo” follows a young girl as she treks across the Altiplano, having strange encounters as she makes a personal journey to a heavenly realm. O Cinema’s Sunday morning screening of the film, part of its “Awake and Aware” series, features a post-film discussion and an optional brunch for those interested in waking up and heading straight to the movies. 11 a.m. Saturday, August 22, at O Cinema South Beach, 1130 Washington Ave. #200, Miami Beach; 786-471-3269; o-cinema.org. Tickets cost $15 to $30 via o-cinema.org.