






South Beach Film Festival May 13th-17th,2026
The South Beach Film Festival, an annual celebration of cinema, brings together filmmakers, actors, and film enthusiasts in the vibrant heart of Miami Beach. Known for its diverse selection of films that span genres, cultures, and perspectives, the festival showcases both emerging talents and acclaimed artists. Set against the stunning backdrop of South Beach, participants and audiences alike are treated to a captivating experience that combines film screenings, panel discussions, and networking events. As it continues to grow in prominence, the festival not only highlights the artistry of filmmaking but also fosters a dynamic community of creative minds passionate about the art of storytelling.
Events/Parties/Networkers

Opening Night Party
WEDNESDAY, MAY 13TH
Location: Twisted Tonic. 723 Lincoln Ln.
Hours: 7pm-10pm
Cost: Free
This is the party that will kick off our 2026 season. Come mingle, network and have a few cocktails with film industry professionals, directors, screen writers, actors, locals and everyone in town for the festival.



THURSDAY, MAY 14TH
Location: Marseilles Hotel. 1741 Collins Ave.
Hours: 9am-11am
Cost: $40
Join our Networking Industry Breakfast at
the beautiful Marseilles Hotel located on Collins avenue overviewing the ocean. Space is limited. Register today.
Film Industry Breakfast
Featured Films
THURSDAY, MAY 14TH Location: Marseilles Hotel, 1741 Collins Ave. Hours: 11am-7pm Cost: $20(price includes all films below)
Categories: Shorts, Documentaries


TWIN SEAS
Short Film. Length: 16min
Screening: 11am
A girl undergoes supernatural changes shortly after getting with her best friend's boyfriend
FUTURE TENSE
Short Film. Length: 7min
Screening: 11:30
After a devastating breakup, Liz is shattered. She falls into depression and fears facing a future without her ex

THE COUNTDOWN DUDE
Short Film. Length: 3.45min
Screening: Noon
In a basement littered with relics of consumption and sleepless nights, Gilbert listens to the sound of the world almost ending. What begins as digital noise becomes a living intelligence—an invisible god slipping into the machinery of annihilation

SUGAR SLATE
Short Film. Length: 3.25min
Screening: 12:30
In 2025 Miami, River is a single mother and aspiring actress navigating the surreal world of modern gig work

THE CAFONE
Short Film. Length: 23min
Screening: 1:00pm
​Ne'er-do-well Sal Forte reunites with his inept friend to steal, cheat and rob in an effort to pay off gambling debts and keep enraged criminals at bay.

RICH SPIRIT
Short Film. Length: 13min
Screening: 1:30pm
​Sarai deals with protecting her daughter, Teresa, from the realities in which they live in.

CAPTI
Short Film. Length: 9min
Screening: 1:50pm
In a dystopian future where individuality has been erased, Onus endures life in a bleak, controlled society where everyone wears identical clothing and white mask.

SENSUS MORI
Short Film. Length: 8min
Screening: 2:00pm
When an elusive society agrees to be interviewed, a journalist must contend with their ideologies or risk falling prey herself.

SHALOM PASSION
Documentary. Length: 1:03min
Screening: 3:00pm
Documentary, produced by Carey Smolensky, filmed in December 2023 during Carey's two week volunteer mission to Israel after the horrific attack on October 7th

THE MADNESS OF MOONLIGHT
Documentary. Length: 1:38min
Screening: 4:30pm
Documentary,In a quiet workshop far from the world of mass production, a team of master
craftspeople set out to build something extraordinary: a piano that is also a sculpture, a
story, and a legacy.
Featured Films
FRIDAY, MAY 15TH Location: Collins Park Rotunda, 2100 Collins Ave.
Hours: 12:00pm-5pm Cost: $20(price includes all films below)
Categories: Features, Documentaries


AN ORDINARY COUPLE
Documentary LGBTQ. Length: 1:17min
Screening: 12:30pm
Celebrating their funeral first to show love is for eternity, despite challenges posed by the AIDS epidemic, people against Prop 8, and the stop and go of marriage laws.
​
CLASS OF HER OWN
Documentary Education. Length: 1:26min
Screening: 2:30pm
During her first 25 years at Duval Elementary (East Gainesville, Fla.), Gloria Jean Merriex was a typical teacher. She adhered faithfully to her district’s rigid pacing guides. But after her school flunked its high-stakes state exam, the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT), she changed. Completely.
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Featured Films
FRIDAY, MAY 15TH Location:Twisted Tonic. 723 Lincoln Ln
Hours: 7:00pm-11pm Cost: $10(price includes all films below
Categories: LGBTQ

INSIDE THE OASIS: THE STORY OF SOUTH FLORIDA'S GAY MECCA
Documentary LGBTQ. Length: 50min
Screening: 8:000pm
The Story of South Florida’s Gay Mecca explores the LGBTQ+ community’s evolution in Broward County from the 1950s to the present. Through archival footage and firsthand accounts, the film charts the fight against discrimination, the triumph of visibility, and the fragile nature of progress as newly emboldened political forces once again challenge the community’s hard-won rights.
​

OUR FAMILY PRIDE
Feature LGBTQ. Length: 48min
Screening: 10:000pm
A husband and father of three (Jaimie) finally reveals a truth he’s buried for decades -- he's gay. His wife Max -- and their children, Mike, Kaitlin, and Sydney -- watch as their dad now lives the best version of himself.
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Featured Films
SATURDAY, MAY 16TH Location:Lincoln Road Mall,
between Lenox Ave and Alton Rd.
Hours: 5:00pm-11:00pm FREE EVENT
Categories: Features & Documentaries.

BEYOND THE BORDER: LATINO REPRESENTATION IN HOLLYWOOD
Documentary. Length: 90MIN
Screening: 6:000pm
Since the 1920s, Hollywood cast Latinos as bandits, exotic dancers, or anonymous foreigners, often even replaced by white actors in disguise. But across the decades, the community pushed back. Icons like Rita Moreno and Edward James Olmos, fueled by the social movements of the ’60s and ’70s, opened the door to a more authentic presence on screen.
​

LAST SHOT
Feature Comedy. Length: 1:40min
Screening: 8:00pm
12-year-old basketball prodigy Caden Isaacs deals with grief and identity while navigating high expectations and a complex relationship with his estranged mother after his father's death.
Stars: Michael Rapaport, Jaime Pressly, Johny Simmons
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Featured Films
SATURDAY, MAY 16TH Location: Twisted Tonic Rooftop Cinema
723 Lincoln Ln.
Hours: 7:00pm-11:00pm $20(price includes all films below)
Categories: Features, Music Videos.

MURDER GARDENS 2
Feature Drama. Length: 1HR 35MIN
Screening: 8:000pm
Murder Gardens 2 is a gripping crime thriller that explores the blurred line between loyalty and survival. This sequel delivers a story of brotherhood, consequences, and the cost of unfinished business.
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KELLY BY TRAPP TARELL
Music Video. Length: 7MIN
Screening: 7:000pm
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Thanks to everyone that came by our 2026 Poster revealing event.

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CONGRATULATIONS TO THE 2025 WINNERS!
BEST DOCUMENTARY

BEST FEATURE FILM

BEST SCREEN PLAY

BEST PRODUCTION

BEST SHORT FILM

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

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BEST MUSIC VIDEO
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