The 26th Annual Miami International Film Festival (MIFF) has selected nineteen highly regarded films to compete in their shorts program this March. Among the nineteen are seven films from the United States, three of which are already generating a lot of buzz for their celebrity quotient and women-centric story lines.


MIFF
"Streak," about a college senior struggling with self-acceptance, is directed by Demi Moore and stars Brittany Snow, Madeline Zima and Demi's daughter, Rumer Willis. Inspired by a true story, the film is based on a submission to Glamour Magazine's Reel Moments contest. The competition is part of a program that helps female celebrities launch their directing careers.

Natalie Portman's directorial debut, "Eve," starring Lauren Bacall, Ben Gazzara and Olivia Thirlby, is another high-profile short selected by MIFF. Already generating interest at Cannes, Venice and The Hamptons, the story revolves around a girl who accidentally intrudes on her grandmother's romantic date. Miss Portman drew inspiration for Bacall's character from her own grandmother.

"The Crooked Eye," directed by actor and voice over artist D.C. Douglas, is the third highly anticipated film short selected by MIFF. Narrated by Academy Award winner Linda Hunt and starring Fay Masterson, Katherine Boecher and D.C. Douglas, "The Crooked Eye" places live actors within a CGI world. Adapted from a short story written by the director's mother, Betty Malicoat, the film follows a woman through her daily drudgery as she grapples with a recent divorce and a current perception problem.

Since each film's initial screening, word-of-mouth has pushed them to the top of the submission pile for many festival programmers.

MIFF takes place March 6 - 15, 2009. Shorts Program 2 features "Streak" and "Eve" and screens Thursday, March 12 at 6:30 p.m. at the Tower Theatre and Friday, March 13 at 6:45 p.m. at the Regal South Beach Cinema 18. Shorts Program 3 features "The Crooked Eye" and screens Thursday, March 12 at 9:00 p.m. at the Tower Theatre and Friday, March 13, at 9:00 p.m. at the Regal South Beach Cinema 18