Career Achievement Tribute Award: Abel Ferrara
 From the underworld fiction of King of New York and Bad Lieutenant, to Chelsea on the Rocks his recent documentary about the historic New York hotel and the poets, artists and musicians who have lived there. New York is a constant in Ferrara’s oeuvre. And like the city where he was born in, Ferrara and his films are true diamonds in the rough; solid and often crude, at times brutal, yet always true, heart-felt and full of grace.
It is our pleasure to honor independent filmmaker Abel Ferrara with the Career Achievement Tribute at the 26th edition of the Miami International Film Festival, followed by the screening of Chelsea on the Rocks. |
Click on film title for film details and long synopsis
Chelsea on the Rocks
(USA,88
min.)
Director:
Abel Ferrara
Cast:
Dennis Hopper, Ethan Hawke, Grace Jones, Gaby Hoffman, R Crumb, Bijou Phillips, Milos Forman, Vito Acconci, Adam Goldberg, Giancarlo Esposito, Shanyn Leigh, Vito Acconci, Lola Schnabel, Christy Scott Cashman, Jamie Burke
An intriguing salute to the personalities and artistic voices that have emerged from this legendary residence in Manhattan. Built in 1883, the Chelsea Hotel has long been synonymous with the bohemian scene, with occupants including Dylan Thomas, Thomas Wolfe, Janis Joplin, William Burroughs, the Grateful Dead, Sid Vicious and Quentin Crisp.
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Funeral, The
(USA,99 min.)
Director:
Abel Ferrara
Cast:
Christopher Walken, Chris Penn, Annabella Sciorra, Isabella Rossellini, Vincent Gallo, Benicio Del Toro
Three brothers working for the mob share a life of crime and violence. When a rival gang murders the youngest brother, Johnny, his siblings are determined to seek revenge. There can only be one conclusion to a life of crime.
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Go Go Tales
(Italy/USA,96 min.)
Director:
Abel Ferrara
Cast:
Willem Dafoe, Bob Hoskins, Matthew Modine, Asia Argento, Sylvia Miles
Academy Award-nominated Willem Dafoe stars as Ray Ruby, nightclub impresario, whose landlady threatens to close down his club "Paradise" to make way for a mega retail chain. In an attempt to pay off his back rent the full-time gambler and his Irish accountant embark on a scheme to win the lottery.
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King of New York
(Italy/USA/UK,103 min.)
Director:
Abel Ferrara
Cast:
Christopher Walken, David Caruso, Larry Fishburne, Wesley Snipes, Steve Buscemi, Victor Argo
Featuring Christopher Walken as a former NYC drug lord fresh out of prison, who returns to his old stomping grounds to find his business and neighborhood in shambles. Aware that feeding off of society's depravity has made him a wealthy man, he's determined to give back and hatches a plan to revitalize the dying community.
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Mary
(Italy/France/USA,83 min.)
Director:
Abel Ferrara
Cast:
Juliette Binoche, Forest Whitaker, Matthew Modine, Heather Graham, Marion Cotillard, Stefania Rocca
Representing a sincere grapple with faith and redemption in cynical times, Mary tells the story of an actress Marie (Juliette Binoche) who plays the part of Mary Magdalene in a revisionist biblical drama. She becomes obsessed with her character and with a cocky film director (Matthew Modine) who casts himself as Jesus.
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Mulberry St
(USA,80 min.)
Director:
Abel Ferrara
Cast:
Matthew Modine, Danny Aiello, Frank Vincent, Shanyn Leigh, Gianni Russo, Frankie Cee, Cha Cha, Abel Ferrara and featuring, Butch "The Hat"
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New Rose Hotel
(USA,93 min.)
Director:
Abel Ferrara
Cast:
Christopher Walken, Willem Dafoe, Asia Argento, Annabella Sciorra
A well-made and brilliantly performed erotic drama focusing on industrial espionage and corporate skullduggery with Willem Dafoe and Christopher Walken as spies trying to seduce a Japanese geneticist with the help of a compliant, dreamy prostitute (Asia Argento). Adapted from a celebrated short story by cyberpunk scribe William Gibson (Neuromancer).
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