Breaking Walls 

Barry Jenkins' masterpiece holds up as the story of a lifetime centered on the intersection of Blackness and gay identity.

'The Mad Woman and the Feminist': This Spanish entry for the MiamisFF directed by Sandra Gallego handles a difficult conversation in a smart, memorable way.

Director and writer, Miles Marti, brilliantly created a film that captures the story of a kid that learns a new reality all within the walls of her classroom. Tears Of Knowing lightly steps into the devastation of loss through a childhood lens, and presents a perspective that is not often acknowledged. Though grief and loss are important aspects, the film also showcases excellent portrayals of trust, innocence, and naivety.

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie comes on the heels of its billion-dollar grossing predecessor, and seeks to do absolutely nothing other than repeat its success. In this, the film is eminently effective. If you have seen the previous film, you can expect something extremely similar in this package.  That is, a barrage of references to Nintendo intellectual property wrapped in a plot that provides the thinnest layer of emotional payoff for the characters.

White audiences saw Peola’s mixed-race passing as a Black woman’s struggle to be white. Black audiences saw it as the rebellion of a Black woman trying to gain privileges only given to white people.

The film is bogged down with one-off rain monster threats that always come to a quick and undramatic end