Friday, March 4th, 2011 kicked off the 28th Miami International Film Festival. The annual celebration of film is put together by Miami-Dade College. The line-up of films continues to grow in quality and diversity.

This year the opening night flick was Chico and Rita. The animated film, set in 1948 to a Cuban-American Jazz Era theme, took three years of collaboration between the talents of Oscar and Goya-award winning director Fernando Trueba (Belle Epoque), famed Barcelona illustrator and designer Javier Mariscal, and his brother Tono Errando, who supervised the animation simultaneously in studios on three different continents.

The film screened at the Gusman Theater on Flagler street in downtown Miami. The crowd of filmgoers then made their way to the Freedom Tower a few blocks away to an opening night party complete with food, drinks, and a spirited Latin ensemble orchestra band. The crowd enjoyed the food and the drink offerings, but the sounds from the main room dance floor cleared the maze of decadent, culinary stations every time the band began to play.

Director for the film Fernando Trueba was present at the opening party surrounded by film fans with positive feedback and enthusiastic questions of how he accomplished the work.

For a glimpse at the festival opening night party, go to the PhotoSeen.