As part of the 41st annual Miami Film Festival, a bevy of locally made and locally inspired films will be screening. Perhaps the most anticipated documentary is one about the story of pinup-model-turned-photographer Bunny Yeager. Naked Ambition, the second collaboration between Kareem Tabsch and Dennis Scholl, premieres on Wednesday, April 10.
Whereas Tabsch and Scholl are talents in their own right, they've proved to be a winning combination.
"We love being 305 filmmakers," Scholl tells New Times over Zoom alongside his filmmaking partner. "There's a plethora of stories. We're never without a story, and we love our community."
Although the film received its world premiere at Doc NYC in 2023, Scholl had worked on the idea for the documentary about Yeager for more than a decade. He wanted to tell the story of this oft-overlooked, highly influential photographer who left such a lasting impression on pop culture.
He first approached Yeager in 2012, who brushed off his idea. Two years later, the former Oolite Arts president secured an interview with the then 85-year-old woman herself. On the day of the long-awaited filmed interview, Yeager fell ill and was admitted into the hospital — she never left.
"I was crushed," Scholl says.
He put the idea on the back burner for nearly seven years. However, following the success of Tabsch and Scholl's first documentary, The Last Resort, the pair wanted another reason to make a movie together. Scholl dusted off the old Yeager boxes, and they got to work.
Yeager was born in Pittsburgh and moved to Miami in her teens. Pretty soon, she began modeling, and it wasn't long after that she picked up the camera and turned the lens onto herself and other models. In the 1950s, a time when women had a whole lot less influence than they do now, Yeager emerged as an inadvertent trailblazer.
Bunny Yeager's work was so ahead of its time that she practically pioneered the selfie, according to Dennis Scholl.
Grapefruit Moon Gallery photo
So, who exactly was Yeager?
"I went into the film thinking that she was a feminist icon and that she would have thought she was a feminist icon because she deserves to be considered as such," Scholl explains. "And I came out of it understanding how reluctant she was to think of herself that way."
Leaning closer to the camera, Tabsch builds on Scholl's observation, adding, "I didn't really realize how much of a hustler she was. She was always striving for more. The film is called Naked Ambition for a couple of reasons, but she was ambitious, and she was really smart. She understood that while what she was doing was an art, it also had a commercial value."
Miami is no stranger to hustle culture or people like Yeager. Hustling might as well be weaved into the city's core. Another documentary that understands this well is Miami Now, directed by Ramiro Almeida. The episodic series puts the Magic City and the people who help shape it at its center. Each episode focuses on a particular subject matter. As part of the film festival, moviegoers can watch the first two episodes, which fittingly tackle people and culture.
Filmed in and around Miami, the documentary explores the unique perspectives of its interview subjects. From arts to developers to activists, Almeida interviews them all. Among the familiar faces featured in the series are actor Andy Garcia, singer Gloria Estefan, and former Miami Dade College president Eduardo Padrón.
The first two episodes of Miami Now will screen on Saturday, April 6, at Silverspot Cinema 16.
In addition to the full-length features, the film festival is shining a light on Miami shorts. On Friday, April 12, at the Bill Cosford Cinema, you can catch six short documentaries, all made in Miami and all about Miami. The screening as part of the Homegrown Docs series is a four-minute short about a young boy and his artist uncle titled Uncle Ahol. In this case, the uncle happens to be artist David Anasagasti, who is better known to the public by his moniker Ahol Sniffs Glue.
Since you'll already be in a grungy state after that, check out one other totally Miami doc about the closed Little Haiti bar and punk institution Churchill's Pub, aptly titled Churchill's, by filmmaker Matt Deblinger. The 15-minute short delves into the history of the local dive bar that was a haven for the city's misfits.
The state of the bar remains relatively unclear. Back in 2020, rumors began to circulate that the bar was closing. Later, in 2021, it was announced that it had come under new ownership. And then, by 2022, Churchill's was shuttered and put for sale. The building still stands abandoned. Perhaps Deblinger's film will finally offer some answers about its fate. Churchill's premieres on Friday, April 12, as part of the Music to My Ears short block at the Bill Cosford Cinema.
Miami Now. Noon Saturday, April 6, at Silverspot Cinema, 300 SE Third St., #100, Miami; 305-536-5000; silverspot.net. Sold out.
Naked Ambition. 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 10, at Regal South Beach, 1120 Lincoln Rd., Miami Beach; 844-462-7342; regmovies.com. Tickets cost $14.50 to $15.50 via squadup.net.
Music to My Ears Shorts Block. 7 p.m. Friday, April 12, at Bill Cosford Cinema, 5030 Brunson Dr., Coral Gables; 305-284-4627; cosfordcinema.com. Tickets cost $14.50 to $15.50 via squadup.com.
Homegrown Docs Made in MIA Shorts Block. 9:15 p.m. Friday, April 12, at Bill Cosford Cinema, 5030 Brunson Dr., Coral Gables; 305-284-4627; cosfordcinema.com. Tickets cost $14.50 to $15.50 via squadup.com.
