10 June 26 – July 2, 2025 miaminewtimes.com | browardpalmbeach.com NEW TIMES miaminewtimes.com | browardpalmbeach.com NEW TIMES B E S T º F M I A M I ® 2 0 2 5 appearances, including Flash of F, who horrifyingly licks the walls of the infamous Churchill’s bathroom. BEST MOVIE OR TV SHOW SHOT ON LOCATION Bad Monkey Despite Vince Vaughn’s role as the lead, Bad Monkey is the most accurate Miami TV offering that’s dropped in decades, like since Golden Girls, Miami Vice, or ¿Qué Pasa, U.S.A.? It’s a ten-episode Apple TV miniseries based on the book by former Miami Herald reporter Carl Hiaasen. The storyline follows disgraced detective Andrew Yancy as he solves the mystery behind a severed arm discovered in the Florida Keys. The show was filmed all around Miami and the Keys, featuring scenes in recognizable spots like Coconut Grove and Duval Street. Adding to the hometown pride is Cuban-American actress Natalie Martinez as romantic interest Rosa. You also get to meet her very Miami- Cuban family and a whole host of local cop types. The characters all ring truer than any other depiction of Miami folk on screen. It’s a super Miami story, written by a beloved Miami author, starring a Miami-born actress, filmed on location in Miami. It’s the total South Florida package done right. BEST FILM DIRECTOR Noah Salzman instagram.com/noahsalz_ With a bold debut film in the form of Clocked, director Noah Salzman is using his craft to put sensitive storytelling on the big screen. Clocked is a queer drama filmed in Miami about a Latino fighter who aims to use their winnings to transition. Salzman won the Out- shine Film Festival’s Vanguard Award and the film screened at festivals across the country. On top of that, he also runs 5th Leg Table Reads, a platform that helps fellow film cre- atives hone their craft through virtual table reads. BEST FILM SERIES Club Sinéma instagram.com/club.sinema You could stay at home to watch a movie. You could go to the theater. But one local event series is doing something completely differ- ent by putting cinematic culture in the club. An offshoot of the black queer music and arts collective Masisi, Club Sinéma blends cut- ting-edge music with experimental film, cre- ating something entirely new and unique in the process. It’s not for every cinephile, but it is pretty creative and cool. BEST INSTAGRAM Black Miami-Dade instagram.com/blackmiamidade Journalist, researcher, and curator Nadege Green has dedicated her life’s work to telling stories that were too often muted and are now begging to be told. As a first-generation Black American of Haitian descent born and raised in Miami, she’s taken notice of which those are and created a more complete pic- ture of her home city with Black Miami- Dade. It’s a history and creative studio honoring Miami’s Black history and lumi- naries. Its Instagram account spotlights hid- den figures and draws connections between Miami’s Black history and current events in service of fulfilling the mission stated in its bio: “Resisting the erasure of Miami-Dade’s Black past.” While an afternoon scroll down the account’s hundreds of posts is an excel- lent substitute for doom- scrolling, @blackmiamidade is no longer confined to the phone screen. This year, the org published zines about Josephine Baker and Blanche and Cab Calloway, with Green hosting associated panels at Sweat Records in recognition of the 100th anniversary of the Harlem Renaissance. BEST MEME Ashton Hall instagram.com/ashtonhall Fitness influencer Ashton Hall captivated the world with his ultra-weird morning routine. Earlier this year, a video of his bizarre, nearly six-hour long morning routine went viral on social media. Filmed in his sleek, modern lux- ury apartment somewhere in the 305, the video features a muscular, shirtless Hall dunk- ing his face in a bowl of Saratoga Spring Water and ice twice in just three hours, rubbing a ba- nana peel on his face, and journaling for ex- actly two minutes, among other odd rituals. While Hall had already built a strong presence on Instagram, where he boasts more than 15.5 million followers, his content was quickly –– as the kids say –– roasted by the less-forgiving users of X (formerly known as Twitter). The viral attention has since turned Hall into something of an internet folk figure, spawning countless parodies and reaction videos from the likes of Saturday Night Live, the Miami Heat’s social media team, and...Piers Morgan? BEST INFLUENCER Ava Praschnik instagram.com/yumiami_ Everyone is an influencer these days, but Ava Praschnik has been making food videos since before it was hot. She had a dream of doing something in the food industry, so she pressed record and started chowing down, launching @yummiami_ as a high school ju- nior. With nearly half a million TikTok fol- lowers, Praschnik is constantly sharing the foodie info you want, like about that new bak- ery in the Grove, Miami’s viral matcha straw- berries, affordable foodie deals, and even where to eat on your vacay. She knows how to display a delicious dish and rock a short, sweet edit. When she’s not posting food re- views, you can find her DJing at a local bar or restaurant. Her infectious smile and honest reviews are what keep people smashing that like button. BEST YOUTUBE PERSONALITY Kathleen Lights youtube.com/KathleenLights Kathleen truly is a 305 OG — on YouTube, that is. She launched her channel, Kathleen- Lights, more than 12 years ago, and today, the bubbly beauty of Cuban descent has amassed more than 4 million subscribers. Known for her spunky personality, her channel is a go-to destination for informative beauty tutorials, product hauls, and the occasional personal vlog for longtime fans who’ve watched her grow over the past decade. A joy to watch and brimming with girlie energy, Kathleen- Lights is a space lovingly crafted for the girls and the gays. BEST LOCAL TIKTOKER Fernanda Gimenez tiktok.com/@ferchugimenez Chances are, you’ve seen Fernanda Gimenez as you scroll down your For You page, danc- ing alongside her beloved boyfriend Sebas- tian or talking about her struggles with acne. Whatever your interaction with her, the Uru- guayan-creator-turned-TikTok-sensation has surely earned her place on this list with 10 million followers on the app alone. While her content isn’t exactly challenging us to expand our intellects, she’s a touchstone in the Gen Z cultural conversation and her broad appeal comes from an ability to be authentic and humble in a landscape filled with phonies and wannabes. Whether it’s making appear- ances at Art Basel Miami Beach or the Latin Grammys — it’s clear that she loves the city that loves her back. BEST LOCAL TIKTOKER (COMEDY DIVISION) Betty Pastelitos tiktok.com/@bettypastelitos Miamians just can’t seem to get enough of Betty Pastelitos. The mom, educator, and content creator has gone viral quite a few times with her hilarious, hyper-local content. Whether she’s reenacting too-real moments from Miami schools, showcasing the ups and down of being a Latina millennial mom, or poking good natured fun at our obsession with cafecito, her videos have made their way through countless group and family chats. With more than 190,000 likes on TikTok, it’s clear Betty Pastelitos is making Miamians near and far giggle with glee. BEST COMEDIAN Manny Garavito mannygaravito.com Relentlessly funny, Manny Garavito is a Mi- ami comedy mainstay who brings the city’s quirks to the stage with hilarious insight. Through his Miami Comedy platform and regular live shows, Garavito has built a loyal local following while spotlighting other ris- ing comics in the scene. When he’s not on stage making audiences snarf their sodas, he’s posting videos on TikTok and Insta- gram satirizing the Magic City. His humor captures what it means to live, laugh, and drive in the 305. BEST ACTOR IN A FEMALE ROLE Elizabeth Price newplayexchange.org/users/48678/ elizabeth-price Elizabeth Price doesn’t have to rely on the kindness of strangers to get choice roles. She’s proven herself time and again. So when New City Players was looking for an actress who could bring freshness to Tennessee Wil- liams’ most famous fading beauty, Blanche DuBois, Price was first-pick for the role. Then, in a complete turn for Zoetic Stage, Price played Harriet, a White House chief of staff climbing her own political ladder in its POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass are Seven Women Trying To Keep Him Alive. Her physical comedy and sight gags as she tries to keep the misogynic, narcissistic president from sinking are, well, timely and priceless. BEST ACTOR IN A MALE ROLE Gregg Weiner instagram.com/greggweiner If Gregg Weiner really was the menu hawking Miami Beach maitre d’ he portrayed in Miami New Drama’s outdoor immersive Lincoln Road Hustle, he’d easily get you inside the over- priced tourist trap Italian restaurant he’s ped- dling. As historical Miami Beach developer Carl Fisher in Greetings From Paradise at Ac- tors’ Playhouse, you’d give up your life savings for a piece of land on Miami Beach at his re- quest. And as Matt, the obsessed Cleveland Cavaliers fan in King James at GableStage, $6,500 for his season tickets? You wouldn’t even haggle. That’s because in any role, Weiner sells it and always delivers a slam dunk. BEST PLAY Lincoln Road Hustle Miami New Drama miaminewdrama.org A money-hungry real estate developer. A spoiled brat daughter turned advocate. A boy from an immigrant family who turns to crime to survive. An influencer who blackmails small business owners. Are these people you’d meet in Miami or characters in a play? Both, thanks to Miami New Drama’s Lincoln Road Hustle. Written by Billy Corben and Harley Elias, the play oozes with Miami- Miami’s Black history and current events in service of fulfilling the mission stated in its bio: “Resisting the erasure of Miami-Dade’s Black past.” While an afternoon scroll down the account’s hundreds of posts is an excel-
