For Immediate Release:
September 24, 2012
Guadalajara, Miami International Film Festival Industry Offices Create Dual Access Program to Enhance Service to Buyers
Registered Industry Guests at Both Festivals Will Have Access to Each Other’s Events Including Miami’s Encuentros Entries and FICG’s Guadalajara Construye Entries
San Sebastian, Spain — Guadalajara International Film Festival (FICG) – March 1-9, 2013, announced today its new partnership with Miami International Film Festival (MIFF) – March 1-10, 2013, produced and presented by Miami Dade College (MDC), that will give registered industry guests at both Festivals access to each other’s events.
The industry offices will facilitate travel between the two events for industry guests wanting to maximize their time and connections at the two most significant international gatherings in the region for Latin American film industry professionals. Industry guests at both Festivals will also have access to both MIFF’s Miami Encuentros entries and FICG’s Guadalajara Construye entries.
“Both the geographic and calendar proximities of MIFF and FICG make this an alliance that will provide international buyers with greater service from key gateways for the Ibero-American film industry,” said MIFF Executive Director Jaie Laplante.
“We’re delighted with this fruitful partnership that will allow the industry participants and the films presented in both Film Festivals to expand opportunities in these important showcases”, expressed FICG’S team, General Director Iván Trujillo and Industry Directors Andrea Stavenhagen & Alejandra Paulín.
MIFF’s Miami Encuentros program was created in 2003 to offer key development participation for noteworthy film projects from Spain and/or Latin America and U.S. Hispanic filmmakers in varying stages of completion in order to “match” them with financiers, sales agents, U.S. distributors and other professionals who would provide the critical financial and business support to ensure the films would reach completion and move on to the most advantageous sales channels strategies in multiple territories. Miami Encuentros 2013 will, for the first time in the program’s history, award a cash prize of USD$ 10,000 to one winning project, as selected by a jury of industry professionals. The prize is sponsored by EGEDA, the Audiovisual Producers’ Rights Management Association from Spain.
FICG’s Guadalajara Construye program was created in 2007 as an industry initiative in order to facilitate the completion of Latin American feature film projects which, once filmed, encounter difficulties during their post-production stage and subsequently while trying to obtain theatrical release. FICG’s Guadalajara Construye 6 earlier this year included a program consisting of six works in progress presented to accredited industry guests: distributors, sales agents, service companies, funds and festivals, with the possibility of supporting projects’ completion and their subsequent exhibition. Projects screened at Guadalajra Construye are eligible to receive numerous honors and awards, as well as cash, products and services from several companies.
The two festivals also have a recent history of affinity with their official selections. Mariachi Gringo,directed by Tom Gustafson, was a USA-Mexico coproduction by New York-based SPEAKproductionsand Guadalajara’s Sin Sentido Films, world premiered in Miami as MIFF 2012’s opening night film and immediately afterwards won FICG’s top prize for best Mexican feature, as well as best actress for Martha Higareda, at Guadalajara. The partially filmed-in-Guadalajara story revolves around a gringo who moves to Guadalajara to learn how to play mariachi music.
MIFF’s Industry registration is now open (Early Bird Fee will apply up-to and including Friday, February 1, 2013).
FICG’s Industry registration opens on Monday, December 3, 2012 until Friday, February 8, 2013.
Miami International Film Festival (MIFF), celebrating its 30th anniversary March 1 – 10, 2013, is considered the preeminent Ibero-American film festival in the U.S. The annual Festival, produced and presented by Miami Dade College, attracts more than 70,000 audience members and more than 400 filmmakers, producers, talent and industry professionals. It is the only major festival housed within a college or university. In the last five years, the Festival has screened films from more than 60 countries, including 300 World, International, North American, U.S. and East Coast Premieres. MIFF’s special focus on Ibero-American cinema has made the Festival a natural gateway for the discovery of new talent from this diverse territory. The Festival also offers unparalleled educational opportunities to film students and the community at large. Major sponsors of the 2013 Festival include Knight Foundation and Lexus. For more, visit miff2020.wpengine.com or call 305-237-MIFF (3456).
Miami Dade College has a long and rich history of involvement in the cultural arts, providing South Florida with a vast array of artistic and literary offerings including The Miami Book Fair International, the Florida Center for the Literary Arts, the MDC Live! performance series, The MDC Tower Theater Cinema Series, nine visual arts galleries including The Freedom Tower at Miami Dade College and the School of Entertainment and Design Technology, in addition to the renowned Miami International Film Festival. MDC is the largest institution of higher education in the country and is nationally recognized for many of its academic and cultural programs. With an enrollment of more than 174,000 students, MDC is the nation’s top producer of degrees. The college’s eight campuses and outreach centers offer nearly 300 distinct degree programs including several baccalaureate degrees. www.mdc.edu
Guadalajara International Film Festival (FICG) is known as the most important one in Latin-America, as well as the place where year after year well-known distributors, programming leaders in the international audiovisual industry, producers and sales agents are brought together with commercial and promotional purposes. It’s the ideal setting for negotiations and exchange of ideas and by focusing primarily on the Ibero-American (Latin-America, Spain & Portugal) market, this event represents a long-range showcase for film productions in need of co-production, distribution or sale. FICG, having been consolidated in the international scene as one of the most important strategic spaces for the exhibition and film programming sectors, highlights the interest for supporting Mexican and Latin-American film in an integral way. Its activities are carried out in the Festival’s main venue creating an atmosphere that favours exchange, encounters and communication among filmmakers, producers, distributors, buyers, sales agents and experts in the audiovisual field. Its goal is to strengthen networks and enhance the collaboration within the large industry gathering in Guadalajara. Year after year this forum has allowed a cultural exchange in a unique atmosphere. For more information about FICG and Industry Activities, visit www.ficg.mx.
MIFF Contact: Tatyana Chiocchetti, Tel: +1 305-237-8979, tatyana@miamifilmfestival.com
FICG contacts: Andrea Stavenhagen, Alejandra Paulín, industria@ficg.mx
MDC Contacts: Juan Mendieta, Tel: +1 305-237-7611, jmendiet@mdc.edu
Tere Estorino, director of media relations, 305-237-3949, testorin@mdc.edu
Sue Arrowsmith, 305-237-3710, sue.arrowsmith@mdc.edu
Alejandro Rios, 305-237-7482, arios1@mdc.edu.
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