| For Immediate Release
October 23, 2014
Miami Dade College’s Miami International Film Festival Signs The Related Group as Presenting Sponsor of New Program
Emerging Cuban Independent Film/Video Artists Program
Debuts at Festival’s 32nd Edition
Miami — Miami International Film Festival (MiamiFF), a flagship Miami Dade College MDCulture program, is pleased to announce the launch of its newest category: Emerging Cuban Independent Film/Video Artists Program Presented by The Related Group – debuting at MiamiFF’s 32nd edition, March 6 – 15, 2015.
The Related Group will sponsor four promising independent Cuban filmmakers with the opportunity to experience the U.S.’s premiere Ibero-American and international cinema festival firsthand.
Founded by well-known entrepreneur and arts philanthropist of Cuban descent Jorge Perez, The Related Group has partnered with MiamiFF to provide unprecedented access to the emerging, independent new-generation talents. Programmers at MiamiFF, in collaboration with Perez, are seeking to support independent Cuban filmmakers by providing them with access to professional exchanges with international filmmaking peers, as well as an extended immersion in the vibrant South Florida film and arts scene.
Filmmakers participating in this program are invited to share their new work, either completed new productions, work-in-progress cuts, selected material or productions in early development stages, with the Miami public via special event programs and panel discussions during MiamiFF32.
“There are numerous young, independent filmmakers in Cuba who are finding unique ways to make their art and develop their voices, and it is MiamiFF’s great wish to support their development and connect them with international audiences who are eager to absorb their work,” says Jaie Laplante, Executive Director of MiamiFF. “The Festival is grateful to Jorge Perez and The Related Group for setting the stage for us to invite four of these talents to be with us next year, where their fellow filmmakers and our audiences will surely learn as much from them as they might from us,” adds Laplante.
“My hope is that this new and trailblazing programming provides these filmmakers the recognition they deserve on a global stage, and that it helps bring about the change all of us want for the island,” added Perez, who is an MDC alumnus.
Among the additional activities planned for the independent Cuban filmmakers, who will be named at a later date, are screenings of earlier works at Miami Dade College’s Tower Theater both before and after the Festival; meetings with Cuban American film professionals residing in Miami; and, in collaboration with MDC’s Center for Latin American and Caribbean Initiatives, visits to Miami Dade College’s School of Entertainment & Design Technology (SEDT) as well as an opportunity to attend classes at the Department of Arts & Philosophy at Miami Dade College.
For membership opportunities or more information about MiamiFF, please visit www.miff2020.wpengine.comor call 305-237-FILM(3456). The Festival is the only major film festival event housed within a college or university.
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About Miami International Film Festival
Celebrating its 32nd anniversary March 6 – 15, 2015, MiamiFF is considered the preeminent film festival for showcasing Ibero-American cinema in the U.S., and a major launch pad for all international and documentary cinema. The annual Festival, produced and presented by Miami Dade College, attracts more than 60,000 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. MiamiFF’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 2015 Festival include Knight Foundation, Lexus and Miami-Dade County. For more information, visit www.iamifilmfestival.com or call 305-237-FILM (3456).
About MDCulture
MDCulture is the Cultural Affairs Department of Miami Dade College (MDC). Comprising the Miami Book Fair International, Miami International Film Festival, Tower Theater, the Center for Literature and Theatre, Koubek Center, Freedom Tower, MDC Live Arts and MDC Galleries and Museum of Art + Design, MDCulture is committed to providing everyone the opportunity to come in contact with innovative thinkers, creators and tradition bearers from around the world. With each presentation, MDCulture offers a bridge between cultures and ideas, creating new opportunities for the increasingly diverse population of Miami to come together through shared live arts experiences. For more information, visit www.mdculture.org.
About The Related Group
The Related Group was established in 1979, and is America’s leading developer of sophisticated urban living and one of the largest firms in the United States. Since its inception, the privately held company has built and managed more than 85,000 condominium and apartment residences. The Related Group has earned a national reputation for its visionary design and development of luxury condominiums, mixed-use center and affordable rental properties – often in emerging or undiscovered neighborhoods. The firm is one of the largest Hispanic-owned businesses in the United States with a development portfolio of projects worth in excess of $15 billion. TIME Magazine named Mr. Pérez one of top 25 most influential Hispanics in the United States, and has made the cover of Forbes twice. For more information, visit www.relatedgroup.com.
MDC Contacts:
Tere Estorino, +1 305-237-3949, testorin@mdc.edu
Sue Arrowsmith, +1 305-237-3710, sue.arrowsmith@mdc.edu
Alejandro Rios, +1 305-237-7482, arios1@mdc.edu
The Related Group Contact:
Amy Zakarin | +1 305-372-2502 | amy@zm-pr.com
Jorge Mendez | +1 305-372-2502 | jorge@zm-pr.com |
