Miami Dade College’s Miami International Film Festival Teams Up With The Related Group To Create Grant Fund For Argentine Filmmakers
For Immediate Release
Friday, September 11, 2015
Miami Dade College’s Miami International Film Festival Teams Up With The Related Group To Create Grant Fund For Argentine Filmmakers
TORONTO – As the world film industry gathers here for TIFF, the Americas’ largest annual film event, Miami Dade College’s Miami International Film Festival, the only international film festival worldwide produced by a college or university, today announces the launch of a new program in partnership with The Related Group titled MIAMI FILM 2016. The program has been created to bolster support for Argentine filmmakers by funding the development of ongoing projects and is the second major collaboration between the two entities.
“Given the outstanding commitment Miami audiences have shown for Argentine films through the Festival’s history, it makes great sense for us, with The Related Group’s phenomenal commitment to aiding artists as part of the essential fabric of urban living, to focus on the filmmakers of Argentina this year,” says Jaie Laplante, the Festival’s Executive Director & Director of Programming. “Developing a new project can be one of the longest and most daunting aspects in the process of making a film – our aim is to lend the moral support that comes with financial support at this crucial stage.”
“A core belief of The Related Group is that in order to develop an urban mecca and bolster a positive social environment with a thriving economy, nurturing the arts is a must. We proudly supported up and coming Cuban filmmakers during last year’s Festival and look forward to working with a new group of talented Argentine artists,” Jorge Pérez, Chairman and Founder of The Related Group, and MDC Alumnus. He adds, “Argentina is home to some of the world’s most respected and beloved filmmakers, and through our continued partnership with Miami International Film Festival, we aim to support their continued development, growth and connection with the U.S.”
The Festival’s long-standing and powerful position as a key American portal for Argentine cinema has ignited this program as a merit-based grant with the aim of awarding support to three developing Argentinian film projects attached to Argentine directors with at least one previous internationally-distributed feature film credit. With the funding from The Related Group, the Festival will award cash prizes in the amount of $32,500 to be divided amongst three developing films based on project quality and production feasibility. The directors of the winning projects will be invited to attend the 33rd edition of Miami International Film Festival in March 2016 to not only receive the award, but also participate in the Festival with a retrospective screening of their earlier feature films.
Argentina is one of Latin America’s cinematic powerhouses. It is the most nominated Latin American country in history of the Academy Awards’ Best Foreign Language Film category, and it is the only Latin American country to win the accolade – which it has done twice, in 1986 (The Official Story) and 2010 (The Secret in Their Eyes). Additionally, Damian Szifron’s Wild Tales (Relatos salvages) grossed more than $3 million at the U.S. box office in 2015. Along with Brazil and Mexico, it also has the most prolific annual output – close to 200 domestic and co-production feature films in 2014 alone. Argentine films are a major part of the program at the annual Miami International Film Festival, permeating all GALA, competition and niche program sections with an incredible variety of quality work available to share with Miami audiences every year.
Call for entries to the program will be September 15 – October 31, 2015. Finalists will be announced on November 15, 2015. For all entries, the Festival team will shortlist up to a maximum of ten projects that will continue to the live pitching round during Buenos Aires’ annual Ventana Sur (the largest film market in South America) set to take place between November 30 – December 4, 2015. A jury of international professionals will determine the winning projects, which will be announced at Ventana Sur.
For more information, please visit www.miff2020.wpengine.com or call 305-237-FILM(3456). Miami International Film Festival is the only major film festival event housed within a college or university.
# # #
About Miami Dade College’s Miami International Film Festival
Celebrating its 33rd anniversary March 4 – 13, 2016, Miami Dade College’s Miami International Film Festival 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. The Festival’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. Additionally, every October, the Festival hosts a mid-season festival titled GEMS, showcasing the season’s finest new cinematic works. Major sponsors of the 2016 Festival include Knight Foundation, Lexus and Miami-Dade County. For more information, visit www.miff2020.wpengine.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 its community with 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.
Miami International Film Festival Contacts:
Jessica Wade Pfeffer, Jessica Wade Inc. | +1 305-804-8424 | jessica@jessicawadeinc.com
Margie Sernik, Jessica Wade Inc. | +1 305-456-0483 | margie@jessicawadeinc.com
Brian Jolly, Jessica Wade Inc. | +1 817-205-1889 | brian@jessicawadeinc.com
Miami Dade College Contacts:
Juan Mendieta | +1 305-237-761 | jmendiet@mdc.edu
Hessy Fernandez | Director, Media Relations | +1 305-237-3949 | Hfernan5@mdc.edu
Sue Arrowsmith | +1 305-237-3710 | sue.arrowsmith@mdc.edu
Allison Horton | 1+ 305-237-3359 | ahorton@mdc.edu
The Related Group Contact:
Jorge Mendez | Zakarin Martinez PR | +1 305-372-2502 | Jorge@zm-pr.com
