NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
Wednesday, February 12, 2014
VEOMIAMI, INDUSTRY PROGRAM OF MIAMI INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL, A PROGRAM OF MIAMI DADE COLLEGE’S MDCULTURE, ANNOUNCES FIVE ENCUENTROS & TEN CO-PRODUCTION LAB PROJECTS FOR THE 31ST EDITION
Miami, FL — Miami International Film Festival (MIFF), a program of Miami Dade College’s MDCulture, today announced the five film selections for its VeoMiami industry initiative, the 11th Miami ENCUENTROS presented by Moviecity. In addition to the five selected Encuentros films, MIFF is proud to announce the ten selected ACE Co-Productions Lab Projects.
The purpose of Miami ENCUENTROS presented by Moviecity is to facilitate completion of feature films produced partially or entirely by Latin-American based production companies, or from U.S. Hispanic filmmakers that are currently in post-production and will not be completed by March 2014. Miami ENCUENTROS aims to propel these projects towards their eventual debuts on the international stage. MIFF ENCUENTROS and Moviecity will be awarding a pre-sale contract offer worth USD $35,000 to the winning project as selected by a jury of industry professionals.
The five selected projects for Miami Encuentros 2014 are:
- Aurora (Chile, produced by Florencia Larrea, directed by Rodrigo Sepulveda)
- Lulez (Argentina, produced by Ignacio R. Sarchi, directed by Luis Ortega)
- Two Waters (Dos aguas) (Costa Rica / Colombia, produced & directed by Patricia
Velásquez)
- Venice (Venecia) (Cuba, produced by Ivonne Cotorruelo, directed by Kiki Álvarez)
- Voice Over (La voz en off) (Chile / France / Canada, produced by Bruno Bettati, directed
by Cristián Jiménez)
Many participating filmmakers have a history with Miami International Film Festival. Luis Ortega won MIFF’s World Dramatic Competition prize in 2003 with his film Black Box. Additionally, Cristián Jiménez won the Knight Ibero-American Competition in 2012 with his film Bonsai.
The ten selected 10 ACE Co-Production Lab projects include:
- Argentina: Benjamin Domench, REI Cine SRL, Dolores by Gonzalo Tobal
- Argentina: Felicitas Raffo, Cepa Audiovisual, Nobody Is Watching by Julia Solomonoff
- Chile: Bruno Bettati, Jirafa, Parable of a Blind Christ, by Christopher Murray
- Colombia: Andres Baiz, Dynamo, Domestic Animals by Andres Baiz (producer/director)
- Cuba: Hernan Musaluppi, Rizoma, Benjamin or the Planetarium by Carlos Quintela
- Germany: Felix Blum, Propeller Film, Toro 21, script by Oliver Keidel
- Germany: Jan Kruger, Port-au-Prince Film, The Saint of the Impossible by Mark
Raymond Wilkins
- Spain: Luis Angel Ramirez, Imval Producciones, Claria by Luis Angel Ramirez
- Sweden: Ulf Hultberg, The Last Battle by Ulf Hultberg, written by Åsa Faringer
- UK: Steve Clarke-Hall, Skyline Films, Nemesis by Fernando Meirelles *Past Oscar
nominee for City of God
In addition, a keynote address from one of Argentina’s leading production companies, Patagonik, by the general manager Juan Pablo Galli, will be a major highlight of the VeoMiami ACE Co-Production Lab workships. Special confirmed panelists for seminars include Canada’s prolific Luc Dery of micro_scope productions. Dery has been nominated twice for the Oscars, for MIFF alumni titles Incendies and Monsieur Lazhar. His film Gabrielle is also participating in this year’s MIFF program. Additional confirmed panelists include Roya Vakili from Fox International Pictures (FIP), who are celebrating their second consecutive year in MIFF’s Knight Competition. FIP’s Septimo is participating in this year’s program and Everybody Has A Plan participated in 2013.
Access to the VeoMiami Encuentros screenings and ACE Co-Production Lab workshops are restricted to registered Industry guests only. Industry registration has been extended until Monday, February 17th at https://miff.datakal.eu/registration/en/industry.aspx
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ACE (Ateliers du Cinéma Européen) Co-Production Lab in Miami is a three-day workshop,
supported by MEDIA and MIFF’s VeoMiami industry program, that will bring together European
and Latin American film industry professionals to develop opportunities for artistic and financial
cooperation between these territories. The project-based workshop will consist of case studies,
pitching sessions, panels, one-on-one meetings, and networking events.
Miami International Film Festival (MIFF), celebrating its 31st anniversary March 7 – 16, 2014, 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. 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 2014 Festival include Knight Foundation, Lexus and Miami-Dade County. For more, visit miff2020.wpengine.com or call 305-237-MIFF (3456).
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, visit mdculture.org.
MIFF Contacts:
Jessica Wade Pfeffer, Jessica Wade Inc. | Tel: +1 305-804-8424 | jessica@jessicawadeinc.com
MDC Contacts:
Juan Mendieta | +1 305-237-761 | jmendiet@mdc.edu
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