For Immediate Release:
October 27, 2011
The Miami International Film Festival of Miami Dade College Urges Film Lovers to Support Florida Film Projects Through Kickstarter Campaign
MIAMI, FL – Miami International Film Festival (MIFF), produced and presented by Miami Dade College (MDC), today announced the launch of a Kickstarter project for its “Florida Focus” program. An annual celebration of made/set-in-Florida films, the program’s overall objective is to provide local producers and filmmakers an important and essential opportunity to exhibit their talent within an international film festival model (provided by MIFF). The goal is to raise $5,000 by November 22nd, which will aide in securing additional programming, help with travel expenses, venue rentals and public relations efforts. The program hopes to expand from three films in 2011 to six in 2012.
The 2011 “Florida Focus” films included:
Magic City Memoirs: Directed by Miami-born Aaron Salgado and executively produced by actor and MDC alumnus Andy Garcia, the film exposes the world of private school privilege and lax parental oversight in Miami. The film has gone on to win prizes at the Ibiza Film Festival and the New York Latino Film Festival and is currently in talks for potential U.S. theatrical distribution.
making sh*t up: Director Bill Bilowit (from Miami) tells the story of Miami’s conceptual artist and MDC alumnus Bert Rodriguez as he prepares for exhibitions while battling personal demons. The doc received an immense amount of attention from the visual arts community and media, and introduced Rodriguez to new audiences.
Mooney vs. Fowle: Director James Lipscomb’s (from Miami) documentary takes a behind-the-scenes look at the now-historic 1961 Florida state high school championship game between perennial rivals Miami High School and Edison High School.
Pledges to the campaign can range from $1 to $2,500 and rewards will be awarded to backers depending on the amount of the donation. For more information on the program and/or to contribute, please visit:
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/miamifilmfestival/support-florida-films
Kickstarter is a new way to fund creative projects. The site believes in spreading a good idea fast and wide, exposing projects to large groups of people with funds and is powered by a unique all-or-nothing funding method where projects must be fully-funded by reaching set goal or no money changes hands.
The Miami International Film Festival (MIFF), celebrating its 29th edition on March 2-11, 2012, 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 East Coast, U.S. and World Premieres. MIFF programs such as Miami Encuentros, and a special focus on Ibero-American cinema have made the Miami International Film Festival a natural gateway for the discovery of Ibero-American talent. Additionally, the Festival offers unparalleled educational opportunities to filmmakers and the community at large. 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! Performing Arts 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. It has admitted nearly 2 million students since it opened its doors in 1960. More at mdc.edu.
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