NEWSLETTERS

A MESSAGE FROM STEPHANIE MARTINO

Hello Everyone!

Hope all of you are enjoying the joyous spirit and excitement that the holiday season brings. As we approach the end of 2016, I look back and see how much FFI has accomplished this past year and beyond. As a strong production team, my staff and I have embraced and appreciated all of the hard work. As most of you know, time and energy is imperative and there are always ups and downs with each production. However, I can truly say that we have had an awesome and fun time working together even with endless deadlines & stressful creative decisions! The projects that were produced this year have been outstanding thanks to our terrific summer film campers & CINEMA program students!ope all of you are having a wonderful 2017! FFI has been incredibly productive with a full programming schedule working with high school students from all over Miami-Dade County. Since our last newsletter there have been some terrific developments within our organization. All of the exciting news is detailed below but first I will give you some of the highlights!

Currently we have 3 silent films fully completed and 6 short narrative films in post production. We have started the Broadcasting phase of the program with our after school program students. It has been such a busy time coordinating all of the MDCPS sites and multiple projects but we are so thrilled with the creative journey we have experienced thus far.

It is hard to believe there are less than four weeks left in the school year, but there is much to accomplish before then as we have more filming to do and we are also prepping for our CINEMA awards/screening event on June 3rd. Then we will be back in production mode as we venture into the seventh year of the award-winning summer teen film camp program @ CGAC! Please see below for much more info and, of course, thanks to all of you for your continued support of FFI and the amazing, talented youth in our local communities!

CINEMA AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAM UPDATE

Young Men’s Preparatory Academy, Miami Beach Senior High School and Miami Lakes Educational Center are all currently in post production for their narrative film projects. The 3rd and final phase of the after school CINEMA program (Broadcasting/TV Spots) has begun and all of the filming for the commercials is currently taking place. All of the TV Spots will be completed by end of May.

CINEMA IN-SCHOOL PROGRAM UPDATE

Westland Hialeah High School students were selected for the one in-school program taking place this year. The class was very big so the students were divided into two production teams and produced two narrative films with separate casts/crews. Currently, the students at WHHS are in post production/editing mode for their projects.

End of Year Awards/Screening June 3rd
PLEASE SAVE THE DATE!!!

The 2016-2017 CINEMA screening & awards event will be held on Saturday, June 3rd @ 10am at The Coral Gables Art Cinema. This event will showcase all of the projects that have been produced this year (silent/narrative films, TV Spots, etc.) and awards will be given out in numerous categories. Please RSVP to Meagan if you can join us, meagan@flfilminstitute.org.

The Coral Gables Art Cinema is located at 260 Aragon Avenue, directly across the street from Books & Books. It is one street north of Miracle Mile, between Ponce de Leon Boulevard on the east and Salzedo Street on the west.

Summer Film Camp Info
June 12 – July 21 UPDATE

Lights, Camera,
Summer FFI TEEN FILM CAMP 2017!!!

6 week workshop: Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 10am- 1pm Coral Gables Art Cinema- June 12 through July 21. There will be three field trips which will take place during the camp sessions (on a selected Thursday or Friday). Limited scholarships available to high school students for the summer film camp!!!!!! For those that do not qualify for a scholarship the camp fee is $695 plus required $50 registration fee, limited to ages 13-18. For more info and to register online go to www.flfilminstitute.org, 305-891-3456!

CLICK HERE FOR MORE
“Our Children” Talk Show, April 29, 2017 (YouTube Video)

LIGHTS, CAMERA, SUMMER FILM CAMP

6 WEEK WORKSHOP – $695*

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday
10am – 1pm | June 12 – July 21, 2017

Register at www.flfilminstitute.org – 305.891.3456
Application Deadline: Thursday, June 1, 20178

*$50 registration fee required | Ages 13 – 18

Film Festival Update

Congratulations to the cast/crew of the FFI/CINEMA project THE CANDIDATE (from MBSHS last year)! This narrative dramedy has been given an award of merit from the Best Shorts Competition! Check out www.BestShorts.net for more info! In addition, this film was also chosen as a semi-finalist in the LA CineFest! Check out www.lacinefest.org for more.

Congrats to the BTWHS cast/crew of “What Are Your Desires” – this film has been selected to be screened at #Comicpalooza Film Fest!
www.comicpalooza.com

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT, Julio Montesino

From the time I was a child I was in love with motion pictures and watched Disney movies over and over. An overactive imagination, my sisters and I spent our summers making home movies written and directed by me. Later, as an adolescent, I became obsessed with scary movies and horror films. I always watched them with a critical eye, and analyzed every scene trying to figure out how they made it, and how it could have been better. Writing & creating my own stories and characters was something I did regularly. I pretty much self-taught myself how to write screenplays. Upon graduating high school I decided to pursue my Bachelor’s in Film & Motion Picture Arts. After being accepted into the Honors College at MDC and completing my first two years, I decided to stay at MDC in their state of the arts Film Program where I recently graduated with a Bachelor’s degree. My thesis Film for graduation is entitled “One Day To The Next.” It is a musical. I wrote & directed the screenplay, wrote the music, sang the songs, created the choreography and set. It was created locally with the help of volunteers, family members as well as the students in the Film program at Miami Dade College. I am proud to say it was officially selected as a Top 8 film featured at the MDC Student Film Festival from over 45 student productions. It has been entered into various film festivals already winning the “Audience Favorite” at the Filmgate Miami “I’m Not Gonna Move to L.A. (NOLA) local monthly festival. I participated in FFI’s Summer Program twice, and during the Summer of 2011, I had the opportunity to act and direct in the student project, “The Host.” Here, I got my first real taste for directing in true form, and helping to produce a short film. I feel FFI’s program really helped me develop my desire to make movies, giving me a real sense for what it takes. It truly helped me figure out how to take the ideas and the screenplay and put them on the big screen. This program exposes kids to real filmmaking opportunities and provides experiences that you wouldn’t have otherwise.

You Shop. Amazon Gives.

Amazon will donate 0.5% of the price of your eligible AmazonSmile purchases to Florida Film Institute Inc. whenever you shop on AmazonSmile.

AmazonSmile is the same Amazon you know. Same products, same prices, same service.
Support your charitable organization by starting your shopping at smile.amazon.com.
AmazonSmile: You shop. Amazon gives.

DONATIONS TO OUR ORGANIZATION

FFI is always seeking financial and in-kind support. In the event that you would like to donate dollars (or maybe just some sense!) please click HERE or contact the FFI office directly and speak with Stephanie.

Sponsored in part by the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs and the Florida Council on Arts and Culture, and with the support of the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs and the Cultural Affairs Council, the Miami-Dade County Mayor and Board of County Commissioners, The Children’s Trust, is a dedicated source of revenue established by voter referendum to improve the lives of children and families in Miami-Dade County, Miami Dade College North Campus, School of Entertainment & Design Technology (SEDT), Garnet Productions, Coral Gables Art Cinema, VideoLab Solutions, and Miami-Dade County Public Schools.