NEWSLETTERS

A MESSAGE FROM STEPHANIE MARTINO

Hello Everyone!

Hope all of you have been having a great summer! FFI has been extremely busy since the school year ended in early June. We kicked off the summer season early with our annual CINEMA screenings/awards event on May 21st, 2014 at Miami Dade College, North Campus, in collaboration with The School of Entertainment and Design Technology. It was a huge success and all of the students and teachers enjoyed seeing the films in the state of the art motion picture screening room. In addition to the screenings, all attendees were given a tour of the studio facilities. Please see the complete list of CINEMA winners in this newsletter.

Thanks for supporting FFI and our award winning programs. I am extremely proud of everything we have accomplished so far this year, and there is so much more to come! Next month, the 2014-2015 school year will begin and we will be entering 6 new schools in the MDCPS system to produce our Award winning CINEMA program. Stay tuned for more info about the schools and their films!

STUDENT FILM AWARDS 2013-2014

And the Winners are!

Best Film and Best Director, Fanny Martin MAD WORLD (CRSH)
Best Sound – ONE FOR ONE (FVHS)
Best Lighting – HARMONIC (MLEC) and ONE FOR ONE (FVHS)
Best Cinematography – WHO ARE YOU, REALLY? (TTAHS) and SORRY BRAH (ATMHS)
Best Editing – MAD WORLD (CRHS) and HARMONIC (MLEC) and SORRY BRAH (ATMHS)
Best Screenplay – WHO ARE YOU, REALLY? (TTAHS) and COMMERCIALS: UNPLUGGED (RMEC)

CONGRATS TO ALL OF THE FILMMAKERS!!!!!

Movie Poster Design

1st Place – MAD WORLD (CRHS)
2nd Place – COMMERCIALS: UNPLUGGED (RMEC)
3rd Place – SORRY BRAH (ATMHS)

CONGRATS TO ALL OF THE FILMMAKERS!!!!!

SUMMER FILM CAMP UPDATE

On June 16th at CGAC we started the first of six weeks of our annual summer film camp program! The students we worked with this year have impressed and inspired us. My staff and I are always excited to work with such wonderful and creative students that are committed and focused to venture on a filmmaking journey. This year’s group is currently in post-production with their short film project. The filming took place at the end of July @ MDC-N. I would like to personally congratulate our cast and crew on a fantastic summer camp so far and everyone at FFI looks forward to premiering this film sometime in the early Fall! FFI is so fortunate to have been given the use of the CGAC theatre again for our summer film camp. This is the perfect space for our program and I would like to thank Robert Rosenberg and his amazing staff at the theater for welcoming us year after year!

FILM FESTIVAL NEWS

DIYDS / SILENCE Film

The film, ‘SILENCE,’ made it into the 17th Annual Do It Your Damn Self!! National Youth Video and Film Festival. This highly competitive student festival received many films from all over the country and they selected only 10 to be included in this year’s event. FFI was able to raise enough funds to send Christian (head writer/lead actor) and his interpreter to the festival which took place at the end of April in Boston, MA.

For those that don’t know, SILENCE is a film about a high school boy, Kyle, who is hearing impaired. Like most kids his age, Kyle is just trying to find his place in the world. He wants to make friends, maybe even meet a girl, and bring people into his world. But he is different. He lives in a world of Silence.

Christian wrote the script which is based on his own life. It is a powerful and deeply personal story from start to finish. According to Christian, being able to travel and attend the festival was a life changing experience for him and FFI is so proud and happy we could provide such an amazing moment for him. For more info on the DIYDS film festival please visit www.diyds.org.

ALUMNI NEWS

Bryan Herrero, a former CINEMA participant and FFI intern, is currently working on FFI’s alumni project so we can track what/where/who/how our past student filmmakers are doing now! If you have been a participant of any FFI’s award winning film programs and would like to stay connected to our alumni news and updates please contact Bryan at bryanflfilm3456@gmail.com or click here to take our short survey.

CINEMA Program Schools

Selected for 2014 – 2015

John Ferguson Senior High School
Southwest Senior High School
Young Men’s Preparatory Academy
Westland Hialeah Senior High School
Everglades Preparatory Academy High School
Coral Gables Senior High School

FFI SPONSORS
Thank you for your continued support!

I want to send a special thanks to the wonderful organizations that provide us with the funding we need to operate, they are the real heart of our Institute. With their help we are able to create an increased educational awareness in hundreds of students a year, many of whom would never get the kind of life altering experience that our programs bring to them.

The Children’s Trust
Miami Dade College
Miami-Dade County
Florida Division of Cultural Affairs
Coral Gables Art Cinema
Miami-Dade County Public Schools

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.