NEWSLETTERS

A MESSAGE FROM STEPHANIE MARTINO

Hello Everyone!

Hope all of you are flourishing as we enter the Fall season down here in South Florida! But before I get into all of the riveting FFI news I’d like to take a moment to express care and concern for anyone affected by the recent hurricanes. It seems that we all know of someone who has suffered through damage or a complete loss of their home as a result of Helene and Milton. There are many upsides to living in our state but facing natural disasters is not one of them. I truly hope everyone who has been dealing with the aftermath of these storms is able to get the support they need to move forward and rebuild – and most importantly, heal from these tragic weather related events. To all of FFI’s friends, family, fans, and students/staff – may we focus on being hopeful & continue to strive for alignment which will generate peace and calm in our communities and the world at large.

With that being said, I’d like to bring all of you up to speed on what is happening @ FFI! As usual, we have been quite busy over the past many months and are ecstatic to preserve our good work with amazing student filmmakers – despite having the whole State of Florida arts budget cut which greatly affects our funding as well as a plethora of imperative, local arts organizations and beyond. We are grateful that there has been financial assistance offered to us by The Knight Foundation. This unexpected funding will keep us afloat while the state budget is being revamped. In the meantime, FFI will remain patient and optimistic as we look towards the future, all while manifesting that Florida’s arts funding will hopefully be restored in full.

It is unbelievable to conceive that FFI is now in its 32nd year of production! Who knew that our mission established in 1992 would still be current and essential for young filmmakers in the year 2024? WOW! FFI’s award-winning program Cinematographers in Education and Media Arts (CINEMA) still proudly enriches the educational experience for young adults by providing a hands-on learning experience that teaches the art, business and science of filmmaking! We honestly love submitting the creative pieces that have been made throughout our program and appreciate the continuous feedback we get back from film festivals from around the country and the globe!

It goes without saying but I am honored to be able to lead the FFI organization after all of these years! It truly is a privilege and I could not do it without my fantastic staff members who are phenomenal leaders in and out of the classroom. The past 23-24′ school year was magnificent and the 24′ summer film camp program was triumphant as the students produced two great films (much more detailed info below)! Currently, FFI is in extensive production mode with the 24-25’ after-school CINEMA program projects and we couldn’t be more excited to see what they develop, produce and film in the coming weeks and months ahead!

Please read below for further updates and uplifting news about the past, present and future!

2024 – 2025 After School CINEMA Program Update

FFI has selected 3 M-DCPS high schools to work with this year: John A. Ferguson Senior High School, Miami Lakes Educational Center and William H. Turner Technical Arts High School. Our awe-inspiring students recently completed filming their Haiku films and are in the editing phase of production. Next up they will explore screenwriting – and before this semester ends CINEMA participants will form teams and prepare for production on their narrative short films.

Here are some images of our CINEMA students in action learning about camera techniques, fundamentals in acting and conceptualizing their project ideas and themes.

2024 Summer Film Camp Update

The summer film camp was produced @ The Coral Gables Art Cinema. The program began mid June and ran through the end of July. This group of students (ages 13-18) was so large we had to create two films so everyone could experience different crew positions on the productions. The students produced/directed/edited two projects “ADMIT ONE” and “A SPECIAL VISIT.” These films will soon be submitted for consideration – please stay tuned for updates on their progress as they make their way around the global film festival circuit!

The premiere for the two SFC films was held @ CGAC on September 28th followed by an informative Q & A session with the student filmmakers. The event was a welcomed reunion and celebration for camp staff and students. We wish the high school Seniors the best of luck as they apply for colleges (and some of them are vying for film schools around the country)! We anticipate that many of the camp participants will join us again next summer! Stay tuned to our social media platforms for the 2024 film camp dates and additional info including registration details!

New Staff Member

Film Fest News

It is always a welcomed surprise to receive positive reviews about the CINEMA projects! Local, state and nationwide film festivals have seen the amazing work that our students have contributed to the projects- and many of the films have been screened and/or are currently in consideration of being showcased on a global scale. It goes without saying that FFI staff members are quite pleased that the student casts/crews are constantly being recognized for their efforts. Here are some of the recent highlights about the narrative shorts – these include past Summer Film Camp and After-School Program short film projects. For additional info (and FFI’s history) you can always go directly to our website and read about all of the film fest news.

FFI CINEMA History

GRANT NEWS

FFI graciously received a 2024 Florida General Program Support Grant from the JOHN S. AND JAMES L. KNIGHT FOUNDATION.

About the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation: We are social investors who support democracy by funding free expression and journalism, arts and culture in community, research in areas of media and democracy, and in the success of American cities and towns where the Knight brothers once had newspapers. Learn more at kf.org and follow @knightfdn on social media.

FFI STAFF SPOTLIGHT

Arturo Sande

We are so proud to announce that Arturo, a long standing FFI instructor, won the following awards for writing the screenplay ALPHA SQUADRON 7, in collaboration with his writing partner Eddie Eniel Santiago: 1) Gold Award for Best Feature Screenplay @ Florence Film Awards and 2) Gold Award for Best Feature Script @ Hollywood Gold Awards. In addition, Arturo recently directed the documentary “I Am Like You” – a film that showcases the talents of people with disabilities and autism as they study to become bakers and subsequently enter the workforce. CLICK HERE for more info about this film and the program.

Q & A with Arturo:

What do you love about teaching filmmaking, especially working for FFI?
FFI provides an opportunity that I wish I had when I was in high school. FFI gives high school students the know how and the tools to make their own films. Other than the collaboration with Stephanie Martino (Executive Director) and my fellow instructors, what I love the most about teaching for FFI is that I get to share the students’ stories with them.

What do you look forward to when creating projects and how do you incorporate this into your teaching style?
My favorite part of the process for the scripts I have written are the construction of the characters and the worlds that they inhabit. I think this comes across in the FFI movies because we workshop and rewrite the scripts in order to better serve the plot and the emotional core of the films.

What is the main thing you want students to learn from you?
I tell the students to let the story guide them. Story is paramount.

What is next on the creative horizon for you?
My favorite subject is the ocean. I’m looking to doing something related with the ocean next.

INSTAGRAM + FACEBOOK

Follow FFI on our INSTAGRAM + FACEBOOK pages to check out some awesome behind the scenes production pics:

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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 By

Sponsored in part by the The Children’s Trust, 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), Coral Gables Art Cinema, Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs and the Cultural Affairs Council, the Miami-Dade County Mayor & Board of County Commissioners and The Knight Foundation.