NEWSLETTERS

A MESSAGE FROM STEPHANIE MARTINO

Hello Everyone!

Greetings from FFI! 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!

It has been yet another amazing year for silent films, narrative shorts and TV Spots. I am quite proud of the focus and teamwork our participants have demonstrated this year. Congrats to all of the actors and filmmakers for a job well done! And special thanks to everyone for your continued support of the Florida Film Institute! This year I am especially grateful to be given the fortunate opportunity of running a successful arts organization.

Wishing all of you the happiest of holidays and may your 2017 be healthy and bright!

CINEMA AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAM UPDATE

The three after-school film program sites have completed their silent film projects. Currently the students at these schools are working on the 2nd block of the program which is the narrative film project. The first drafts of their stories are being worked on and all of the filming days will take place in March. Here is more info about the silent films:

Miami Lakes Educational Center MLEC
“The Gift” is about a couple struggling with their relationship who make up in a dream.

FILM DESCRIPTION:
Based on a couple that experiences adversity in their marriage, problems arise as the husband, Derek can’t find any time for his wife, Hannah. She doesn’t communicate often with Derek. In the end, what transpires in a dream between Hannah and Derek, causes Derek to realize what they have as a couple.

Young Men’s Preparatory Academy (YMPA)
“The Trade” is about unique people and their purpose in your life.

FILM DESCRIPTION:
Sometimes people are not what they seem to be. They can be leading you into a trap when least expected. The question is how can you evade it?

Miami Beach Senior High School (MBSHS)
“Take a Knee” is about a student with so much to live for who finds himself at the wrong place at the wrong time.

FILM DESCRIPTION:
A student with a chance to provide for his mother and him by winning a scholarship finds himself struggling to complete a task- which at first seemed fairly tangible; only to get stopped in his tracks while competing against the very thing that would have kept him going.

CINEMA IN-SCHOOL PROGRAM UPDATE

Westland Hialeah Senior High School is the next school that has been chosen to begin the award-winning CINEMA program. This site will be produced during the school day, unlike the other sites in which the program takes place during after school hours. The filmmaking classes at WHSHS are slated to begin in January 2017 and the filming day will take place at the end of March.

Film Festival News

On November 15th, 2016 students who produced “The Candidate” (narrative film, Miami Beach Senior School) attended The Miami short Film Festival. The dramedy was very well received being that the subject matter is relevant to today and the current political scene. The first time director, Parvati Santos, spoke to the large crowd and participated in a Q and A session with the audience. This film has recently been entered into numerous local, state, national and international film festivals. We will find out the status of the film in the coming months! Stay tuned!

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.