As the world film industry gathers here for TIFF, the Americas’ largest annual film event, Miami Dade College’s Miami International Film Festival, the only international film festival worldwide produced by a college or university, today announces the launch of a new program in partnership with The Related Group titled MIAMI FILM 2016. The program has been created to bolster support for Argentine filmmakers by funding the development of ongoing projects and is the second major collaboration between the two entities.
“Given the outstanding commitment Miami audiences have shown for Argentine films through the Festival’s history, it makes great sense for us, with The Related Group’s phenomenal commitment to aiding artists as part of the essential fabric of urban living, to focus on the filmmakers of Argentina this year,” says Jaie Laplante, the Festival’s Executive Director & Director of Programming. “Developing a new project can be one of the longest and most daunting aspects in the process of making a film – our aim is to lend the moral support that comes with financial support at this crucial stage.”
“A core belief of The Related Group is that in order to develop an urban mecca and bolster a positive social environment with a thriving economy, nurturing the arts is a must. We proudly supported up and coming Cuban filmmakers during last year’s Festival and look forward to working with a new group of talented Argentine artists,” Jorge Pérez, Chairman and Founder of The Related Group, and MDC Alumnus. He adds, “Argentina is home to some of the world’s most respected and beloved filmmakers, and through our continued partnership with Miami International Film Festival, we aim to support their continued development, growth and connection with the U.S.”
The Festival’s long-standing and powerful position as a key American portal for Argentine cinema has ignited this program as a merit-based grant with the aim of awarding support to three developing Argentinian film projects attached to Argentine directors with at least one previous internationally-distributed feature film credit. With the funding from The Related Group, the Festival will award cash prizes in the amount of $32,500 to be divided amongst three developing films based on project quality and production feasibility. The directors of the winning projects will be invited to attend the 33rd edition of Miami International Film Festival in March 2016 to not only receive the award, but also participate in the Festival with a retrospective screening of their earlier feature films.
Argentina is one of Latin America’s cinematic powerhouses. It is the most nominated Latin American country in history of the Academy Awards’ Best Foreign Language Film category, and it is the only Latin American country to win the accolade – which it has done twice, in 1986 (The Official Story) and 2010 (The Secret in Their Eyes). Additionally, Damian Szifron’s Wild Tales (Relatos salvages) grossed more than $3 million at the U.S. box office in 2015. Along with Brazil and Mexico, it also has the most prolific annual output – close to 200 domestic and co-production feature films in 2014 alone. Argentine films are a major part of the program at the annual Miami International Film Festival, permeating all GALA, competition and niche program sections with an incredible variety of quality work available to share with Miami audiences every year.
Call for entries to the program will be September 15 – October 31, 2015. Finalists will be announced on November 15, 2015. For all entries, the Festival team will shortlist up to a maximum of ten projects that will continue to the live pitching round during Buenos Aires’ annual Ventana Sur (the largest film market in South America) set to take place between November 30 – December 4, 2015. A jury of international professionals will determine the winning projects, which will be announced at Ventana Sur.
For more information, please visit www.miamifilmfestival.com or call 305-237-FILM(3456). Miami International Film Festival is the only major film festival event housed within a college or university.