MIFF & MDC to Offer Master Class Seminars at the Miami International Film Festival’s 30th Anniversary Celebration

MIFF is the only major film festival housed within a college or university


Miami, February 14, 2013
Miami, – Film-industry experts will descend upon the Magic City to host a series of master classes, and delight audiences with their talent and know-how of this highly-creative genre.  Presented by the Miami International Film Festival (MIFF) and Miami Dade College (MDC), these prominent industry leaders will share their insights, advice, and experience with participants, in an intimate venue, during the ten-day Festival.

The series will offer students and the community the opportunity to learn first-hand about the changing game of film critics’ voice, the inner-workings of bringing a script to scene, and the role of film festivals in a film and filmmakers’ career.  Other panels include a unique opportunity to experience shooting film on film, and a spotlight on Chinese Cinema during a three-day International Symposium on Chinese film, in partnership with MDC’s Confucius Institute (CI), among other topics. This unique program of eight master classes is scheduled to begin Saturday, Mar. 2, and run through Sunday, Mar. 10.

MIFF’s mission is to bridge cultural understanding, endorse tolerance, and encourage artistic development and excellence within a vigorous, academic setting by provoking thought through film.

A LIST OF MASTER CLASS SEMINARS

Everything Will Be Fine – Writer-director Ana Piterbarg will promote the screening of her film, Everybody Has a Plan (selected for the prestigious Toronto Film Festival), and will elaborate on the ten years it took to bring her script to screen.

Date:               Saturday, Mar. 2, 11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Location:         Miami Light Project: The Lightbox at Goldman Warehouse

404 NW 26 Street, Miami, FL  33127

Moderator:       Rebekah Lanae Lengel, Managing Producer, Miami Light Project

Admission:      Free

 

Analyze This:  A Critic’s Power in Today’s Film Culture – Prominent film critics will speak of today’s changing game of film criticism and provide participants with the tools and knowledge to cut through the saturation of internet and personal film blogs that give voice to the masses, but have, in many instances, replaced detailed discussions with social media sound bites.

Date:               Saturday, Mar. 2, 3 p.m. – 4 p.m.

Location:         Miami Beach Cinemateque

1130 Washington Avenue, Miami Beach, FL  33139

Moderator:       Dan Hudak, Hudak on Hollywood; Chair, Florida Film Critics Circle

Panelists:        David Edelstein, Film Critic, New York Magazine; Leah Rozen, Film Critic, The Wrap; Claudia Puig, Film Critic, USA Today; Kim Voynar, Film Critic, Movie City News

Admission:      $9

 

You’re Invited? Now What? – This seminar focuses on the role of film festivals in a film and filmmaker’s career; decisions and choices of rights holders in choosing the right festival fit for their story, and what “newbies” can learn from seasoned, veteran filmmakers, among other topics.

Date:               Sunday, Mar. 3, 2:30 p.m. – 4 p.m.

Location:         The Standard Spa, Restaurant/Bar, First Floor

40 Island Avenue, Miami Beach, FL  33139

Moderator:       Jaie Laplante, MIFF Executive Director

Panelists:        Aaron J. Salgado, Producer, Eenie Meenie Miney Moe; Jesse Quinones, Director-Producer, Calloused Hands; Antonio Falduto, President, Controluce Luce; Josh Braun, Co-President, Submarine; Jeanine Meerapfel, Director, My German Friend

Admission:      $9

 

International Symposium on the Chinese Film Industry – The Spotlight on China will present screenings of several outstanding films from mainland China and Hong Kong as part of a three-day International Symposium hosted by MDC’s Confucius Institute. Featuring renowned film directors and speakers from China, the symposium will offer an invaluable platform for leaders in the Chinese, Latin American, and American film and cultural industries to network and exchange ideas. For educators, the symposium will highlight effective teaching methods and offer resources for teaching Mandarin, using Chinese film. The registration fee of $50 for the Symposium includes: Mar. 7, film screening of Full Circleand Beijing Flickers, 7 p.m. – 11:30 p.m. at Miami Beach Cinematheque; Mar. 8, all-day symposium at Wolfson Campus with lunch and reception included and the film screening of Romancing in Thin Air at Tower Theater at 9:30pm; Mar. 9, cultural excursion including a boat and city tour of Miami, for an additional cost.

 

Do A Shot Miami! – Join Kodak and Pro8mm for a unique opportunity to experience shooting film on film!  This seminar is a free, hands-on shooting experience that will allow participants to demo a Super 8 camera and shoot a roll of film (cameras will be furnished, if you don’t have one).  A compilation reel will then be edited together and uploaded online.  Experts will also instruct on proper usage and testing of the Super 8.

Date:               Saturday, Mar. 9, 10 a.m. – noon

Location:         The Standard Spa, 2nd Floor

40 Island Avenue, Miami Beach, FL  33139

Moderators:     Michael P. Brown, Kodak; Phil Vigeant, Rhonda Vigeant, Pro8mm

Admission:      Free

 

Conversation with Cristián Jimenez – The award-winning film director, Cristián Jimenez, will discuss the process of adapting the acclaimed Chilean novel, Bonsai, for the screen.  Comparing the experience of working with an original script for his 2009 debut feature film, Optical Illusions, Jimenez will illuminate his process with each project.

Date:               Saturday, Mar. 9, 11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Location:         Miami Light Project: The Lightbox at Goldman Warehouse

404 NW 26 Street, Miami, FL  33127

Moderator:       Rhonda Mitrani, Dir. Of Filmmaker’s Workshop, Miami Light Project

Admission:      Free

 

Producing in Florida and Beyond – Leading experts in the film industry will share tools and insights on how to develop films in Florida.  This seminar will teach participants everything from starting a project to post-production, including tax incentives, legal requirements, obtaining permits, and distribution, among other topics.

Date:               Saturday, Mar. 9, 12:30 p.m. – 2 p.m.

Location:         Miami Beach Cinemateque

1130 Washington Avenue, Miami Beach, FL  33139

Moderator:       Kevin Sharpley, Producer, Writer, Filmmaker, and Chairman, Miami-Dade Film & Entertainment Advisory Board

Panelists:        Sandy Lighterman, Miami-Dade Office of Film & Entertainment Industries Liaison; Dave Caserta, Entertainment Lawyer; Andy Schefter, Producer, UPM; Judd Allison, Producer

Admission:      $9

 

Cocaine Cowboys: The Series – In this exclusive master class, Miami’s production company, Rakontur co-founders, Billy Corben and Alfred Spellman, will unveil their latest projects, including Cocaine Cowboys: Remix, which revisits the subject matter with new footage; Dawg Fight, an exposé of illegal MMA fighting in South Florida; and Ponzi State, a satirical look at the boom and bust nature of the economy in the Sunshine State.

Date:               Saturday, Mar. 9, 3 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Location:         Miami Beach Cinemateque

1130 Washington Avenue, Miami Beach, FL  33139

Moderator:       Thom Powers, MIFF Senior Program Consultant

Panelists:        Billy Corben, Director, and Alfred Spellman Producer, Rakontur

Admission:      $9

 

Do A Shot Miami! – Join Kodak and Pro8mm for a unique opportunity to experience shooting film on film!  This seminar is a hands-on shooting experience that will allow participants to demo a Super 8 camera and shoot a roll of film (cameras will be furnished, if you don’t have one).  A compilation reel will then be edited together and uploaded online.  Experts will also instruct on proper usage and testing of the Super 8.

Date:               Sunday, Mar. 10, 10 a.m. – noon

Location:         The Standard Spa, 2nd Floor

40 Island Avenue, Miami Beach, FL  33139

Moderators:     Michael P. Brown, Kodak; Phil Vigeant, Rhonda Vigeant, Pro8mm

Admission:      Free

 

Miami International Film Festival (MIFF), celebrating its 30th anniversary March 1 – 10, 2013, is considered the preeminent film festival for showcasing Ibero-American cinema in the U.S., and a major launch pad for all international and documentary cinema. The annual Festival, produced and presented by Miami Dade College, attracts more than 70,000 audience members and more than 400 filmmakers, producers, talent and industry professionals. It is the only major festival housed within a college or university. In the last five years, the Festival has screened films from more than 60 countries, including 300 World, International, North American, U.S. and East Coast Premieres. MIFF’s special focus on Ibero-American cinema has made the Festival a natural gateway for the discovery of new talent from this diverse territory.  The Festival also offers unparalleled educational opportunities to film students and the community at large. Major sponsors of the 2013 Festival include Knight Foundation, Lexus and Miami-Dade County. For more, visit miamifilmfestival.com or call 305-237-MIFF (3456).

Miami Dade College has a long and rich history of involvement in the cultural arts, providing South Florida with a vast array of artistic and literary offerings including the Miami Book Fair International, the Center @ MDC, the Miami International Film Festival, the MDC Live Arts Performing Arts Series, the Cuban Cinema Series, the Miami Leadership Roundtable speakers’ series, numerous renowned campus art galleries and theaters, and the nationally recognized School of Entertainment and Design Technology. With an enrollment of more than 174,000 students, MDC is the largest institution of higher education in the country and is a national model for many of its programs. The college’s seven campuses and two centers offer more than 300 distinct degree programs including baccalaureate, associate in arts and science degrees and numerous career training certificates leading to in-demand jobs. MDC has served nearly 2,000,000 students since it opened its doors in 1960.

Knight Foundation supports transformational ideas that promote quality journalism, advance media innovation, engage communities and foster the arts. The foundation believes that democracy thrives when people and communities are informed and engaged. For more, visit KnightFoundation.org

Lexus

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Registration is open to the public on a first-come, first served basis. Seminars are free to filmmaker/industry badge holders on a space-available basis.  To register for the events, visit http://miami.festivalgenius.com/2013/films/category/Masterclass+Seminars.

The 30th edition of Miami International Film Festival runs March 1-10, 2013. For tickets and more information, please visitwww.miamifilmfestival.com or call 305-405-MIFF (6433). The Festival is the only major film festival event housed within a college or university.

MIFF Contacts:

Jessica Wade Pfeffer, Jessica Wade Inc. | Tel: +1 305-804-8424 | jessica@jessicawadeinc.com

Shannon Treusch, Falco Ink | Tel. (212) 445-7100|   shannontreusch@falcoink.com

Janice Roland, Falco Ink | Tel. (212) 445-7100 | janiceroland@falcoink.com