CRA to Host Trolley Service for American Black Film Festival participants June 24 and June 25, 2010, to the Overtown, Omni and Park West Redevelopment Districts.
MIAMI, FL (June 2010) – The City of Miami’s Community Redevelopment Agencies (CRA) have signed on as Host Sponsors for the 14th annual American Black Film Festival(ABFF)that will be held June 23-27, 2010, in Miami Beach. As part of their $50,000 sponsorship, the CRA hopes to create strategic partnerships with the film industry and attract filmmakers to consider filming and doing business in the Community Redevelopment Areas that include Overtown, Park West and Omni.
The CRA will roll out their film initiative with an impressive program that includes a trolley service for the ABFF participants on June 24 and June 25 from 10:00 am – 6:00 pm. The trolley will pick up festival-goers from The Ritz-Carlton South Beach hotel and take them to destination points of interest in Overtown, Park West, Omni and downtown Miami. The CRA will also sponsor 15 students from the Overtown area to attend the American Black Film Festival’s master classes. The students will have an opportunity to take master classes on the Art of Filmmaking with director Spike Lee; on cinematography with Cliff Charles, director of photography(When the Levees Broke, Good Hair); and screenwriting, led by Loyola Maramount professor Dean Steve Duncan. In addition, the CRA has put together a filmmakers tour and roundtable discussion that will be held at Big Time Productions facility. The goal is to find out what incentives need to be in place for filmmakers to consider filming in the Community Redevelopment Areas.
The American Black Film Festival culminates with the CRA’s signature community showcase of the soon-to-be-released movie Stomp the Yard 2: Homecoming, which will be held on Sunday, June 27, from 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm. This is a free-ticketed event for the community. The writer, director and actor will be in attendance for a talk-back after the movie.
“We are extremely excited and proud to once again be a Host Sponsor for this year’s American Black Film Festival. Our partnership with Film Life Inc. allows us the unique opportunity to highlight our diverse culture in Miami and promote our growing film industry within the CRA district. We look forward to the events and to attracting future film projects to Miami,” said Commissioner Richard P. Dunn II, Chair of the City of Miami Southeast Overtown/Park West Community Redevelopment Agency.
“The City of Miami is extremely proud to host some of America’s top film makers as part of the American Black Film Festival. The event has a rich tradition and is a prime example of the City’s and the CRA’s commitment to supporting and enriching the arts,” said Commissioner Marc Sarnoff, Chair of the Omni Redevelopment District Community Redevelopment Agency.
“The City of Miami’s Community Redevelopment Agencies are proud to be a Host Sponsor for Film Life’s 14th annual American Black Film Festival. This year we are aggressively reaching out to filmmakers to create a dialogue on how we can be a resource to attract more film projects to the Miami’s Redevelopment Areas,” states CRA Executive Director James Villacorta.
“We are excited about the continued support of the City of Miami’s Community Redevelopment Agency. We remain committed to our community outreach program in Miami and look forward to a successful program this year of helping to facilitate partnerships with the film community and the CRA”, states Jeff Friday, CEO, Film Life Inc.
About the City of Miami’s Community Redevelopment Agencies
The CRAs’ long-range vision is to improve the quality of life for residents and stakeholders of the Overtown, Park West and Omni community redevelopment areas by generating successful redevelopment projects from both the private and public sectors that will improve the appearance of the area, remove slum and blight conditions, create new job opportunities and spur the local economy. Visit www.miami-cra.org.
About the American Black Film Festival
Established in 1997, the core mission of the ABFF is to promote cultural diversity within the motion picture industry by strengthening the Black filmmaking community through resource sharing, education, artistic collaboration and career development. With its film showcases, workshops and special contests, it annually introduces the top echelon of emerging artists to the film and television industry. The ABFF is the property of Film Life Inc., a New York-based event marketing, production and distribution company founded in 2000 by Jeff Friday (CEO). Visit www.abff.com.
Media Contact:
Yvette N. Harris
786.897.8854