In the past number of years, major film festivals around the world has seen it as their mission to not only exhibit the best films available, but also to serve as a breeding ground for new projects to get launched, financed and distributed. To this end, the Miami International Film Festival (MIFF) has joined the ranks of such major film festival events as Cannes, Berlin, Rotterdam, Pusan, Dubai and several others, in organizing parallel industry events designed to stimulate awareness and interest in projects that are still in the development stage.
With its strong accent on films from Spain, Portugal and Latin America, the mandate was clear that MIFF could be a launching pad for new Spanish and Portuguese-language films by allowing producers and directors to network with distributors, financiers, programmers, television executives and other professionals. MIFF is celebrating its sixth year of Miami Encuentros, a breakthrough program that gives emerging producers from Spain and Latin America the opportunity to present new projects to U.S. and International industry professionals. This intensive three-day event, which begins today, fosters dialogue, builds lasting connections and offers opportunities for networking and the nurturing of the next generation of filmmakers.
The Festival has assembled an impressive roster of visiting professionals, giving the Miami Encuentros producers and directors unprecedented access to some of the most important companies in the industry. The list includes: lan Arboleda, Dynamo Capital and Cinapse; Laurent Baudens, Borsalino Films; Arianna Bocco, IFC Films; Pape Boye, COACH 14; Matt Brodlie, Paramount Vantage; Andres Calderon, Dynamo Capital; Monica Chuo, Paramount International; Eduardo Constantini, Costa Films; Pablo Cruz, Canana Films; Leo de Barros, Conspiração Films; Guillerminadi Marcos, Travesia Producciones; Eva Diederix, Elle Driver; Paul Federbush, Warner Independent Pictures; Sandro Fiorin, FiGA Films; Alex Garcia, FiGA Films; Jason Gurvitz, Maya Releasing; Samantha Horley, Lumina Films Ltd.; Sarah Lash, Cinetic Media; Arne Ludwig, 2 Pilots Filmproduction GmbH; Millie Luna, Venevision Internacional; Stuart Manashil, CAA; Eric Mathis, Ondamax Group // Clou Production Services; Gael Nouaille, Wild Bunch; Alberto Perez de La Mesa, Albrije Home Entertainment; Jason Resnick, Focus Features / Universal Pictures; Laura Rister, Untitled Entertainment; Eileen Rodriguez, The Weinstein Company; Eric Rovner, William Morris Agency; Francesco Ruilli, Film Annex; Luillo Ruiz, Buena Ondita; Ilda Santiago, Rio de Janeiro International Film Festival and Estacao Cinemas; Belly Torres, Buena Ondita; and Mirjam Wertheim, Orange Entertainment.
