For 12 Years He Oversaw The Miami Film Festival, Now He’s Moving On
Jaie Laplante, who served as executive director of the Miami Film Festival for 12 years, stepped down from that role on May 31 to tackle “new horizons and challenges.”
“I have a lot of mixed emotions about it because I love this festival so much. I really poured my heart and soul into it,” said Laplante, who declined to be specific about what’s next because some of the projects are still in development. “I’m extremely grateful for the support of Miami Dade College, the community and filmmakers from around the world that have trusted me with their work.”
College officials will conduct a nationwide search to find Laplante’s replacement. Meanwhile, Nicolas Calzada, who serves as director of events programming for the MFF and co-programmer for Tower Theater Miami since 2017, will become the interim executive director on June 6.
He previously served as co-director of Tower Theater Miami operations, as a writer for the docu-series Drug Wars and has worked as a producer, editor and director for commercials and films.
“I care deeply about the festival and the Tower Theater,” said Calzada, who has a bachelor’s degree from Yale University and a master of fine arts in film from New York University. “I want to make sure I do my part to keep the ship steady and continue Jaie’s great legacy and great tradition of programming and customer service.”
During his time at the MFF, Laplante focused on supporting and highlighting local filmmakers. He created the Knight Made in MIA Award in 2018 to celebrate stories and films set in South Florida.
“He’s left an imprint in the culture of the Miami film community,” said Jonathan Cuartas, a School of Entertainment & Design Technology alumnus and director of the horror film My Heart Can’t Beat Unless You Tell It To.
Laplante also partnered with Oolite Arts, a nonprofit art institution, to provide $120,000 for eight Miami-based filmmakers to develop short films using the theme of family.
“He brought a sense of artistic sensibility to it, but he also brought a really good sense of fiscal responsibility,” said Rene Rodriguez, a former film critic at the Miami Herald and manager of the Bill Cosford Cinema at the University of Miami.
In 2016 and 2017, Laplante secured a partnership with Google to examine gender and racial inequalities in leadership positions within the film and technology industry.
He has also been an advocate for students by ensuring they had access to MFF seminars, masterclasses and free tickets during the festival.
Before MDC, Laplante worked at the Miami Gay & Lesbian Film Festival as a ticket coordinator and as the festival’s manager. He has also served as associate director of the South Beach Wine & Food Festival and program director for the Miami Short Film Festival.
“We wish [him] the best and we know he’s gonna be doing wonderful things,” said Natalia Crujeiras, the Executive Director at MDC’s Office of Cultural Affairs. “He’s moving on to other career opportunities and [has] left a wonderful legacy.”
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