MDC’s Film Students Take Over CinemaSlam
CinemaSlam, a program of MDCulture for the Miami International Film Festival, showcases short films by some of South Florida’s most talented film students. There are awards for Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Drama, Best Documentary, and Best Technical Achievement, as well as a $500 cash prize. Seven of the 11 films nominated are directed by MDC Film Students, and I had the chance to speak to all of them about their experiences shooting, writing, and directing these films.
- BEIJOS VERMELHOS – Directed by Patricia Joaquim and Karina Rey
Beijos Vermelhos is about a student who becomes infatuated with her art professor and haunts him in order to try and get him to love her.
Directors Patricia Joaquim and Karina Rey made this suspense film for their Film Production 3 class, and it was done in four hours at the Lehman Theater on North Campus and edited in a day.
For Rey and Joaquim, it was their first time writing and filming a suspense film. With the challenge of such little time to film, it was a stressful, yet fun environment for the pair.
The leads are their theatre director, Andy Quiroga and musical theater student Cassandra Medina. As for what they hope to win at CinemaSlam, Rey says she and Joaquim are simply honored to see their film at the festival.
“If we were to win any award at all it would be the cherry on top of a sundae. We would love it for our actors to be awarded, if I had to choose one,” Rey said.
Joaquim is currently producing a film written by Rey, which she will also direct, for their Film Production 4 class.
- JOJO – FINDING HOPE AT THE HOUSE OF HEALING – Directed by Carlos Andres Cuervo
This micro-documentary tells the story of Joseph — known as Jojo — a child born with autism, as well as his mother Annie and his siblings. The film shows the work of Miami based non-profit organization, The House of Healing. This organization helps children with autism, aspergers, and cerebral palsy in an inclusive environment where they are encouraged to participate in the expressive arts, such as painting and music.
Filming Jojo – Finding Hope At The House Of Healing brought a lot of limitations to director Carlos Andres Cuervo, for it had to be shot in one day with one camera, focusing mainly on one character and storyline. All of it took around two weeks.
The project is a collaboration with Jonathan and Michael Cuartas (also MDC students), Jonathan is one of the producers, and Michael was the director of photography.
Cuervo feels thankful for the experience saying, “We were more than blessed to find such a wonderful organization in Miami, doing so much good in our local community. We found that Annie (Jojo’s mother) and her family were the right fit for our story, they really carried everything and all the credit really goes to them and their help in trusting their pains, hopes and happiness with me and the Cuartas brothers.”
“I believe that as filmmakers we have an intrinsic social responsibility to give back to our community. We have the ability to help people cope with sorrow, fear and desperation as well as to celebrate joy, hope and faith,” this is what Cuervo believes makes this film special, for it shows the good in our community.
When asked what they hope to win at CinemaSlam, Cuervo says they’ve already won by having the privilege to share this story and receive the audience’s feedback. He welcomes awards as a way to raise more awareness on the subject.
“I would love to win on the documentary category and also the audience award. My hope is that the audience attending the festival will love the story and be touched by it as much as I was while making the film,” Cuervo said.
Cuervo’s next project is another documentary, this one focused on the construction of a new school in Nicaragua, founded by a non-profit organization in Miami. An experimental film of his is also in the works, a vision of Miami through dance, meant to highlight the various cultures and dance styles found in our city.
- LOBOTOMY – Directed by Zachary Burgh and Carolina Maldonado
This suspense/thriller is about a man named Donald Summers, who is a candidate for a lobotomy at Mayfield Mental Facility. He attempts an escape to avoid being the first test subject to the procedure, which is the new method of curing mental illness at the facility.
Directors Zachary Burgh and Carolina Maldonado had a pleasant time while filming.
“We had to work the clock with 4 hours, so we worked quickly and efficiently,” Burgh said.
Burgh believes the film is special, for it is “such a rollercoaster from the very start…the whole story connects with you.” They hope to take the awards for best actor and/or best director.
The pair’s next project will be in collaboration with MBF Pictures and 42ents on a film titled, Alejandro, Burgh calls it “a story a lot of people will be able to relate to.”
- SUNDAYS ARE THE WORST – Directed by Melissa Gomez
Sundays Are the Worst is about a girl in her early twenties who finds out her dad is about to be released from prison. She then must decide whether or not she will go pick him up the following Sunday. She is recounting what she went through every day of the week before that Sunday. This coming-of-age story has elements of comedy and drama.
Director Melissa Gomez, a recent graduate from MDC’s Film, Television and Digital B.A.S. program, made a year-long commitment beginning in March of 2013 and completing the project for her workshop class in December of 2014.
“It was exhilarating to shoot something that you write in your room for like six to seven hours on end for a couple of weeks, and then once you’re on set, it’s actually happening; people are actually following your orders,” Gomez said. “ It was a lot of fun, but it was definitely one of the harder projects I’ve been involved in, because there was so much responsibility involved.”
The film was based on Gomez’s experience with her father, and she wanted it to be as accurate as possible. “I wrote this story knowing what happens after he got released and wanting to go back and say goodbye to that chapter of my life,” she said.
The film’s shooting locations included Wynwood’s O Cinema, where Gomez is the manager.
“It was basically our playground,“ Gomez said.
Gomez doesn’t expect to win much at CinemaSlam, “I’m kind of just going to be happy to be included, especially when it’s me and my fellow classmates.” She hopes her lead actress can win recognition for her performance.
In the future, Gomez hopes to direct a comedy and write some more, but for now she is focused on running a movie theatre 24/7.
- THE FIRST DAY (EL PRIMER DIA) – Rita Pereyra
After being released from prison, Camilo, a troubled soul, tries to redeem himself, and reconnect with his young daughter Sophia. This drama centers on how “the mistakes we make affect those we love,” said director Rita Pereyra.
The filming process for El Primer Dia was slightly messy. It was shot in just three days, with one night to edit.
“I was slating my own film, but it worked so well because everyone believed in the film and I think it shows,” Pereyra said.
Aldo Pereyra, her brother, was trained to use sound equipment, and a friend helped out as a gaffer. The film was written by Pereyra with help from Martin Castañeda, who was also director of photography, and produced by Andrea Estrada.
She believes the film will impress at CinemaSlam, particularly for its cinematography. The look of the film is peculiar, due to how it was shot.
“We never used a tripod, the whole thing was shot hand-held,” Pereyra said.
Her next film, Alejandro, is currently in pre-production.
“Essentially, it’s a film about leaving behind the only life you’ve ever known—your home, family, friends—and starting from scratch in a foreign place; how we adapt and assimilate, or fail to successfully cope with such changes,” Pereyra said of Alejandro. “I think a lot of us can relate to this, especially here in Miami.”
- TOP SHELF – Directed by Timothy Wilcox
This comedy–adventure film is about a man—played by Martin Klebba (Pirates of the Caribbean, Project X)—who is dealing with cabin fever.
Director Timothy Wilcox, another MDC graduate of the B.A.S. program described the shooting process as fun, stressful, and educational for him and his team.
What makes this film special is its live action, cartoonish nature, “the whole thing is very outlandish,” Wilcox said. The characters, he describes as bright and peculiar.
At CinemaSlam, Wilcox hopes to make good connections and friends, “at the end of the day, those awards for best actress, best picture, best director—that’s all good, but I just want to make people laugh. It’s all about the experience.”
Wilcox is currently working on a sequel to Top Shelf titled Cookie, written from the perspective of a chocolate chip cookie.
- WHITE BLOOD CELL – Directed by Frederick Criswell
White Blood Cell is an action/drama story about two teenagers who are hunted down by a government agent after they witness a murder and receive stolen documents.
Current B.A.S. student and director, Fred Criswell, said his favorite aspect of the filming process was pre-production, “it was the most optimistic and creative. Once we went into production, I put my trust in the hands of the director of photography, JP Gautreaux, and my assistant director, Jimmy Gonzalez.”
According to Criswell, what makes this film special are its stunning cinematography by JP Gautreaux, the visual effects by Aura Santana, the color correction by Nick Vega, and the sound by Gautreaux and Marvin Aguado.
At CinemaSlam, he hopes to win “the whole enchilada” and his goal is for producers to see what he and his crew are capable of “and offer us a project to shoot.”
Criswell just completed two music videos with Mark Pulaski, his producing partner, and is currently writing the script to a feature he will direct and produce later this year.
—————————————————————————————————————————-
CinemaSlam will take place on Friday, March 6, at 7:30pm, at MDC’s Tower Theater, 1508 SW 8 St. Tickets can be found online at www.miamiff-tickets.com.
