CURRICULUM VITAE
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•Attained BFA, MFA in Film Production at New York University's Institute of Film and Television.
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•Adjunct Faculty at New York University's Institute of Film, UG Studies from 2000 to 2001
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•Adjunct Faculty at the Art Institute, Miami international University 2009-present
RECENT AWARDS
GRANTS - 2009
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•State of Florida individual Artist Fellowship 2009, sponsored in part by:
• the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs,
• the Florida Council on Arts and Culture,
• and the National Endowment for the Arts. -
•Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs 2008-2009 Artist Access Grant
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•New Media Institute Fellowship from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting through the Black Filmmakers Consortia
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•Latino Public Broadcasting Production Development Grant
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•FunArte through Sleepless Miami Beach Arts Festival
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•Lucius and Eva Eastman Fund
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•The Flicker Point Fund at the Dade Community Foundation
PRODUCING-DIRECTING-WRITING
2009-present
director/producer/editor/performer Martí and I a daring, historical intervention project that reinterprets a famous literay and political Latin-American icon, mostly known in the US as the writer of La Guantanamera, as an effeminate man. Martí and I is presently traveling the film festival and art circuit as an 8 minute, experimental short, which is available in a limited edition of 50. It has received several grants to begin its development into a feature film and a series of art+research performances and panels. Phonograph Films
2007
director/producer/editor Caminos a short documentary exploring the forces of migration presently throwing foreign communities together, the debate that drives them apart and possible solutions to what may seem an insurmountable problem. Phonograph Films/ Food First
2006
director/producer/editor Dos Rios a video which attempts to externalize the raw and overwhelming feeling of being caught in the center of a fervent ideological war (Cuba and the U.S.). One that forces one to take sides and, sadly, alienates. Phonograph Films
2004-2007
director/producer/editor/actor Sexi a dramatic film with actual events which raises some important questions about self image and the challenges of a new generation living in the post-AIDS crisis in the U.S. Phonograph Films
2007
director/producer ForEverglades a short documentary narrated by Tom Brokaw exploring viable solutions to save the Florida Everglades eco-system. Phonograph Films/ Everglades Foundation
2004
co-director/producer Soldiers Pay (with David O. Russell (Three Kings) and Tricia Regan) a documentary distributed by Cinema Libre/IFC which follows a group of soldiers who, in the context of the morally ambiguous Operation Iraqi Freedom, came across 4million dollars in cash four days after the taking of Baghdad and suffered the consequences for taking some of the money.
2004
producer/writer/outreach coordinator Once There Was A Country: Revisiting Haiti a feature length documentary narrated by Maya Angelou that aims to dispel the myths surrounding this misunderstood country and examines the causes of the present healthcare crisis in Haiti.
2003
producer/director/writer 90 MILES a feature length documentary about how the relationships within a Cuban family are shaped by the rift between the United States and Cuba. Aired on PBS’ award-winning series "POV.” Now on DVD. www.90Miles.org and www.PBS.org/POV/90miles
2003
produced/director Salsa for Peace a documentary and HD concert DVD about Orquesta de la Luz, a Japanese salsa band that created salsa industry history by generating the fastest ever sales for a debut album--for Berko Productions in collaboration with NHK Educational, Japan and Vividworks.("Salsa for Peace" is the first DVD to be authored in Panasonic's new 30 di technology.)
SOUND DESIGN/SUPERVISING
1996-2000
Supervised and sound designed the post-production of over 20 award-winning independent films such as the Academy Award nominated "On the Ropes", "Sense and Sensibility" (also nominated for a Golden reel Award by the Academy of MP Sound Editors). Have worked with renowned directors such as Ang Lee, Steve Buscemi, Tom Noonan, Nanette Burstein and Bart Frundlich, among others. Received an Emmy nomination for excellence in a craft: Sound for HBO's America Undercover. (Adt'l sound credits available upon request)
SHORTS AND OTHER RELATED EXPERIENCE
2003
Curated New Directors/New Frontiers Film Program as well as panels with Academy Award nominated filmmakers and top film critics in Brazil at the Banco do Brasil Cultural Center, RJ, Brazil. Produced for Banco do Brasil and the IFP-NY chapter. Program and press kit available upon request.
2002 - 2006
founder/director/ programmer for The Florida Room Documentary Film Festival, (www.TheFloridaRoom.org) An outdoor documentary film festival in the heart of South Beach.
1998
director/writer/producer-THE STORY OF THE RED ROSE (Showtime)
*Official Selection to the Sundance Film Festival Shorts Competition;
*1997 Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences Semi-finalist, student film division.
*Recipient of a Grant from the Warner Bros. Production Fund
*Winner of a Silver Plate Award at the Chicago Int’l Film Festival, 1997
1990
writer/director-PALINGENESIS
*Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences Nominee, student film division.
*Recipient of a Malcolm Ross film production award.
SPOTS AND SEGMENTS
1995-1999
•Produced and directed trailers for the Sundance Film Festival; and served as a Juror for mayor film festivals including the Sundance FF, the Miami Int’l FF, IFP NY and others.
•Produced segments for television (PBS, CNN, Disney Latin America, PSN and others)
Additional Skills
•Fluent Spanish, some French.
•Cinematography. Still photography.
• Photoshop, Quark, Microsoft Word and Excel, HTML programming, AVID digital editing system, Pro-Tools.
[Additional credits and references are also available upon request.]
IN DEVELOPMENT
(1) writer/director-Violenta, a feature screenplay about a Latino superhero whose powers come to full force when he is dressed like a woman.
•Sundance Film Institute Filmmaker Fellow, 1998
(2) writer/director-Jesus and Mary Jane, a feature screenplay about an unexpected romance between an older widow and a reckless young man trying to find his identity.
