Representatives from the Cities of
Puerto Plata, Santiago and Nagua Had the Opportunity to Speak at
Length with DRGFF Staff Santo Domingo, 7/30/2009
Formal
preparations are underway for the III edition of the Dominican
Republic Global Film Festival - an initiative of Fundación Global Democracia y Desarrollo (FUNGLODE) and Global Foundation for Democracy and Development (GFDD).
The Dominican Republic Global Film Festival (DRGFF) is the only one that presents films in several cities throughout the country simultaneously and brings films to public university auditoriums and works directly with schools and non-profits. The DRGFF team visited the cities as part of a string of regular meetings to discuss lessons learned from 2008, as well as garner local support and insights for this year’s Festival, which
will take place from November 18-22 2009 in Santo Domingo, Puerto Plata, Santiago and Nagua.
Representatives from the cities of Puerto Plata, Santiago and Nagua had the opportunity to speak at length with DRGFF staff from July 26 to July 29. Items discussed with stakeholders and volunteers included finding out strengths and weaknesses of last year’s event, what types of movies appealed to the various audiences in each respective city, and the lasting impact the Festival had on the general public. Additionally, and in line with the Festival’s goals to branch out to a broader
audience, the team looked for possible new venues.
According to the information exchanged, there was no doubt that the Festival made its mark in the provinces. Just by the large number of partner institutions involved, the amount of participating volunteers, the packed audiences and their feedback on the films, as well as the considerable media response, it was considered a resounding success. Each province had a well developed promotion and marketing plan, but agreed that their outreach would start earlier this year in order to
reach out to even more communities.
To bolster these efforts, the DRGFF team will hold a press conference in August 2009 with local media and cultural coordinators in each city. Stakeholders will also be provided with the Festival’s institutional video, prepared by GFDD and FUNGLODE’s Audiovisual Department, Global Media Arts Institute (GMAI). This will be followed by
TV show Rumbo al Festival which airs nightly at the end of August, right up until the day of the inauguration in the cities on November 17.
The Festival has, from its inception, enjoyed the support of the UASD (Universidad Autónoma de Santo Domingo, which are a series of Regional Universities in Dominican Republic ), but each year the universities have become even more engaged, contributing new and exciting ideas. This year, as part of a way to incentivize students, professors will assign tasks related to movies and the students’ topic of study, so that they can get involved and take full advantage of all the activities DRGFF has to offer.
Highlights of filmmaking and promotional activities in the
cities include:
* UASD is producing, as part of its programs of study, a stream of locally made feature films.* Puerto Plata is working on widespread media participation and increasing the amount of volunteers through its advertising campaign. They are also doing a series of movie screenings August 24-27. * In Santiago , CURSA (Centro Univertitatio Regional de Santiago) is hosting its own screenings of Dominican movies weekly. The Sub-Secretariat of Culture, Northern Region, is working on getting outdoor screenings at the city’s main recreational area, Monument Park to promote the Festival. * CURNA (Centro Universitario Regional de Nagua), in Nagua, is putting on screenings of Dominican films and local filmmakers have beeen given the opportunity to produce more and more films* The Festival will continue to complement the fine cultural activities of Santiago ’s Centro Leon by holding quality professional and thematic panels at both 10am and 4pm on the Saturday, November 21.
The DRGFF team was encouraged by commitment of all of the collaborating institutions in the cities and thanked them for their support in efforts to make DRGFF have even wider impact in 2009 and beyond.
DRGFF is dedicated to bringing to the Dominican Republic the best of international and local film, while at the same time offering opportunities for learning, professional development and the creation of professional networks. For Volunteer opportunities, please go to the Festival’s webpage at: www.drglobalfilmfestival.org
Participants
DR Global Film Festival Team
Yamile Eusebio - Director of local production
Omar de La Cruz – Technical Director
Semiramis de Miranda – Director Digital Media
Taina Rodríguez – Promotion Coordinator
Margaret Hayward – Coordinator of Professional Panels
Paul Goris – Web Casting y Schools Coordinador
Apolinar Moreno - Photographer
PUERTO PLATA
Centro Universitario Regional del Atlantico (CURA)
Ramón Racero Lantigua – Director, CURA
Rene Merete – Cultural Director
Volunteers Corps, CURA
SANTIAGO
Centro Univertitatio Regional de Santiago (CURSA)
Humberto Penalta – Director, CURSA
Ana Mercedes Metrano – Deputy Director, CURSA
Lucia Caraballo – Public Relations, CURSA
José Manuel Fernández – Culture and Arts Education Assistant
Angel Penalta - CURSA
Sub- Secretaria de Estado de Cultura Region Norte
Fausto Ortiz – Cultural Heritage Director
José de Laura - Cultural Representative of Cibao
Ana Rodríguez – Director, Grand Theatre of Cibao
Tony Saint-Hilaire – Governor of the Monument
Centro Cultural Eduardo León Jimenez
Catalina Flóres – Executive-Director
José M. Fernandez Pequeño – Cultural Services
NAGUA
Centro Universitario Regional de Nagua (CURNA)
Ramon Amparo Paulino – Director, CURNA
Caonabo Reynoso – Representative of Social Plan of the Presidency (CURNA)
Ramon Rojas – Director, Provincial Youth
Francisco Reynoso Consuegra – Regional Director, Education
Formal
preparations are underway for the III edition of the Dominican
Republic Global Film Festival - an initiative of Fundación Global Democracia y Desarrollo (
To bolster these efforts, the DRGFF team will hold a press conference in August 2009 with local media and cultural coordinators in each city. Stakeholders will also be provided with the Festival’s institutional video, prepared by GFDD and FUNGLODE’s Audiovisual Department, Global Media Arts Institute (GMAI). This will be followed by
TV show Rumbo al Festival which airs nightly at the end of August, right up until the day of the inauguration in the cities on November 17.
The DRGFF team was encouraged by commitment of all of the collaborating institutions in the cities and thanked them for their support in efforts to make DRGFF have even wider impact in 2009 and beyond.