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:

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.

Participants

• 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

• 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
  • Julian Guerra – Cultural Director
  • Volunteer Corps