What’s your love letter to Miami Beach?
About the Program
Earlier this year, Oolite Arts and the City of Miami Beach issued an open call to Miami-based filmmakers to show their affection for the city by entering the “Local Love Letters” film contest. Nine winners each received $5,000 to develop a 3- to 5-minute short film set in their favorite Miami Beach locations. The winning films were screened at a public community event on Dec. 15 at SoundScape Park in Miami Beach.
Contact
If you have questions, please contact Cinematic Arts Sr. Manager Danielle Bender at [email protected] or Executive Assistant Hansel Porras Garcia at [email protected]
People’s Choice Award Winner
Shireen Rahimi
Shireen Rahimi: Letter from the Age of Ecocide
A woman thrives in her beloved underwater home when suddenly, the natural beauty around her begins to decay. A wise sage narrates her grieving process from another dimension, using the ancient poetry of her ancestors to reveal a universal story of radical acceptance.
Winners
Filmmakers award: $5,000
Abhi Chatterjee-Dutt: Toxic Beach
Love is a Green Flag, Love is a Yellow Flag, Love is a Red Flag. No matter what flag is flying from your lifeguard towers, I still jump in and swim your waters.
Al’lkens Plancher: La vie
Three periods of a Haitian couple’s life intertwined together at the shore of North Miami Beach.
Andres Gimenez: I Care About Your Mailbox
“I Care About Your Mailbox” follows Frey, a young man whose love for mailboxes lands him in the heart of suburban Miami, where he encounters outlandish characters and just as many eclectic mailboxes.
Carla Jerez: How to make a movie in Miami
A local filmmaker explains how to make a Miami movie in this surrealist desktop documentary.
Felipe Aguilar: FIRE MOON RISING
The heartbeat of Miami gets revitalized every full moon, as it illuminates a “secret” Beach Drum Circle. Join an eclectic crowd on a powerful, percussive and fiery journey. Immerse yourself in the groove, backed by the rhythm of silver Caribbean waves and infrared heat.
Juan Barquin: It Had To Be You
A couple reminisces on the wild night on South Beach that kicked off their ten year relationship.
Karla Caprali: South of Fifth
“South of Fifth” is an animated short documentary that showcases interviews with Barbara Gillman, a longtime Miami Beach resident and famous art dealer.
Melanie Wu: Loveboat Takeout
“Loveboat Takeout” is an experimental docu-fiction short about an immigrant family’s former business, a Chinese restaurant in Miami.
Shireen Rahimi: Letter from the Age of Ecocide
A woman thrives in her beloved underwater home when suddenly, the natural beauty around her begins to decay. A wise sage narrates her grieving process from another dimension, using the ancient poetry of her ancestors to reveal a universal story of radical acceptance.
Honorable Mentions
Acknowledgements
Sponsor
Thank you to the Lynn and Louis Wolfson II Family Foundation for having generously provided funding for this program.
Partner
Presented in collaboration with the City of Miami Beach.
FAQs
What is Local Love Letters?
In an ongoing commitment to support Miami’s short filmmaking ecosystem Oolite Arts is launching Local Love Letters, providing $5,000 to 10 filmmakers to create new short films featuring South Florida as the backdrop. While open format in terms of content, we’re challenging filmmakers to use their favorite spots in Miami Beach as the locations for their short films. Filmmakers will have 2 months to complete the film, which will go on to screen at a community event.
This program was made in collaboration with the City of Miami Beach and was generously co-funded by the Lynn and Louis Wolfson II Family Foundation.
When will applications for Local Love Letters be accepted?
Applications for Local Love Letters are open from February 14 – March 7, 2022.
Who is eligible to apply to Local Love Letters?
Applicants must be 18 years or older, Miami-Dade County residents and must be U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents.
What are you looking for in applicants of Local Love Letters?
Local Love Letters is open to both experienced and amateur filmmakers, as well as film professionals. Applicants should have creative ideas to incorporate their favorite Miami Beach location into their film.
Can I pitch a short film that is unrelated to Miami Beach?
Your short film does not need to be about or filmed entirely on Miami Beach. Local Love Letters encourages filmmakers to use their favorite location in Miami Beach as a location in your film.
I have already started working on a short film on this subject. Can I submit it?
You are eligible to submit a work in progress. However, all judging will be based on the application guidelines. The proposed short film must run between three and five minutes long.
Can I submit an animation? Or does it need to be filmed on Miami Beach?
Yes. You can submit a proposal for an animated short, as long as you are using your favorite spot on Miami Beach as a location depicted in your short.
Are filmmakers/artists from Broward or Monroe counties eligible to apply?
No. Local Love Letters is only open to filmmakers/artists who reside in Miami-Dade County.
Who decides the winners?
The winners of Local Love Letters will be determined by a jury of nationally-recognized film professionals with expertise in both documentary and narrative filmmaking.
When will the winners be announced?
Local Love Letters applications close on March 7, 2022 at 6 p.m. and selected proposals will be notified by early April 2022. You will have until May 31, 2022 to complete your short film and send Oolite Arts a final piece.
What support will I receive?
The top 10 proposals will be awarded $5,000 each to complete their proposed short film. These filmmakers/artists are responsible for securing their own production crew. Oolite Arts does not cover housing, travel or visa costs for participating cast and crew.
How long do I have to complete my my short film?
Once winners are notified, all selected works are due to Oolite Arts by May 31, 2022.
How many applications can I submit?
As many as you like, though we’d suggest no more than three. Give us your strongest and most focused material.
Will Oolite Arts own the rights to my film?
No. Each winning filmmaker retains all ownership and rights to their completed film. The artist gives Oolite Arts, the City of Miami Beach and other partners in this initiative a nonexclusive license to show the Local Love Letters work in perpetuity.
Who should I contact with any questions I may have?
Please direct all questions via email to Cinematic Arts Manager Danielle Bender at [email protected], and Programming Coordinator Samantha Ganter at [email protected]. We will also be hosting information sessions on February 16 or March 2, 2022.
