You have up to one minute to raise awareness about or highlight solutions for improving the water quality just off our shores.
How would you use it?
Save the Bay
How do you convince Miami to take care of Biscayne Bay? Local filmmakers offered their best ideas through Save the Bay, a new competition by Oolite Arts to help raise awareness about or highlight solutions for improving the water quality of Biscayne Bay.
The five winners received $2,500 to produce their PSAs and they are: Alexa Caravia, Helen Peña, Jayme Gershen, Milly Cohen and Shireen Rahimi. Their ideas include a bay-centric animation, a Caribbean bedtime story, a message from scientists and Captain Baywatch and even a video letter from a marine biologist to her unborn grandchild.
Five Honorable Mentions received $1,000 each for their proposals and include Alec Castillo, Chris Molina, Christian Perry, Colin Foord, Nicolas Quintairos.
A total of eight PSAs were screened at a YouTube Live event and were eligible for the People’s Choice Award. You can watch them below.
The PSA with the most votes was Alexa Caravia’s “Video Letter.” Caravia received an additional $1,000 for winning the People’s Choice Award.
Contact
For questions, please contact Cinematic Arts Manager Danielle Bender [email protected].
Alexa Caravia
“Video Letter” People’s Choice Award
$1,000
A retired marine biologist reflects on what’s changed throughout her lifetime working with plant and marine life in Biscayne Bay in this video letter to a grandchild.
Winners
PSA winners $2,500
Helen Peña: The Siren
A cautionary bedtime story from the future about a mermaid living in the polluted Biscayne Bay.
Jayme Gershen: Captain Baywatch
Captain BayWatch finds the balance between having a good time and looking out for the environment on this humorous journey around Biscayne Bay.
Milly Cohen: Save the Bay
Through community efforts and environmental research, scientists and people of Miami work together to transform Biscayne Bay back into a thriving ecosystem.
Shireen Rahimi: What Happened to the Bay?!
An underwater filmmaker/scientist goes above and below the water to make a compelling personal appeal for saving Biscayne Bay.
Honorable Mentions
PSA honorable mentions $1,000
Christian Perry: The Octopus
A bottle of toxic guck is leaking into the bay and an intelligent octopus launches it out of the water.
Nicolas Quintairos: People of the Bay
A look at Biscayne Bay’s problems through the eyes of a family that is searching for solutions
Colin Foord: All drains lead to Biscayne Bay
All drains lead to Biscayne Bay, let’s keep Miami free of trash because the fish can’t always tell the difference between what’s food and what’s plastic!
Honorable Mentions
$1,000
Alec Castillo
Chris Molina
Christian Perry
Colin Foord
Nicolas Quintairos
Jury
Edson Jean
Houston Cypress
Jason Fitzroy Jeffers
Katja Esson
Partner
Presented in cooperation with Miami-Dade County and Miami-Dade County’s Chief Bay Officer Irela Bagué.
Sponsor
Thank you to the Lynn and Louis Wolfson II Family Foundation for having generously provided funding for this program.
FAQs
What is Save the Bay?
Save the Bay is an initiative that will fund Public Service Announcements, in a cinematic style, no more than one-minute long about saving one of Miami’s most precious resources: Biscayne Bay. Through a call for submissions, five filmmakers/artists will be selected to receive $2,500 to create their cinematic PSA.
When will applications for Save the Bay be accepted?
Applications for Save the Bay are open from March 22 through April 12, 2021.
Who is eligible to apply to Save the Bay?
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 Save the Bay?
Oolite Arts is looking for Public Service Announcements in cinematic form. That said, Save the Bay is open to both experienced and amateur filmmakers, as well as visual artists. Applicants should have outside-the-box ideas to raise awareness about or highlight solutions for improving the water quality of Biscayne Bay. The accuracy of information communicated is important and your unique vision is a priority. Final products should not read as traditional advertisements.
Can I pitch a short film that is unrelated to Biscayne Bay?
No. Save the Bay is looking for Public Service Announcements that are proposed to run between 30 seconds and one minute long.
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 PSA must run between 30 seconds and one minute long.
Are filmmakers/artists from Broward or Monroe counties eligible to apply?
No. Save the Bay is only open to filmmakers/artists who reside in Miami-Dade County.
Who decides the winners?
The winners of Save the Bay Open Call will be determined by a jury of nationally-recognized film professionals with expertise in documentary filmmaking and local leaders.
When will the winners be announced?
Save the Bay applications close on April 12, 2021 at 6 p.m. and selected proposals will be notified by early May 2021. You will have four weeks to make your PSA and send Oolite Arts a final piece.
What support will I receive?
The top five proposals will be awarded $2,500 each to complete their proposed Public Service Announcement. 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 PSA?
Selected proposals will have four weeks to complete their Public Service Announcements. Once winners are notified, all selected works are due to Oolite Arts by early June 2021.
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/artist retains all ownership and rights to their completed film. The artist gives Oolite Arts, Miami Dade County and other partners in this initiative a nonexclusive license to show the Save the Bay 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], or attend one of our information sessions on March 24 or April 7, 2021.
For questions, please contact Cinematic Arts Manager Danielle Bender [email protected].
