The Director's Cut

THE ELLIOTT FOUNDATION AND THE DIRECTOR’S CUT PLAN CHILDREN’S FILM PROGRAM AT THE 2007 DOMINICAN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 

Children are invited to participate in one-of-a-kind film workshops with actor Manny Perez during the Third Annual Dominican International Film Festival 

Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic (September 20, 2007) –The Elliott Foundation and The Director’s Cut are announcing two new children’s film workshops at Sun Village Resort & Spa on November 9^th and 10^th during the Third Annual Dominican International Film Festival.  Manny Perez, a native Dominican and accomplished actor attending the Festival, will be on site to offer expertise to the children’s productions. 

The film programs will be open to 12 future filmmakers per session.  Six of the opening spots will be offered to children staying at Sun Village and the additional six will be awarded to local children who have the best story-idea to be created into a film.  This unique program was designed through a partnership with the Elliott Foundation and The Director’s Cut, a Canadian-based mobile film and imaging studio dedicated to children in Canada and now the Dominican.  Providing the opportunity for children between the ages of 5 - 17 to experiment with digital film and imaging software and hardware, this program will be a unique and valuable experience for all participants.  The Elliott Foundation is a charitable agency that helps fund schools, orphanages and other relief projects related to the protection and welfare of children in the local communities of Dominican Republic. 

“We are excited about this unique opportunity to bring our children’s film workshops to Sun Village Resort & Spa in the Dominican Republic for the first time,” said Gail Valentine, Marketing Director of The Director’s Cut.  “With the help of the Elliott Foundation, The Dominican Film Festival and Manny Perez, we are looking forward to further enhancing the knowledge and creativity of future film makers.” 

Manny Perez is a native Dominican born in a suburb of Santiago.  At the age of 10, his family relocated to the United States where Perez fell in love with acting.  He is best known for his roles on hit television shows such as “Rescue Me” and “Third Watch,” and films such as this summer’s highly anticipated and critically acclaimed El Cantante starring opposite Jennifer Lopez and Mark Anthony and Illegal Tender with Michael Phillip Del Rio and D.C. Benny.  Perez was recently acclaimed for his acting, co-writing and co-producing of the independent film Washington Heights.   

The Third Annual Dominican International Film Festival will be held at Sun Village Resort & Spa on November 8 – November 11, 2007.  The festival is currently accepting film entries in four categories including, Short Film (5-30 min), Feature Film (60-180 min), Latin American Feature Film (the film must originate in a Spanish-speaking country and between 60-180 min) and Documentary (no time restriction).  Festival passes and special packages are available now at www.DominicanInternationalFilmFestival.com.