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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
9th and 10th 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 and film-ideas through
competitions at their schools. 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.
The theme of this year’s program will be, “Voices
& Vision” and provide a positive look into a child’s
vision of their future.
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 non-profit, private institution,
dedicated to creating and promoting programs for education,
health and community development to benefit the less fortunate,
in particularly children. Relief projects by Elliott Foundation
include schools, orphanages and other initiatives related
to the protection and welfare of children in the local communities
of Dominican Republic as well as developing countries.
“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.
About The Director’s
Cut
The Director's Cut is the first mobile film and imaging
studio dedicated to children in Canada. The workshops provide
an opportunity for children between the ages 0f 5 - 17 to
experiment with digital film and imaging software and hardware.
As former educators in the public system, founders Bryan
and Lori Godmintz have created templated workshops to introduce
the "digital kid" to everything from publishing
storybooks, comic books, claymation and many other film
genres. The program now includes 70 schools and works with
over 2000 children annually in Canada.
The Elliott Foundation
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. The Foundation was founded by visionary
Frederick C. Elliott, along with his sons Derek Elliott
and Drew Elliott. Co-founder Derek Elliott, is the CEO of
Elliott, the dynamic parent company that manages and operates
Sun Village Resorts and Maxim Bungalows.
About Dominican International Film Festival
The Dominican International Film Festival is a young, rapidly
growing festival dedicated to promoting independent filmmaking.
The Festival separates itself from other film festivals
by embracing the Latin American flavor through screenings
of Latin American feature films, promoting renowned Dominican
stars and its dedication to providing live Dominican entertainment.
The 2007 Festival will include a variety of screenings of
some of the year’s top films, panels and workshops
that feature award-winning actors, writers and directors,
VIP parties and live entertainment. This year’s Festival
will also introduce a new award category: The 2007 Rising
Dominican Star Award. The Dominican International Film Festival
is produced by Elliott, the dynamic parent company of Sun
Village Resort & Spa and the new Maxim Bungalows in
the Dominican Republic and Vincent Partners, a NY-based
marketing and communications company.
About Sun Village
Resort & Spa
Sun Village Resort & Spa in Cofresi Beach is an all-inclusive
luxury resort with 300 rooms, managed and operated by Elliott.
Sun Village Resort is within a dramatic-beach setting on
the northern coast of the Dominican Republic and is serviced
by nearby Puerto Plata and Santiago International Airports.
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