Local Love Letters
City of Miami Beach, 1700 Convention Center Drive, Miami Beach, FL 33139, www.miamibeachfl.gov
OFFICE OF MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS, Tel: 305.673.7575 Press Release
Melissa Berthier, Email: melissaberthier@miamibeachfl.gov
Matt Kenny, Email: mattkenny@miamibeachfl.gov
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Dec. 6, 2022
9 Local Filmmakers Debut Their “Love Letters” to Miami Beach at
Free Dec. 15 Event
—The filmmakers won an open call by Oolite Arts and the City of Miami Beach to make short
films highlighting their favorite Miami Beach places —
Miami Beach, FL – South Beach arts pioneer Barbara Gillman. The gay night clubs of the early
2000s. The drum circle that continues to welcome the full moon. These Miami Beach hot spots
and experiences are the stars of new, short films debuting at Miami Beach’s Culture Crawl on
Thursday, Dec. 15.
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 featuring Miami Beach
as the backdrop.
The films will debut, free of charge, from 7 to 9 p.m. outdoors at New World Symphony’s
SoundScape Park. Both narratives and documentaries, the films take the viewer through the
sites, present and past, that make Miami Beach. One features three chapters of a Haitian
family’s life, all played out on the shores of North Beach. In another, a couple reminisces about
how they met when a parrot swooped too close to them on Lincoln Road, forcing them into each
other’s path.
The contest, funded by the Lynn and Louis Wolfson II Family Foundation, is one of several ways
Oolite Arts helps advance the careers of local filmmakers.
“As an arts organization with a focus on the cinematic arts, we love to find ways to help fast
forward indie filmmakers’ careers,” said Dennis Scholl, president and CEO of Oolite Arts.
“Through a partnership with the city and the support of the Lynn and Louis Wolfson II Family
Foundation, we’re delighted to provide filmmakers with another platform to tell their stories.”
“Each of these films showcase aspects of Miami Beach that make our city unique,” observed
Miami Beach Mayor Dan Gelber. “Collectively, they highlight why Miami Beach is one of the
world’s great cultural destinations.”
The films that are included are:
Fire Moon Rising (Felipe Aguilar): 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.
It Had to Be You (Juan Barquin): A couple reminisces about the wild night on South Beach
that kicked off their 10-year relationship.
South of Fifth (Karla Caprali): This piece is an animated short documentary that showcases
interviews with Barbara Gillman, a longtime Miami Beach resident and renowned art dealer.
Toxic Beach (Abhi Chatterjee-Dutt): This film uses the flags that fly on lifeguard towers
warning swimmers about the tide as a metaphor to explore all that is to love about Miami Beach,
and the city’s characteristics that offer a red flag warning.
I Care About Your Mailbox (Andres Gimenez): 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.
How to make a movie in Miami (Carla Jerez): A local filmmaker explains how to make a
Miami movie in this surrealist desktop documentary.
La Vie (Al’lkens Plancher): Three chapters of a Haitian couple's life are intertwined at the
shore of North Miami Beach.
Letter From the Age of Ecocide (Shireen Rahimi): A woman thrives in her beloved
underwater home when suddenly, the natural beauty around her begins to decay. A sage
narrates her grieving process from another dimension, using the ancient poetry of her ancestors
to reveal a universal story of radical acceptance.
Loveboat Takeout (Melanie Wu): The film is an experimental docu-fiction short about an
immigrant family’s former business, a Chinese restaurant.
For more information or to RSVP, visit https://oolitearts.org/event/local-love-letters-premiere/
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About Oolite Arts
Oolite Arts strives to empower artists and enrich communities. Established in 1984, Oolite’s mission is to
support artists and advance the knowledge and practice of contemporary visual arts. Oolite Arts creates
opportunities for experimentation and innovation and encourages the exchange of ideas across diverse
cultures through residencies, exhibitions, public programs, education and outreach.
Exhibitions and programs at Oolite Arts are made possible with the support of the Miami-Dade County
Department of Cultural Affairs and the Cultural Affairs Council; the Miami-Dade County Mayor and Board
of County Commissioners; the City of Miami Beach, Cultural Affairs Program, Cultural Arts Council; the
State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Arts and Culture and the Florida Council on Arts and
Culture; the National Endowment for the Arts; the Jorge M. Perez Family Foundation at the Miami
Foundation; the Lynn and Louis Wolfson II Family Foundation; and the John S. and James L. Knight
Foundation.
For more information, visit oolitearts.org. Follow @oolitearts on social media.
Media Contacts:
Andrea Salazar | andrea@pinzurpr.com or 954.756.0652
Rachel Pinzur | rachel@pinzurpr.com or 305.725.2875