STEPHANIE MARTINO-RIZZI
President / Director of Development

Stephanie Martino-Rizzi, is a veteran of the non-profit sector since 1989, she brings to the organization a depth of experience in the development and coordination of film programs, workshops, special events, grant writing, marketing and public relations. She has been responsible for developing new funding sources and expanding the programs over the past several years. Stephanie has also served as Executive Director for the Ad Fed of Greater Miami and the Film Society of Miami in the past 13 years. During that time, she implemented and coordinated the logistics for there major annual events, developed fundraising, and membership programs.

“CINEMA is designed to empower aspiring young filmmakers. Besides the aesthetic and technical basis of the discipline we will discuss the business environment of the production, in order to realistically prepare our students for a career in the film industry, specifically in Florida.”

The Institute instructors are comprised of local and national film industry professionals, who work in the field to teach the classes in the high schools and the weekend workshops. This combination has proven to be the best way to reach these students and adults.

ALYN DARNAY
President & Creative Director

An award winning writer and director, Alyn Darnay’s career began in production and scriptwriting at MGM and 20th Century Fox in Los Angeles, after which he worked with Famous Players Corporation making films and writing scripts. Before founding the Miami film and video production company Chaos Films in 1994, he traveled England, Europe, South America, and Africa directing, producing, and writing. Alyn has earned various prestigious industry awards for his work including two Telly Awards, two Axiem awards, and local awards from the Ft. Lauderdale Film Festival. He has also written and sold two of his original film scripts. Alyn guest lectures on both acting and writing at colleges and universities throughout the United States.

JOAN M. GRINGER
Producer

Joan M. Gringer, a native New Yorker who has been in the advertising and entertainment industry for over 20 years. She had worked as a producer and consultant with over one hundred advertising agencies and Fortune 500 companies in New York and the tri-state area, Detroit, Boston and Los Angeles. Joan negotiates on behalf of her clients in arrears of directors, productions companies, celebrities, composers, editors, graphic designer, animator’s.

Joan has been a guest speaker on film production at New York University, The New School and UCLA.

ROBERT ROSENBERG
Writer / Director

Mr. Rosenberg has been working as an independent filmmaker, artist and curator for two decades. Mr. Rosenberg¹s work has focused on such topics as gender and sexuality, AIDS, the workplace, and Latino/a issues. His Before Stonewall: The Making of a Gay and Lesbian Community received an Emmy Award for Best Historical program in 1986, after a theatrical run in the United States and widespread international distribution. His current projects include the development of his first fiction feature film, Biscayne Boulevard. Mr. Rosenberg has also worked as a curator and programmer for a number of film festivals and museums. He is the founder and former director (1998-2002) of the Miami Gay & Lesbian Film Festival, an internationally recognized event which was cited in 2000 and again in 2002 as the Best Film Festival in Miami by the New Times weekly. His work has been supported by grants from the New York State Council on the Arts, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, The Ford Foundation, the Dade Human Rights Foundation, Individual Artists¹ Fellowship from the New York Foundation for the Arts and a State of Florida Individual Artists¹ Fellowship.

TAVARES BEVERLY
Producer, Director & Actor

Tavares began an acting career at the ripe age of 15, on the Emmy award winning TV show “The Awakening”. Attended Florida Memorial University, while in college he participated in plays like, “Gods Trombones”, “A Tribute to Harlem”, “and “Danm Yankees”. He moved to L.A. and appeared in such TV shows as “Girlfriends”, “Seventh Heaven”, “Boston Public”, and “E.R.”. Tavares launched his Miami and LA based production company “Beverly Boy Productions”. Over the years Tavares has produced over 20 TV commercials, , 10 theatrical plays and 6 TV shows. Tavares has appeared in numerous publications in recognition of his work, and was recently named “young Producer of the year” by YGB Publications. In 2002 Tavares was appointed to sit on the Miami Dade Film and Entertainment Advisory Board.

FRANCEASCA SEIDEN
Producer, Director, Writer & Photographer

Franceasca is a native Miamian and has shown her fine art photographic work on both coasts while working as an assistant curator to a local contemporary photography gallery. After graduating with her Bachelors of Fine Arts Degree in photography she pursued her career in production by becoming the personal assistant to a New York based feature film director/writer. She then began working at the Entertainment Industry Incubator, a local non-profit organization dedicated to the growth of the South Florida entertainment community. Franceasca co-produced MVC’04 (Music Video Challenge) and Collaboration 7…A Short Film Contest. She has written, directed, and produced three short films; Out of Sync, The Theater, and Wicked Garden, which is now in development to become her first feature film. 3GZ will be premiering their documentary Darkbeat an electro world voyage. Franceasca recently received her Masters in Film from Miami International University of Art and Design.

PABLO (vlo) ERMINY
Writer, Photographer, Director & Musician

Born in Caracas – Venezuela. Graduated from the International Fine Arts College, Miami Florida, earning a Bachelor’s degree in Communications, Film. With studies in Philosophy and Literature from Venezuela, Founder of The Ars Nova Revolution (www.arsnovarevolution.com), he dedicates himself to a more intimate art of filmmaking, in which its primordial purpose is to use it as a tool for social transformation and cultural education. “Artivism” (activist artists – taken from the term promoted by Argentinean artist and photographer Marcela Nievas). Pablo has directed numerous documentaries, commercials, and music videos. He is currently working on his next documentary film: “The following people … “

VERONICA BARRIOS-GARCIA
Writer / Director

Ms. Barrios-Garcia has worked with such landmark industry names as MTV Networks, Vh-1, MTV Latino, Nickelodeon, Warner Bros., Dreamworks, Columbia Pictures, Telemundo, Univision, CBS Productions, TLC/Banyan Productions, Comedy Central, and Bob Bain Productions. Furthermore, she has served as credentials manager in major internationally broadcast productions, including the 2004 MTV Latin Video Music Awards, Univision’s Premio lo Nuestro, and the Latin Billboard Awards on Telemundo (NBC). In addition, since co-founding Garnet Productions she has produced the short film Bernard. Most notably, she wrote and produced daily segments for MUN2’s hit bilingual show “The Roof,” specifically serving as main producer and head writer for the show’s Friday episodes.

MORRIS ABRAHAM

Director Morris Abraham has nearly three decades of experience working in Hollywood with some of the biggest names in the business. He has achieved widespread recognition during his career. He has directed a wide range of network series and specials programming.

Morris has directed, produced, and consulted on major television series and specials, talk shows, award shows, game shows, and music series.

Morris is currently working on producing his own projects and has several shows in development and in the pilot phase of production.