DRGFF Representatives Attend World-Renowned Gramado Film Festival in Brazil

Representatives of the Dominican Republic Global Film Festival (DRGFF), an initiative of Global Foundation for Democracy and Development (GFDD) and Fundación Global Democracia y Desarrollo (FUNGLODE), attended the thirty seventh edition of the popular Gramado Film Festival Rio Grande do Sul, in Brazil, August 9-15,
2009.

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Semiramis de Miranda, DRGFF Digital Media Director, and Taina Rodriguez, DRGFF Promotion Coordinator, liaised with filmmakers, celebrities, politicians and other industry professionals that gathered from all over the world to experience the most celebrated film festival in Latin America.

Gramado is legendary for its innovative new cinematographic language of making films. Films are selected not only for entertainment purposes, but also for
their ability allow the viewer to experience a wide variety of emotions through imagery, scenery, photography, content, camera angles and other features.

Brazilian and Latin American filmmakers showcase their latest productions in hopes of winning the most coveted of prizes – the Kikito (God of Good Humor) Trophy. Film entries to the Gramado Festival rose by 80 percent this year, which came as no surprise to one of its curators, Sergio Sanz. He believes that
people’s inherent need to tell stories, coupled with the onset of digitalization, have brought a democratic “revolution” to the film industry. The number of film productions across the globe, especially in developing countries, is increasing at an enormous rate, which is positive in the sense that people are not as concerned with the traditional style of movie making. This brings fresh ideas to the film industry making “old style” filmmakers
rethink their craft.

Young filmmakers have a special function in this environment. They keep the industry moving with dynamic new ideas. Like in any other revolutionary movement, exceptional, average and mediocre films are made. However, the chances of finding great new directors, producers and many other filmmaking professionals are higher, both locally and worldwide.
One of the DRGFF’s objectives is to reach out to people from all walks of life
and create an opportunity for discussion on global issues. Similarly, the Gramado Film Festival is an opportunity to experience innovative productions and new cinematographic languages that encourage discussion about “Global Issues, Personal Stories”.

During the Gramado Film Festival, DRGFF representatives met with the festival’s president, who will be invited to participate in one of DRGFF’s professional panels, “Festival
Directors in Dialogue”. Representatives also had a chance to talk to the president of the ANCINE (Brazilian Film Association of the Ministry of Culture) about collaboration on a Brazilian Films Series in the Dominican Republic next year.

DRGFF 2008, had the vision to create “year-round programming to support the core mission” of the Festival http://www.drglobalfilmfestival.org/drgff2008/festival_en.asp. This vision will be realized in 2010, with the first ever exhibition of Brazilian films in the Dominican Republic. The development of this initiative will be in conjunction with GFDD<