Max Anderson is a wealthy Coral Gables resident with a boxing pedigree. Jesús Velez is a poor boy from Calle Ocho who uses street smarts to defeat his opponents in the ring. The two kick-boxers are competing for the limelight in a brutal industry where only the hardiest survive. This story is not only the premise for Lee Cipolla's Harder They Fall — one of the films showing at the Miami Independent Film and Music Festival — but it is also a familiar scenario for local artists hustling for a piece of the pie.
Indie auteurs grab a piece of the action at the MIFMF
Details
The Miami Independent Film and Music Festival
takes place Saturday, July 29, at the Roxy
Theatre, 1645 SW 107th Ave, Miami. Doors open
at 9:45 a.m. Tickets are $10 presale and $15 at
the door. For more information, call
786-208-1529 or visit
miamiindie.
loboentertainment.net.
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The theme of struggling underdog versus privileged elite translates through to the MIFMF. Participants are mostly low-budget independent filmmakers and unsigned bands trying to gain recognition in a world that favors mass-produced entertainment supported by major labels and production companies.
"There are indie film nights at little venues that will screen a filmmaker's short films, but it's really underground. A lot of people don't get involved because they've never heard of these venues. That's why [indie filmmakers] will never advance. They're trying, but nobody comes out to their shows. Everybody would rather pay ten dollars to see a Hollywood blockbuster than pay two or three dollars to support a local artist," declares festival creator Karim Fernandez.
The festival features film and music competitions, screenings, and musical performances. A celebrity judge panel will nominate winners and hold film workshops. Competition winners will receive a plaque, but everyone will reap the benefits of exposure. In a city where there are only a handful of well-publicized live venues accessible to up-and-coming artists, these unsung musicians and directors will take any chance given to revel in the spotlight.
"There's a surplus of product. Many films are made every year and only so many make it into distribution. There's a very limited market if you don't have a star attached to your film.... Any festival helps indie filmmakers because it creates an opportunity for filmmakers to meet each other, see each other's work, and get exposure," explains Mike Stoklasa, director of Oranges: Revenge of the Eggplant.
Filmmakers aren't the only ones who get to demonstrate their work. A bevy of bands will be unleashing their sound for a chance to gain new fans and expose a relatively uncultivated aspect of Miami: the local music scene.
Bassist Natalie Martinez of participating band AKA knows the challenges of capturing the attention of indifferent locals and increasing the group's presence in the music world. "People aren't coming out for the music, and there's not a lot of local support or all-ages venues. [The MIFMF] is good for the scene. If there are more shows like this, then our scene gets more representation. It's like a ripple effect. If there's a good turnout, it might turn into something that's steady," says Martinez.
Although the bands may not be signed to major labels, and many of the movies were made with luck and a few hundred dollars, the festival emphasizes the quality of the content over technical panache. Cipolla summarizes the driving force behind the event as he muses, "The fest is showing people things that are not the norm.... It's art made from the heart, and it means something. It's there to affect people."
