By Daniel Betancourt
It’s only 9:25 PM and we’re already late for what could be one of the biggest events of the festival: HBO night at The Wharf. My classmate Anthony waits for me as I grab my ticket from my car. We had just finished attending a ProducersMasterclass with Kevin Chinoy & Francesca Silvestri from The Florida Project and we were ready for the next event. We just didn’t know what to expect.
The Miami river rests aside The Wharf where the lights are dim, and the DJ plays throwback jams for an unusually light crowd on a windy night. On the way in we get wrist banded and given a free drink voucher which gave us an idea of where to start, so we set sail and anchored in line at the bar. There are tables with ice buckets and HBO labeled water bottles, dimly lit hanging light bulbs, and roughly about forty people conversing along the way.
After a couple of minutes of waiting in line, I turn around and spot Paul Stavropoulos (Director) Sexual Being who sports a red shirt and Canada Red lanyard to house his filmmaker badge. I had met Paul day 2 of the festival just after a Q & A where his documentary Sexual Being had screened. We exchange our film backgrounds after some conversations, and I ask Paul a series of questions: how his project was funded, how the Candian government helps with the process, what his next project is, and more about what his recent project was like. Paul was more than happy to answer, and to my surprise, I might be moving to Canada soon.
The night continues with more conversations with filmmakers from all over. I walk over to a gentleman wearing a fedora standing by the bar. He introduces himself as Freddie Marrero Alfonso (Producer) Nuyorican Basquet, and talks to me about his recent life and how difficult it is to produce in Puerto Rico. Freddie also mentioned how humbled he was that his screening was sold out and filled with more people than he ever imagined.
It’s now twelve thirty-five in the morning and the bartenders are closing up shop. On our way out, I meet Albert from Tribeca Film Festival, NY who’s in town enjoying the Miami Film Festival. Albert entertained us with what it’s like to work in a building that houses offices for some of the biggest names in Hollywood. Apparently, Robert De Niro goes by “Bobby D” off screen andJon Stewart is on to something, we just don’t know what.
Though I wasn’t able to meet any filmmakers from Vice, I was able to connect with some of the most sincere, hardworking filmmakers I’ve ever met. These guys have their project programmed in the Miami Film Festival, and have projects lined up to work on once they go back home. This night really helped me understand the dynamics of networking and the importance of building relationships worth keeping. After a long thought I realize, it’s never about where you’re going, it’s about how you get there.
And we thought we were late.
MIAMI FILM FESTIVAL EXPERIENCE 