BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//Creative Pinellas - ECPv6.15.18//NONSGML v1.0//EN CALSCALE:GREGORIAN METHOD:PUBLISH X-WR-CALNAME:Creative Pinellas X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://creativepinellas.org X-WR-CALDESC:Events for Creative Pinellas REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H X-Robots-Tag:noindex X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:America/New_York BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20220313T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20221106T060000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20230312T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20231105T060000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20240310T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20241103T060000 END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20230803 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20231016 DTSTAMP:20260426T035246 CREATED:20230616T204520Z LAST-MODIFIED:20231017T144501Z UID:81316-1691020800-1697414399@creativepinellas.org SUMMARY:Keepers of Heritage: Hidden Tales / Custodios de la Herencia: Cuentos Ocultos DESCRIPTION:Keepers of Heritage: Hidden Tales / Custodios de la Herencia: Cuentos Ocultos will feature Puerto Rican artists and focus on bringing to light stories and ideas that have been overshadowed or disregarded by mainstream narratives.\nEmbracing the exploration of old and new ideas\, artists play a vital role in pushing boundaries\, challenging societal norms\, and provoking discussions on taboo and controversial topics. The exhibition artwork examines and reflects on a diversity of subjects\, beliefs\, and stories that have been censured over the years\, allowing visitors to reflect on how narratives and perspectives continually evolve. \nThe exhibition showcases original work in a variety of mediums including painting\, sculpture\, drawing\, and engraving by renowned artists from Puerto Rico\, Florida\, and New York such as Brenda Cruz\, Domingo Garcia\, Martin Garcia Rivera\, and Rafael Rivera Rosa. \nMeet the Collective \n \n \n \n \n \n Keepers of Heritage – Custodios de la Herencia\n \n Posted on June 29\, 2023 by Creative Pinellas \n Keepers of Heritage is an extended collaborative effort whose purpose is to document\, present and promote the contributions of artists of Puerto Rican artists in the Caribbean archipelago and abroad. Its roots go back to 2015 with the presentation of the “La Diaspora” exhibition at the Terrace Gallery in Orlando City Hall. Since then\, the… Read More \n \n \n \nEvents Surrounding Exhibition\n \n \n \n \n \n Keepers of Heritage: Hidden Tales Opening Reception / Custodios de la Herencia: Cuentos Ocultos Recepción de Inauguración\n \n Posted on June 16\, 2023 by Creative Pinellas \n You’re invited to attend an opening reception for the Keepers of Heritage: Hidden Tales Exhibition / Custodios de la Herencia: Cuentos Ocultos Exhibición happening Saturday\, August 5 from 6pm – 8pm…. Read More \n \n \n \nMEET THE ARTISTS\nThe artists are Brenda Cruz\, Alejandro De Jesús\, Jose Feliciano Bonilla\, Carmelo Fontanez Cortijo\, Domingo García\, Francisco García Burgos\, Martin García Rivera\, Michael Irrizary Pagán\, Yasir Nieves\, Juan Nieves Burgos\, Angel Rivera Morales\, Rafael Rivera Rosa\, Carmen Rojas Gines\, Pablo Rubio\, Aby Ruiz\, Gilbert Salinas\, Joan Emanuelli Sánchez\, Luis Soto\, Valentín Tirado Barreto\, and Rigoberto Torres. \n \n \n Alejandro De Jesús\n By Creative Pinellas \n Alejandro De Jesús was born in Guaynabo\, Puerto Rico but grew up in the town of Caguas. As a child he drew and painted all the images he liked: super heroes\, faces\, cars\, monsters and the like. He remembers doing many illustrations at his grade school before every holiday. At the age of ten… Read More \n \n\n \n \n Ángel Rivera-Morales\n By Creative Pinellas \n Ángel Rivera-Morales is originally from the Caimito\, a vicinity on the southern outskirts of San Juan\, Puerto Rico. In 1999\, he entered the University of Puerto Rico where he obtained a degree in Bachelor’s degree in Humanities with a concentration in Fine Arts. From 2006 to 2012\, his works were exhibited in various art galleries and museums around the island…. Read More \n \n\n \n \n Brenda Cruz\n By Creative Pinellas \n Brenda Amaryllis Cruz Díaz was born on January 14\, 1974\, in San Juan\, Puerto Rico. She is a multidisciplinary artist\, historian and researcher based in Madrid\, Spain since 1997. Cruz began her university education at the Faculty of Humanities of the University of Puerto Rico\, Río Piedras Campus where in 1996 she obtained a Bachelor… Read More \n \n\n \n \n Carmelo Fontanez-Cortijo\n By Creative Pinellas \n … Read More \n \n\n \n \n Carmen Rojas Ginés\n By Creative Pinellas \n Carmen Rojas Ginés\, born in Arecibo\, Puerto Rico\, is a Sculptor\, Painter\, and ArtTeacher.She grew up under the creative influence of her grandmother Magdalena\,a Haute Couture Designer. Graduating from the University of Puerto Rico\,… Read More \n \n\n \n \n Domingo Garcia-Davila\n By Creative Pinellas \n Domingo es uno de los artistas más reconocidos en el arte puertorriqueño contemporáneo. Comenzó su carrera en la Academia Nacional de Bellas Artes de Nueva York y en el Chicago Art Institute\, y más tarde estudió pintura en Inglaterra con William Locke. A su regreso a Puerto Rico en 1959 estableció Taller-Galería Campeche\, que dirigió… Read More \n \n\n \n \n Francisco GarcÍa Burgos\n By Creative Pinellas \n Puerto  Rican painter\, native of Juana  Diaz town.   He received his  Master’s of Arts degree at the  Catholic University of Puerto  Rico.   His work\,  basically religious\, is a critic of society.  His works are found in innumerable private and public collections in  Puerto  Rico and other countries…. Read More \n \n\n \n \n Gilbert Salinas\n By Creative Pinellas \n Gilbert Salinas (Boston\, Mass.\, 1972; Lives and works in Orlando\, FL & San Juan\, PR)Painter and printmaker. He has a Bachelor’s Degree in Humanities with a concentration in Fine Arts: Painting\, from the University of Puerto Rico\, Río Piedras Campus. He has shown his works in museums\, galleries… Read More \n \n\n \n \n Joan Emanuelli Sanchez\n By Creative Pinellas \n Joan Emanuelli Sanchez is a Contemporary Realism Artist from San Juan\, Puerto Rico\, now residing in Orlando\, Florida. \nHis distinctive personal style emanates from passion and emotion\, which portrays numerous perspectives on various subjects in oils\, bringing to life\, scenic landscapes\, interior scenes\, portraits\, still life\, and everyday people…. Read More \n \n\n \n \n Jose Feliciano\n By Creative Pinellas \n José Feliciano nació en Isabela\, Puerto Rico\, en 1939. Tenía solo cinco años cuando su familia se mudó a Nueva York. José estudió en la Liga de Estudiantes de Arte en New York City. Su experiencia incluye haber sido Artista para Joe Papp’s Public Theatre\, Metropolitan Opera House’s en la producción de “Antonio y Cleopatra\,”… Read More \n \n\n \n \n Luis Soto\n By Creative Pinellas \n Luis Manuel Soto López was born in Camuy Arriba\, in the El Calvario sector of Puerto Rico in 1964. He completed his higher education in drafting drawings at the Vocational School Antonio Luchetti in Arecibo\, Puerto Rico. His formal training began in 1983 with Puerto Rican artist Roland Borges (who taught classes in his garage)\, who later became his mentor … Read More \n \n\n \n \n Martín García-Rivera\n By Creative Pinellas \n Draftsman\, Printmaker\, Painter Born in Arecibo\, Puerto Rico in 1960. BA University of Puerto Rico. MFA Pratt Institute\, New York. Associate Cathedratic at the University of Puerto Rico\, Rio Piedras Campus…. Read More \n \n\n \n \n Michael Irrizary-Pagan\n By Creative Pinellas \n Michael Irrizary Pagan was born in New York City. His family was filled with artists and craftsmen. I believe that I was born into the right environment; my mother would always have clay\, pencils\, and small things to stimulate creativity\, along with all the family members involved in making some form of art. “I never… Read More \n \n\n \n \n Pablo Rubio\n By Creative Pinellas \n Born in San Juan\, Puerto Rico\, in 1944\, Pablo Rubio is a sculptor\, painter\, draftsman\, designer\, curator\, and professor. He obtained a bachelor’s degree in art at the Puerto Rico School of Plastic Arts and a Master’s Degree at the State University of New York (SUNY) in Buffalo. He now teaches at the University of Puerto Rico…. Read More \n \n\n \n \n Rafael Rivera Rosa\, In Memory\n By Creative Pinellas \n Rafael Rivera-Rosa was born in Comerío\, Puerto Rico in 1942. He is a painter\, graphic artist\, digital artist\, graphic designer\, and retired university professor. Rivera-Rosa studied with the artists of the “Fifties Generation\,” among them\,… Read More \n \n\n \n \n Rigoberto Torres\n By Creative Pinellas \n … Read More \n \n\n \n \n Yasir Nieves\n By Creative Pinellas \n Yasir Nieves was born in Arecibo\, Puerto Rico\, and he began drawing at an early age. He develops freehand drawings in ink\, pencil\, and charcoal. After mastering the skills of pencil drawing\, charcoal drawing\, and engraving\, he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Fine Arts (Painting) from the Rio Piedras Campus in PR…. Read More URL:https://creativepinellas.org/event/keepers-of-heritage-hidden-tales-custodio-de-la-herencia-cuentos-ocultos/ LOCATION:The Gallery at Creative Pinellas archive\, 12211 Walsingham Road\, Largo\, FL\, 33778\, United States CATEGORIES:Exhibition ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://creativepinellas.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Exhibition-Header.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20230916T070000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20230916T170000 DTSTAMP:20260426T035246 CREATED:20220406T161958Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230825T205606Z UID:12732-1694847600-1694883600@creativepinellas.org SUMMARY:Third Saturdays at Pinewood DESCRIPTION:Third Saturdays at Pinewood\nCelebrate at Pinewood (Florida Botanical Gardens\, Creative Pinellas\, Heritage Village) every 3rd Saturday! Free event\, free parking! \nAt Creative Pinellas (10 am – 5 pm):\n\nJoin us in the gallery for a family BINGO Scavenger Hunt with cool prizes and see the latest exhibition\, Keepers of Heritage: Hidden Tales / Custodios de la Herencia: Cuentos Ocultos. This exhibit features Puerto Rican artists and embraces the exploration of old and new ideas. Then later that day from 4 -8 pm\, come see MiGente MiPueblo’s 4th Annual Movida\, Tampa Bay Latin International Film Festival at the Auditorium at Creative Pinellas. Free to attend.  \nAt the Florida Botanical Gardens (7 am – 5 pm):\nJoin our Children’s Garden Educator in the Palm Pavilion of the Florida Botanical Gardens on Saturday\, September 16th from 9 AM-12 PM to learn more about our new Majeed Discovery Garden (MDG) mascots and participate in the second round of the mascot naming competition. Think you have what it takes to name our new mascots for the MDG? You can still participate in the first round of voting by submitting your name suggestions here: https://tinyurl.com/MDGMascotCampaign. \n\n\nAt Heritage Village (10 am – 4 pm):\nJoin the Krewe of the Scarlett Fortuna for a day of swashbuckling fun at Heritage Village’s Pirate Palooza! Featuring live pirate demonstrations\, mermaid storytimes\, sea shanties\, games\, and more\, this exciting event is free and perfect for pirates of all ages. The Scarlett Fortuna is also bringing along their beloved Bookaneer Tent\, where children can peruse a free library of books to read and take home. Families are welcome to bring and donate gently used books of their own to help spread the love of reading at this communal traveling library. 10 am to 3 pm. Family & pet friendly. \n\n  \n  \n  URL:https://creativepinellas.org/event/third-saturdays-at-pinewood/ LOCATION:The Gallery at Creative Pinellas archive\, 12211 Walsingham Road\, Largo\, FL\, 33778\, United States CATEGORIES:Gallery Event,Pinewood Partners ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://creativepinellas.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Pinewood_3rdSaturdays_WebGraphic_NoDate.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20230916T160000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20230916T200000 DTSTAMP:20260426T035246 CREATED:20230822T183944Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230912T160738Z UID:84323-1694880000-1694894400@creativepinellas.org SUMMARY:Tampa Bay Latin International Film Festival DESCRIPTION:Don’t miss the Tampa Bay Latin International Film Festival on September 16th at the Auditorium at Creative Pinellas. During the Festival\, you will experience two 40-50 minute segments of short films. Each segment will have an average of 4-8 short films with a 40-minute intermission. During the intermission\, we will invite dialogue around the theme with the organizers and artists who co-create an opportunity for exploring\, learning\, and sharing. Free and open to the public. \nRSVP Now\n\nSchedule\n4:00 pm: Opening Reception\n5:00 pm: First film segment\nBarrier – Director Jorge Armando Pattroni \n2 mins\, 24 sec \nJorge A. Pattroni was born in Lima\, Peru in September 11 2002. He’s an independent filmmaker currently studying image and sound design at Buenos Aires University. He won the best student music video at the Buenos Aires Music Video Fest 2022 with his music Video América TV. He has also worked in many other short films including fiction and documentaries. \nStory: \nKilla\, a young Quechua-speaking girl\, approaches Francisco\, a wealthy man\, but when he does not understand her\, a dissonance is generated between their two perspectives. \nNervios – Director Frank Roméu \n6 mins\, 27 sec \nStory: \nA Cuban immigrant discovers the reality of patriotism and identity as he celebrates his newfound citizenship in America. \nAroma de Azucenas – Director Julián Garnik \n9 mins\, 51 sec \nJulián Garnik is a filmmaker from Carolina\, Puerto Rico currently based out of Austin\, TX. His films have been awarded and screened at various international festivals\, amongst them the Oregon Short Film Festival\, Rincón International Film Festival\, and the International Puerto Rican Heritage Film Festival. As a commercial videographer and editor\, he’s had the chance of working with clients like Adidas\, Zeiss\, and the Hispanic Federation. \nStory: \nA look into the legacy of Saúl Dávila\, a legendary flower street vendor in Puerto Rico who has stood the test of time and sold a unique flower called azucena almost everyday for the last 50 years\, resisting the widespread automatization and displacement of jobs like his to become an iconic symbol of our people’s cultural tradition. \nEl Sazon – Director William Zimmerman \n10 mins \nWill Zimmerman is a senior at Wake Forest University pursuing a B.A. in Interdisciplinary Creative Studies. \nStory: \nThe English language doesn’t have a direct translation for “Sazón\,” and that’s befitting. If payoff is in the bite\, sazón is in the ten-thousand hours – learning the craft and the ingredients\, the procedures and the ways. It’s ephemeral\, intangible\, and at the same time\, distinct and known\, dancing and delightful on the tip of the tongue. Somewhere\, sazón is the sweet bouquet of grandma’s meatballs\, smothered in their basily-tomatoey paste. Elsewhere\, sazón is the fusion of blended spices\, passed down across as many generations as the brick grill atop which the vegetables have always been prepared. In Winston-Salem\, N.C.\, Tin recognizes sazón in the masterstroke of Beto’s tacos. Recognizing and replicating\, though\, are hardly one and the same. \nFairy Rice Mother – Director Joelle Velez \n*Puerto Rican female filmmaker \n12 mins\, 13 sec \nStory: \nFairy Rice Mother is a charming comedic short centered around family\, identity\, and rice. When Ruby’s attempt at making her family’s traditional rice dish goes terribly wrong\, her late abuela sends her help in the form of Francis\, a hardass magical expert who’s ready to kick Ruby’s rice into shape. \nHot Latin Nights – Director Franco Vidal \n16 mins \nFranco Vidal is a Peruvian filmmaker based in Los Angeles with a BA in Film Production from California State University\, Northridge. He is currently earning his MFA in Film Production at USC’s School of Cinematic Arts as a recipient of the George Lucas Family Foundation scholarship. He continues to make films about Latinx culture and his community. \nStory: \nThe Granada\, a nightclub owned by the famed salsa singer Tony “El Tío” Lopez is closing down. El Tío’s nephew had no intention of attending the closing night\, until the girl next door asks him to save the last dance for her. Now all he needs to do is learn how to salsa dance. \nCoach Herman Valdez and the Secret Weapon-OVERLOAD – Director Austin Ronald Janowsky \n20 mins \nAustin Janowsky is an American actor-screenwriter-director. To date he has written\, directed and produced over a dozen films/tv pilots. He is also an actor that booked roles on Apple +\, NETFLIX\, Amazon\, Oxygen\, Peacock\, Lifetime. \nAustin Janowsky has also work as a comic book artist since 1994 for Marvel Comics\, Image Comics\, IDW\, Dynamite Ent. Devils Due and others. Janowsky’s most recent comic is his all age holiday series “Stanley The Snowman” with Scout Comics. \nAustin Janowsky grew up in Upstate NY – New Hartford\, NY. He is the son of Ron and Kay Janowsky. Austin was in musicals and theater is entire school career and being named “Most Theatrical” his senior year. After he graduated\, He moved to Florida where he lives by the ocean with his Wife. He has 4 adult children. \nStory: Filmmaker Austin Janowsky interviews the Innovative High School Basketball coach Herman Valdes and talk with him about his storied career and how his faith helped create innovative plays like The Overload that brought him to the Pinnacle l of his profession! \n6:00 pm: Discussion\n7:00 pm: Second film segment\nMeet Los Parents – Director Joey Medina Los \n 3 mins\, 43 sec \nJoey Medina born and raised in The Bronx\, New York was distain to become a Writer\, Producer & Director. \nIn 2006 Joey created and produced and hosted\, “Latin Palooza\,” a comedy special shot live in front of 1\,300 people. The DVD was picked up and distributed by Image Entertainment.\nSince then Joey has produced and directed five music videos for pop \, rap and rock artists.\nIn 2009\, Joey produced and directed another comedy special titled\, “Cholo Comedy Slam\,” this time adding a musical acts along with stand-up comedians. The event was shot in Los Angeles in front of 2000 people and was picked up and distributed by Latin Fusion Entertainment.\nJoey also wrote\, produced and directed his first short horror film\, MISSING. As a professional comedian most of his filmmaking projects were comedies\, so he wanted to produce a horror film that was as dark and disturbing as possible. He set out to make a film that would be hard to watch for the viewer. He wanted the viewer to experience what the victims in the film were going through. \nHaving almost zero budget\, he built many props himself and designed many of the makeup effects as well. Joey spent about six weeks preparing for the shoot\, including writing and casting. The shoot itself took three days with a partial crew for only half the time.\nThe film went on to win Best Director and Best screenplay in the 2015 International Horror Realm Film Festival and the Award of Excellence in the 2015 Ricon International Film Festival in Puerto Rico along with an Award of Merit in the 2015 Indie Fest Film Awards.\nJoey Medina also wrote\, produce\, directed\, edited as well as stared in his own single camera style sitcom called “Man of a Funny Age.”\nMost recently Joey just wrote\, produced and directed a powerful short film called\, “The Lesson.’ Jon Kelly from “Access Hollywood” calls the film “Stone Cold Powerful.”\nJoey is currently a content producer on a syndicated game show called\, “Funny You Should Ask.” He continues to expand his knowledge and passion for filmmaking and production. \nStory: \nA caucasian man is nervous to meet his Mexican girlfriend’s parents for the first time. \nLos(t) Suenos – Director Jakub Chlouba \n 6 mins \nJakub is a freelance director and cinematographer currently based between Switzerland and Barcelona. He is fascinated by what it means to be a human and strives to express it through his work. He believes that through stories we as humans can be inspired and motivated to take a step toward our better selves and thus a better world. \nHe specializes in branded content\, documentary\, and adventure travel. His strong ability to connect with people on a deep human level helps him tell authentic stories. \nStory: \nAfter the tragic loss of his young daughter\, Anderson decides to leave his home country of Venezuela and forge his own path in life. Moving to Buenos Aires with nothing\, he becomes a bicycle messenger in order to make a living. This is his story. \nAlma – Director Iris Reyes \n7 mins \nIris Reyes is Puerto Rican Filmmaker\, Screenwriter and Producer. She is also the Director of the Tampa Bay Latin International Film Festival. She often works on set as a Script Supervisor and 1st and 2nd AD. She’s moved into more roles recently\, including as a Unit Production Manager and a Line Producer. She currently co-owns a production company named iReyes Films\, LLC. Alma was produced and written by her and specifically for the film festival. This film is her Directorial Debut. \nStory: Alma\, Spanish for soul\, is short Horror film that reflects the pain of a Latina. We follow a young women\, Violet\, through her home and see how the opinions of her family and friends affect her identity and soul. \nThe Laundry Machine – Director Noemi Lopez \n16 mins \nNoemi Lopez is a Mexican-American producer\, director\, and cinematographer. She has pursued her BFA degree at The University of Tampa with a minor in Business Administration in 2021. She has worked in several productions ranging from features\, shorts\, and commercials. She has held different job titles from each department located in the Tampa Bay\, Orlando\, Fort Lauderdale\, and Miami areas. Noemi has had the prodigious opportunity of being selected to attend the Cannes Film Festival in 2019 where she took part in three days of filmmaking workshops\, Q&As with directors\, and even had the opportunity to walk the red carpet with some of the greats. \nHer plan for the future is to create her own film company and be a successful film producer for her community. It is her ultimate goal to be honored at the Academy Awards and bring home an \nStory: \nA college student goes into an unexpected adventure to his future. \nTranslators – Director Rudy Valdez \n21 mins \nRudy Valdez is a two time Emmy Award-winning filmmaker committed to creating social\, cultural\, and political stories through a cinematic and meaningful lens. He got his start in film as a Camera Operator on the Peabody Award-winning\, Sundance series Brick City and went onto direct a true passion project\, The Sentence (HBO). Shot and directed by Valdez over the course of a decade\, this feature documentary tells the very personal story of his sister’s plight in the criminal justice system while tackling subjects like mandatory minimums and sentencing reform. For this work\, the filmmaker won the 2019 Primetime Emmy Award for Exceptional Merit in Documentary Filmmaking\, US Documentary Audience Award at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival and was a 2018 Critics Choice Documentary Awards Best New Director nominee. \nPrior to The Sentence\, Valdez has worked as a Cinematographer on a multitude of projects including: The Last Patrol (HBO)\, directed by Academy Award-nominated Director Sebastian Junger; Whoopi Goldberg presents Moms Mabley: I Got Something To Tell You (HBO) produced and directed by Whoopi Goldberg\, premiering at the 2013 Tribeca Film Festival; Remembering the Artist\, Robert De Niro\, Sr.\, (HBO)\, premiering at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival; The Conversation Series\, a New York Times OpDoc; the series Second Coming?: Will Black America Decide the 2012 Election? (BET); Prison Dogs\, directed by Primetime Emmy Award-winning Director Geeta Gandbhir and Perri Peltz\, premiering at the 2015 Tribeca Film Festival; Buried Above Ground\, directed by Ben Selkow\, premiering at the Woodstock Film Festival; as well as\, The Talk (PBS)\, directed by Academy Award-nominated Director Sam Pollard. \nValdez’s most recent project\, ReOpening Night\, a feature film about The Public Theater’s staging of a beloved New York City institution\, Shakespeare in the Park\, following the COVID-19 pandemic. It premiered on HBO Max in December. This past summer\, Breakaway\, a feature film following WNBA superstar\, Maya Moore and her fight for criminal justice reform\, premiered on ESPN in July 2021 (produced by Rockin’ Robin Productions); and its complementary short\, Make Him Known\, premiered at the 2021 Miami Film Festival and made appearances at the Sarasota Film Festival\, The Brooklyn Film Festival\, Minneapolis Film Festival\, and Nantucket Film Festival. His four-part docu-series\, We Are: The Brooklyn Saints (produced by Imagine Documentaries)\, is currently streaming on Netflix. He also co-directed the premiere episode of Through Our Eyes (HBO) alongside Academy Award-winning director Geeta Gandbhir\, a four-part docu-series from Sesame Workshop that explores the lives of American families from the perspective of children; how they navigate their circumstances with their families and the world at large. He is also in production on the definitive feature documentary of Carlos Santana (produced by Imagine Documentaries) and Disney +’s CHOIR\, a docu-series following the Detroit Youth Choir after their star turn on America’s Got Talent (also produced by Imagine Documentaries). Valdez’s repertoire now extends into the scripted arena as he recently sold a genre TV series he created that is loosely based on his family and life experiences as well as a Feature film he will direct based on a story written by Valdez that is slated to shoot in the Spring. \nStory: \nIn the United States\, there are over 11 million child translators. Our story follows Harye\, Densel\, and Virginia as they translate for their parents in everyday situations. \n  \nAbout\nThe Tampa Bay Latin International Film Festival seeks to uplift Latine stories and filmmakers of all ages and stages of life by exploring Latin America’s emerging and established talent in film through documentaries or short Latin American films to the Tampa Bay community. Our hope is to fuel connection\, deepening engagement and knowledge of the Latinx community by providing more outlets for these extraordinary voices in film\, not typically seen in commercial theaters\, we will explore the incredibly diverse perspectives that Latin America has to offer the world. As we learn more and promote Latina/o/x/e film\, art\, theater and music throughout Tampa Bay. \nFor MiGente MiPueblo’s 4th Annual Movida\, the festival invites the audience to reflect on the theme ¿y quien es mi gente? Mis Raices & My Identity. Our roots are black\, indigenous\, white. Our shared identity is intersectional and emergently complex. We need to get to know who we are together and with each other. This Festival will further a dialogue that will create greater understanding and empathy for others\, while growing the network of advocates for a thriving community.  Tampa Bay Latin Festival will accept submissions through September 8th\, 2023. \nMore Info TBLIFF URL:https://creativepinellas.org/event/tampa-bay-latin-international-film-festival/ LOCATION:The Auditorium at Creative Pinellas\, 12211 Walsingham Rd\, Largo\, FL\, 33778\, United States ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://creativepinellas.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Tampa-Bay-Latin-Film-Festival-Web-1920-x-1080.png END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR