THE ELLIOTT FOUNDATION AND THE DIRECTOR’S CUT PLAN CHILDREN’S FILM PROGRAM AT THE 2007 DOMINICAN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic (September XX, 2007) –The Elliott Foundation and The Director’s Cut are announcing two new children’s film workshops at Sun Village Resort & Spa on November 9th and 10th during the Third Annual Dominican International Film Festival. Manny Perez, a native Dominican and accomplished actor attending the Festival, will be on site to offer expertise to the children’s productions.

The film programs will be open to 12 future filmmakers per session. Six of the opening spots will be offered to children staying at Sun Village and the additional six will be awarded to local children who have the best story-idea to be created into a film. This unique program was designed through a partnership with the Elliott Foundation and The Director’s Cut, a Canadian-based mobile film and imaging studio dedicated to children in Canada and now the Dominican. Providing the opportunity for children between the ages of 5 - 17 to experiment with digital film and imaging software and hardware, this program will be a unique and valuable experience for all participants. The Elliott Foundation is a charitable agency that helps fund schools, orphanages and other relief projects related to the protection and welfare of children in the local communities of Dominican Republic.

“We are excited about this unique opportunity to bring our children’s film workshops to Sun Village Resort & Spa in the Dominican Republic for the first time,” said Gail Valentine, Marketing Director of The Director’s Cut. “With the help of the Elliott Foundation, The Dominican Film Festival and Manny Perez, we are looking forward to further enhancing the knowledge and creativity of future film makers.”

Manny Perez is a native Dominican born in a suburb of Santiago. At the age of 10, his family relocated to the United States where Perez fell in love with acting. He is best known for his roles on hit television shows such as “Rescue Me” and “Third Watch,” and films such as this summer’s highly anticipated and critically acclaimed El Cantante starring opposite Jennifer Lopez and Mark Anthony and Illegal Tender with Michael Phillip Del Rio and D.C. Benny. Perez was recently acclaimed for his acting, co-writing and co-producing of the independent film Washington Heights.

The Third Annual Dominican International Film Festival will be held at Sun Village Resort & Spa on November 8 – November 11, 2007. The festival is currently accepting film entries in four categories including, Short Film (5-30 min), Feature Film (60-180 min), Latin American Feature Film (the film must originate in a Spanish-speaking country and between 60-180 min) and Documentary (no time restriction). Festival passes and special packages are available now at www.DominicanInternationalFilmFestival.com.

About The Director’s Cut
The Director's Cut is the first mobile film and imaging studio dedicated to children in Canada. The workshops provide an opportunity for children between the ages 0f 5 - 17 to experiment with digital film and imaging software and hardware. As former educators in the public system, founders Bryan and Lori Godmintz have created templated workshops to introduce the "digital kid" to everything from publishing storybooks, comic books, claymation and many other film genres. The program now includes 70 schools and works with over 2000 children annually in Canada.

The Elliott Foundation
The Elliott Foundation is a charitable agency that helps fund schools, orphanages and other relief projects related to the protection and welfare of children in the local communities of Dominican Republic. It was co-founded by Derek Elliott, the CEO of Elliott, the dynamic parent company that manages and operates Sun Village Resorts and Maxim Bungalows.

About Dominican International Film Festival
The Dominican International Film Festival is a young, rapidly growing festival dedicated to promoting independent filmmaking. The Festival separates itself from other film festivals by embracing the Latin American flavor through screenings of Latin American feature films, promoting renowned Dominican stars and its dedication to providing live Dominican entertainment. The 2007 Festival will include a variety of screenings of some of the year’s top films, panels and workshops that feature award-winning actors, writers and directors, VIP parties and live entertainment. This year’s Festival will also introduce a new award category: The 2007 Rising Dominican Star Award. The Dominican International Film Festival is produced by Elliott, the dynamic parent company of Sun Village Resort & Spa and the new Maxim Bungalows in the Dominican Republic and Vincent Partners, a NY-based marketing and communications company.

Sun Village Resort & Spa in Cofresi Beach
Sun Village Resort & Spa in Cofresi Beach is an all-inclusive luxury resort with 300 rooms, managed and operated by Elliott. Sun Village Resort is located within a dramatic mountain-beach setting on the northern coast of the Dominican Republic and is serviced by nearby Puerto Plata and Santiago International airports.



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