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short film

BlogCorporateShort FilmsSound and Vision

Physician Voices: Reflections on a Pandemic

by Dan Perez
written by Dan Perez

I’ve been producing videos for Nicklaus Children’s Hospital (formerly Miami Children’s Hospital) for over 12 years now. They were the first big account I landed shortly after launching my video production business in 2006. Over the years, I’ve been able to help tell many different stories that illustrate how remarkable this hospital is (nationally ranked in 5 pediatric specialties by U.S. News & World Report). I’ve been inside operating rooms (heart, brain and spinal, to name a few) and have interviewed doctors, children and their parents. But when I was contacted by the marketing department with a new video idea, I knew this project would be a unique experience.

The Coronavirus pandemic has affected us all since it put a chokehold on the world back in February. Nowhere was that impact felt stronger than on the world’s hospitals and medical staff. With so little information about the virus, no cure, treatment or tests available, and so much panic, hospitals everywhere were literally making things up as they went along. Every day was a challenge – even for the region’s most respected children’s hospital.

The idea for this video was to have a cross-section of the hospital’s medical staff share their experiences dealing with this pandemic – from its onset to where we are today. From the Emergency Room to the Infectious Disease Department, these are the stories of a hospital that was turned upside down by the Coronavirus. It’s also the story of how this very same hospital came together as a team to fight the pandemic head on.

Eleven physicians were interviewed (I shot and interviewed all but Dr. Valeron and all b-roll shots were provided by the hospital) and then it was time to edit one of the more important videos I’ve ever produced. Here it is – I hope you enjoy it. In the meantime, this Coronavirus pandemic is still upon us, so in the immortal words of Sergeant Phil Esterhaus, “Let’s be careful out there.”
NOTE: The video kicks off with introductions by doctors Maria Franco (President of the Medical Staff) and Chad Perlyn (Interim President, Nicklaus Children’s Pediatric Specialists). The stories start at the 2:20 mark. Enjoy…

Founded in 1950 by Variety Clubs International, Nicklaus Children’s Hospital is South Florida’s only licensed specialty hospital exclusively for children, with nearly 800 attending physicians and more than 475 pediatric subspecialists. The 309-bed hospital, known as Miami Children’s Hospital from 1983 through 2014, is renowned for excellence in all aspects of pediatric medicine.

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VACC Camp
BlogCorporateShort FilmsSound and Vision

VACC Camp: Miami’s Most Remarkable Camp for Special Needs Children [VIDEO]

by Dan Perez
written by Dan Perez

For those of you that follow my blog, you know that I’ve been a volunteer at VACC Camp going back 8 years now. I’ve filmed it and I’ve photographed it and I’ll be back this Spring for the 2020 edition of the camp. For those of you who don’t know, VACC Camp is a free week-long overnight camp in Miami for ventilation assisted children (children needing a tracheostomy ventilator, C-PAP, BiPAP, or oxygen to support breathing) and their families. Overnight campers come from throughout the United States and internationally.

South Florida families and youngsters from local residential care facilities join in as day campers. The unique camp, hosted by Nicklaus Children’s Hospital, is a life-changing experience for not only the special needs campers but the many young volunteers who give up their Spring Break in South Florida to be of service to the camp.

I’ve completed a short video that better illustrates what this camp is all about and I’m also in the process of editing a feature documentary film about VACC Camp that I’ve been working on the past four years (hoping to have it completed by the fall). Enjoy the video – and please feel free to share it. For more information or to donate to this truly remarkable camp, visit vaccamp.com.

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Bronx
BlogFeatured (Soledad)FilmsGRAFSTRACTSound and Vision

GRAFSTRACT: The Bronx Street Art Renaissance | A Short Documentary Film

by Dan Perez
written by Dan Perez

Filmed in the Bronx back in the summer of 2014, my short documentary film “GRAFSTRACT: The Bronx Street Art Renaissance” has just completed a rather surprising three year film festival run that included screenings in 13 different countries as well as Los Angeles (where it won the “Best Street Art Film” award at the 2015 New Urbanism Film Festival), New York City (2016 Bronx International Film Festival) and several states in between.

The film is now available for public viewing (scroll down to watch the film subtitled in Spanish or Italian) and you can read up on on all the who, what, when, where and why on the film’s official page. So enjoy the film and feel free to let us know what you thought of it in the comments section below (and feel free to share!). Thanks, in advance!

Here’s the film:

GRAFSTRACT: The Bronx Street Art Renaissance from DanPerezFilms on Vimeo.

Kidney Transplant

La película subtitulada en español:

GRAFSTRACT: The Bronx Street Art Renaissance [SPANISH SUBTITLES] from DanPerezFilms on Vimeo.

Kidney Transplant

Il film sottotitolato in italiano:

GRAFSTRACT: The Bronx Street Art Renaissance [Italian Subtitles] from DanPerezFilms on Vimeo.

Kidney Transplant

GRAFSTRACT

From Left: James ‘Sexer’ Rodriguez, myself, SinXero, and John ‘Crash’ Matos [Day 1]

GRAFSTRACT

From Left: Chris Stain, Billy Mode, James ‘Sexer’ Rodriguez and SinXero [Day 2]

GRAFSTRACT

From Left: Luis ‘Zimad’ Lamboy, James ‘Sexer’ Rodriguez, SinXero, and John ‘Crash’ Matos [Day 3]

GRAFTSRACT

Me and my “Production Assistant”, my daughter Miranda. That’s a wrap!

Kidney Transplant

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Taranto Italy
BlogFilmsGRAFSTRACTSound and Vision

Official Selection: Festival Internazionale del Cinema Documentario | Taranto, Italy

by Dan Perez
written by Dan Perez

Very happy to announce that my award-winning short documentary film GRAFSTRACT: The Bronx Street Art Renaissance has been named an official selection and finalist of the 3rd edition of the Festival Internazionale del Cinema Documentario – Premio Marcellino de Baggis in Taranto, Italy. The selection will mark the third screening of the film in Italy (grazie!).

The festival, which is named after award-winning Italian cinematographer and director Marcellino de Baggis (who passed away in 2011), aims to create awareness for the documentary film culture as well as promote the history and beauty of Taranto, a coastal city in Southern Italy. Our film will screen on May 4th, full schedule HERE.

Kidney Transplant

GRAFSTRACT: The Bronx Street Art Renaissance, a film I directed, shot and edited, was filmed in the Bronx, New York City, back in the summer of 2014 and tells the story of J. “SinXero” Beltran, Founder & Creative Director of TAG Public Arts Project. With the help of some of the world’s top street artists, SinXero’s mission of “Enhancing The Visual Landscape of Urban Communities with Art” is becoming a reality in the birthplace of graffiti, The Bronx.

The film won the Best Street Art Film award at the 2015 New Urbanism Film Festival in Los Angeles. The film made its NYC premiere at the 2016 Bronx International Film Festival and has also screened at film festivals in Spain, Sweden, Albania, Turkey, Mexico, Chile, Scotland, Romania, Colombia, India, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Hungary and Italy. Very excited that the film is continuing to reach new international audiences.

[vimeo]https://vimeo.com/116378964[/vimeo]

Kidney Transplant

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BlogFilmsSound and Vision

“The Candle”: A Short Documentary Film about the Power of Art (and Family)

by Dan Perez
written by Dan Perez

“The Candle” is a short but sweet documentary film I shot in the Bronx in the summer of 2013. The film introduces you to Marthalicia Matarrita, a Dominican/Costa Rican artist raised in New York City with her two brothers, Tomas (older) and Jorge (younger). Encouraged by her mother, Marthalicia and her brothers realized a passion for art at a very young age; and during a very difficult time in their lives.


I came across Marthalicia during an internet search for Bronx street artists that summer. My younger brother Ruben and I were in the process of creating a video series on street artists and I was looking to feature someone from my old stomping grounds (I was born and raised in the Bronx). I found her art style, a fusion of nature and the harsh realities of inner city life, fresh and appealing so I reached out to her by phone and that’s when she told me that her two brothers were also artists. The proverbial plot had just thickened.

I met Marthalicia face-to-face for the first time a few days after our initial conversation as she was working on a mural project at the Tinton Avenue projects in the Bronx. I was able to arrange an interview with her and her brothers Tomas and Jorge for later that evening. When my brother and I arrived for the shoot, we entered a sweltering tenement basement used by Marthalicia and her brothers as an art studio. What followed was a series of interviews where the many hardships this family had to endure came to light. Financial hardships had stripped the family of resources most of us take for granted; the family of five found themselves in a small one-bedroom apartment and even a homeless shelter. Their passion for art, however, provided an escape – even when the electricity went out.

During the shoot, I also came to learn that it had been several years since Marthalicia and her brothers had actually come together to paint. Watching them work the canvas together with their own distinct styles over several hours of what turned out to be a long steamy night, I couldn’t help but feel I was part of a special moment for this family; I think they felt it as well. And as I edited this short film in my own studio back home in South Florida, I felt all the more fortunate to have spent the evening with a family that had overcome so much…

And I learned that art has a power to give joy in even the harshest of environments. It was a good lesson.

The film has been screened in a handful of small film festivals over the years since it made its premiere at the 2014 Indie Boots Film Festival in Chicago. It has also screened at film festivals in Los Angeles, Trenton (NJ), San Antonio, the Dominican Republic, Buenos Aires, and Barcelona.

It’s a modest little film shot over the course of just one afternoon and evening but the message it carries is poignant. It’s also a film that I’m very, very proud of. I hope you enjoy it (your feedback is welcome!).

The Candle: A Short Documentary Film about the Power of Art (and Family) from DanPerezFilms on Vimeo.

Here’s a version of the film subtitled in Spanish…

The Candle [La vela] from DanPerezFilms on Vimeo.


Marthalicia, yours truly, Jorge & Tomas wrapping up our video shoot sometime after 1:00am…

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Angels with ShoesBlogFeatured (Soledad)FilmsSound and Vision

Angels with Shoes (A Kidney Transplant Story) | A Short Documentary Film

by Dan Perez
written by Dan Perez


WINNER: BEST INTERNATIONAL SHORT and AUDIENCE CHOICE Awards | 2015 Rincón International Film Festival

WINNER: BEST DOCUMENTARY Award | 2015 Film Miami Fest

Please allow me to present to you a very personal film I wrote, produced, directed, shot and edited, “Angels with Shoes” (a kidney transplant story). The film, which has just completed a surprisingly successful film festival run, was a passion project I was inspired to make by my wife Madelyn.

Here’s the story…

I met Yaredly back in July of 2012 at Miami Children’s Hospital (now Nicklaus Children’s Hospital) while she was receiving dialysis treatment. She was the featured patient in a “Patient of the Month” series of videos I’ve been producing for Miami Children’s Health Foundation for the past several years. She had suffered kidney problems since she was 11 years old and now, 9 years later, was diagnosed with Membranous glomerulonephritis (MGN), a slowly progressive disease of the kidney. She was in need of a kidney transplant.

What struck me the most about Yaredly, who lived in beautiful Fajardo Puerto Rico at the time, was her infectious positive attitude. Having her kidneys give out and in need of a transplant didn’t seem to dampen her outlook on life; instead, it seemed to strengthen it. She immediately reminded me of someone else…my wife.

My wife has gone through two kidney transplants, the first when she was a teenager and her most recent one is still going strong after 8 years. For 9 of the first 10 years of our marriage, I saw her endure the hardships of three weekly dialysis treatments with a remarkable upbeat attitude that made me wonder how she did it. Cramping, difficulty sleeping (four hours of continuous sleep was a good night), daily limitations on fluid intake (only 32oz/day!) and a highly restricted diet – she dealt with it without ever feeling sorry for herself; nor ever allowing us to.

Yaredly seemed to have a similar spirit.

So when Yaredly told me that her cousin, who also lives in Puerto Rico, got tested as a possible kidney donor in Miami and was found to be a good match – a documentary film was born. There was no way I wasn’t doing this film and I had the full blessing of Yaredly’s and Kiara’s parents (who have now become our family).

The transplant took place at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami and this inspirational story of love, life and living kidney donation was the result of over a year of filming in Miami and Puerto Rico. The film had its world premiere at the 2015 Rincón International Film Festival in Puerto Rico where it took home both the “Best International Documentary” and “Audience Choice” awards.

The festival, named one of the ‘Top 25 Film Festivals Worth the Entry Fee’ by MovieMaker Magazine in 2013, was where my very first documentary film, The Motivator: The Business of Selling Hope was first selected and screened (it ended up winning the ‘Director’s Choice’ Award) back in 2008. It was a truly memorable return to a film festival that was already very dear to me. That the film made its world premiere in Puerto Rico (where these families are from) was the icing on the cake.

So after a film festival run which also included winning the “Best Documentary” award at the 2015 Film Miami Fest and screenings at film festivals in Mexico, India, Spain, Nairobi and Kosovo, I present you with “Angels with Shoes”.

BUT FIRST:

Did you know that there are currently over 123,000 people waiting for lifesaving organ transplants in the U.S.?

That nearly 3,000 new patients are added to the kidney waiting list each month?

That 12 people die each day while waiting for a life-saving kidney transplant?

ARE YOU A REGISTERED ORGAN DONOR? It only takes a minute to register and could save up to 8(!) lives. Sign up at DonateLife.net, the 120,000+ people in need of an organ transplant will be happy you did.


Here’s the OFFICIAL TRAILER to the film. Our hope is that it not only helps educate people about the importance of being an organ donor and answer a few questions about living kidney donation, but helps remind people (as Yaredly puts it) that “love can cure everything.” Need more information? Visit the good folks over at the National Kidney Foundation and help them in fighting chronic kidney disease with groundbreaking research, critical advocacy, and effective prevention programs.


Enjoy the film and please feel free to leave a review or comment and please share. Also like us on Facebook (thanks!)

Angels with Shoes (a Kidney Transplant Story) from DanPerezFilms on Vimeo.


And here’s the film subtitled in Spanish, “Ángeles con zapatos”. ¡Disfrute!

Ángeles con zapatos: Una película documental sobre un trasplante de riñón from DanPerezFilms on Vimeo.


“Angels with Shoes” was shot with a combination of the nifty little Canon XF100 camera and my Panasonic GH2 (I’m using the GH4 now but still have two GH2s). Interview audio was captured to a Zoom H4n audio recorder using the excellent Sanken Omnidirectional Lavalier and for interview lighting I used a pair of highly efficient and economical LED lights I picked up on ebay based on a recommendation from a fellow filmmaker.

I shot it, edited it (Premiere Pro CC) and got some terrific music from French composer Julien Lussiez. That’s it. Bragging? Me? Never. Just letting any budding filmmakers out there know that it doesn’t take a big crew and a whole lot of expensive gear to get a quality documentary film made. Just a bit of passion and some filmmaking flair (you’ll know soon enough whether you have it or not).

So go…and make that film you feel passionate about. You never know where it’ll end up…

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Italy
BlogFilmsGRAFSTRACTSound and Vision

Official Selection: Pentedattilo Film Festival, Italy

by Dan Perez
written by Dan Perez

Very happy to announce that my award-winning short documentary film GRAFSTRACT: The Bronx Street Art Renaissance has been named an official selection of the 10th edition of the Pentedattilo Film Festival in Southern Italy. The festival kicks off on December 7th and runs until the 11th. My film will screen on Friday, December 9th as part of the 5:00pm documentary film block (full program HERE).

Pentedattilo (Calabrian Greek: Pentadàktilo) is a ghost town in Calabria, southern Italy. It is situated at 250 meters above sea level on the Monte Calvario, a mountain whose shapes once resembled that of five fingers (whence the name, from the Greek “penta” + “daktylos”, meaning “five fingers”). The town was founded as a colony of the Greek city of Chalcis, in 640 B.C.(!)

Pentedattilo was severely damaged by an earthquake in 1783, which led to large parts of the population migrating to the nearby municipality of Melito Porto Salvo. Pentedattilo was abandoned more than 40 years ago and remained completely uninhabited until the 1980s when it was partially restored.

Today, the ancient village of Pentedattilo is Calabria’s touristic and cultural icon and in recent years it has become, due to the intense restoration and cultural promotion efforts, a “case study” which made it a privileged destination for a diversified touristic flow. The Pentedattilo Film Festival plays a part in giving back to this unique village its fascinating peculiarity, promoting an active and sustainable artistic restoration. If you happen to find yourself in southern Italy, stop by this truly unique film festival.

Italy

Kidney Transplant

GRAFSTRACT: The Bronx Street Art Renaissance, a film I directed, shot and edited, was filmed in the Bronx, New York City, back in the summer of 2014 and tells the story of J. “SinXero” Beltran, Founder & Creative Director of TAG Public Arts Project. With the help of some of the world’s top street artists, SinXero’s mission of “Enhancing The Visual Landscape of Urban Communities with Art” is becoming a reality in the birthplace of graffiti, The Bronx.

The film won the Best Street Art Film award at the 2015 New Urbanism Film Festival in Los Angeles. The film made its NYC premiere at the 2016 Bronx International Film Festival and has also screened at film festivals in Spain, Sweden, Albania, Turkey, Mexico, Chile, Scotland, Romania, Colombia, India, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Hungary. Very excited that the film is continuing to reach new international audiences.

[vimeo]https://vimeo.com/116378964[/vimeo]

Kidney Transplant

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Bloomington
BlogFilmsGRAFSTRACTSound and Vision

Official Selection: Middle Coast Film Festival | Bloomington, July 28-30

by Dan Perez
written by Dan Perez

Very happy to announce that my award-winning short documentary film GRAFSTRACT: The Bronx Street Art Renaissance has been named an official selection of the Middle Coast Film Festival in Bloomington, Indiana. The film will screen on Friday, July 29th in the 11:30am-12:30pm block of films at the Ivy Tech John Waldron Arts Center.

Middle Coast Film Festival is Bloomington’s first interactive film festival, bringing the best international and national short and feature films, web series episodes, and music videos at four separate venues in Bloomington, Indiana. Their mission is to not only provide their audience in Indiana with some of the best films out there, but to showcase the vibrant arts community in the Midwest. Over the course of the weekend festival goers will enjoy panel discussions, Q&A sessions, and multiple networking events at local studios, restaurants, and bars with filmmakers from all over the world.

Very excited at the opportunity of having my film screened at a fast-growing festival that truly focuses on indie filmmakers and the arts. If you happen to find yourself in or around Bloomington, stop by and check out some of the great films being shown. You can find information on all film HERE.

Middle Coast Film Festival

Kidney Transplant

GRAFSTRACT: The Bronx Street Art Renaissance, a film I directed, shot and edited, was filmed in the Bronx, New York City, back in the summer of 2014 and tells the story of J. “SinXero” Beltran, Founder & Creative Director of TAG Public Arts Project. With the help of some of the world’s top street artists, SinXero’s mission of “Enhancing The Visual Landscape of Urban Communities with Art” is becoming a reality in the birthplace of graffiti, The Bronx. The film won the Best Street Art Film award at the 2015 New Urbanism Film Festival in Los Angeles. The film made its NYC premiere at the 2016 Bronx International Film Festival and has also screened at film festivals in Spain, Sweden, Albania, Turkey, Mexico, Chile, Scotland, Romania, Colombia and India.

[vimeo]https://vimeo.com/116378964[/vimeo]

Kidney Transplant

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Film Festival
BlogFilmsSound and VisionThe Candle

Official Selection: Art All Night International Film Festival

by Dan Perez
written by Dan Perez

Happy to announce that my short documentary film, The Candle has been named an official selection of the Art All Night-Trenton International Film Festival in Trenton, New Jersey. The film will screen on Saturday, June 18th at approximately 4:30pm (films kick off at 3:30pm so get there early and check out the full lineup of films).

Now moving into it’s tenth year, Art All Night – Trenton is a 24-hour (literally) art and entertainment event in Trenton, NJ. AAN encourages any artist of any age, medium or skill level to submit one piece of art of their own creation for display in a gallery-like setting. It is free to submit art and free to attend. At Art All Night-Trenton 2015 over 1,200 artists of all ages, skill levels and mediums submitted work and more than 25,000 people attended.

Film Festival

Art All Night-Trenton is a catalyst for community development, shining a spotlight on the region’s artistic talent. The show includes and attracts artists of all ages and skill levels and particularly encourages children and amateur artists to be actively involved by contributing artwork and engaging in on site activities.

Now in it’s fourth year, the Art All Night International Film Festival puts a spotlight on 150+ international selections including film shorts, music videos and kid-friendly films. ‘The Candle’ features NYC street artist Marthalicia Matarrita and her two brothers Tomas & Jorge and was filmed in the summer of 2013 in a sweltering basement studio in the Bronx. The short 6-minute film tells how they overcame poverty and extreme living conditions through their passion for art…and the light of a candle.

It’s a film I’m very proud of so if you happen to be near Trenton, New Jersey, stop by and check it out – as well as the other great films (and all the art!)

Kidney Transplant

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San Antonio
BlogFilmsSound and VisionThe Candle

Official Selection: INDEP Arts & Film Festival, San Antonio

by Dan Perez
written by Dan Perez

Happy to announce that my short documentary film The Candle has been named an official selection of the INDEP Arts & Film Festival in San Antonio, Texas. The film will screen Thursday, June 16 @ 6:30pm at the Santikos Rialto Theater in San Antonio.

The INDEP Arts & Film Festival is committed to supporting the diversity of artists and filmmakers in their abilities to create, inspire and share within the community. By providing a space to celebrate the artists’ talents, the festival strives to enhance the community’s public awareness and appreciation of all arts.

INDEP ARTS & FILM FESTIVAL

The Candle features NYC street artist Marthalicia Matarrita and her two brothers Tomas & Jorge and was filmed in the summer of 2013 in a sweltering basement studio in the Bronx. The 6 minute film tells how they overcame poverty and extreme living conditions through their passion for art…and the light of a candle.

After having my other two short films, Angels with Shoes and GRAFSTRACT: The Bronx Street Art Renaissance take up the majority of my focus in 2015, I’m glad to have The Candle generate new film festival interest in 2016. It’s a film I’m very proud of so if you happen to be in the San Antonio area, stop by the INDEP Arts & Film Festival and check it out – as well as the other great films (and the art!)

Kidney Transplant

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