City of Miami Beach and Oolite Arts Present Short Films on Climate Change for 2024 Aspen Ideas: Climate Event

Miami Beach, FL – The City of Miami Beach and Oolite Arts have commissioned three short films on climate solutions through the Climate Commissions program to debut at the 2024 Aspen Ideas: Climate event on Wednesday, March 13, 2024 at 1 p.m. at the Miami Beach Convention Center Hall C Breakout 1 Stage.

The filmmakers — all South Florida-based — received $15,000 to create a 10-to-12-minute film on the climate crisis. They are:

• The Mango Movie by Jayme Gershen
  Through a tapestry of observation, personal anecdotes, and collective reflections, The Mango Movie, a short documentary about how people eat mangos, adopts an emotional lens, delving into the heart of Miami's beloved mango season and its intricate connection with climate.

Jayme Gershen, an award-winning filmmaker and photographer whose short film “Six Degrees of Immigration” (2019) is featured on the New York Times’ Op-Docs channel, won a regional Emmy and aired on PBS stations around the country. Gershen is currently a fellow of the ITVS Humanities Documentary Development Fund, supported by the National Endowment for the Humanities.

• Ripples by Joshua Jean-Baptiste
  Luz, a passionate environmental researcher, discovers her community is at risk of being flooded by an impending development. Opposing her mentor's cautious approach, she sparks a grassroots discussion that threatens to derail the lucrative investment.

Joshua Jean-Baptiste, a Haitian-American writer with a diverse background in the film industry. He co-wrote the feature film “Ludi” (2021), which was awarded the Cinematic Arts Residency from Oolite Arts and premiered at both the Miami Film Festival and South by Southwest (SXSW).

• Before the Flood by LeAnne Russell
  ‘Before the Flood’ is a portrait of a man reflecting upon his youth before the end of the world as he knew it.

LeAnne Russell, a Miami native, actress and filmmaker who is developing her first feature film. She has a master’s from the Actors Studio Drama School at Pace University and received a Special Jury Mention for her application to the 2022 Cinematic Arts Residency at Oolite Arts.

Oolite Arts, Miami-Dade’s largest artist support organization, helps fast forward the careers of South Florida filmmakers through its Cinematic Arts Program. Learn more about Climate Commissions at oolitearts.org/climatecommissions.

Aspen Ideas: Climate brings hundreds of leaders and climate innovators together with the public to focus on climate solutions. The event features a range of public art commissions by Miami-based artists including film screenings, installations and performances highlighting issues related to climate change and sea level rise.

For media: Journalists interested in attending Aspen Ideas: Climate as covering reporters are invited to apply for press credentials here.

For more information, visit www.aspenideasclimate.org.

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About the City of Miami Beach
World-famous Miami Beach welcomes millions of visitors each year to its sandy beaches, turquoise waters and vibrant cultural scene. Known for its colorful art deco and MiMo architecture, the 7-mile island offers some of the finest dining, lifestyle and health and wellness experiences anywhere. Nestled between the Atlantic Ocean and Biscayne Bay, the city is often described as a living laboratory for climate change. As a result, Miami Beach is also at the forefront of identifying workable solutions to meet the challenge of sea level rise.

About Oolite Arts

Oolite Arts strives to empower South Florida-based artists and enrich communities.

Established in 1984, Oolite’s mission is to support artists and advance the knowledge and practice of contemporary visual arts. Oolite Arts creates opportunities for experimentation and innovation and encourages the exchange of ideas across diverse cultures through residencies, exhibitions, public programs, education and outreach.

Exhibitions and programs at Oolite Arts are made possible with the support of the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs and the Cultural Affairs Council; the Miami-Dade County Mayor and Board of County Commissioners; the City of Miami Beach, Cultural Affairs Program, Cultural Arts Council; the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Arts and Culture and the Florida Council on Arts and Culture; the National Endowment for the Arts; the Jorge M. Perez Family Foundation at the Miami Foundation; the Lynn and Louis Wolfson II Family Foundation; and the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. For more information, visit oolitearts.org. Follow @oolitearts on social media.

About the Aspen Institute
The Aspen Institute is a global nonprofit organization whose purpose is to ignite human potential to build understanding and create new possibilities for a better world. Founded in 1949, the Institute drives change through dialogue, leadership, and action to help solve society’s greatest challenges. It is headquartered in Washington, DC and has a campus in Aspen, Colorado, as well as an international network of partners. For more information, visit www.aspeninstitute.org.