Rabbit Academy-Award® nominated directing team Sean and Andrea Fine, and executive producers Ryan A. Brooks, John Leguizamo, and Susan MacLaury, deliver a voice for homeless youth through artistic expression in the inspirational short documentary “Inocente.” “Inocente” reunites The Fines’ with the producers of the Academy Award®-nominated “War/Dance,” Shine Global, founded by Albie Hecht and Susan Mclaury. The film will air on MTV tomorrow, August 17th at 10p.m. EST.nnThe documentary centers on a young artist’s determination not to surrender to the bleakness of her circumstances. At 15, “Inocente” faces challenges that are staggering, but the hope in her story proves that it’s her dreams that define her rather than the hand she has been dealt. The short doc has received accolades at the San Antonia Film Festival and the Arizona International Film Festival and was also included at the Hot Docs International Film Festival, Cleveland International Film Festival, Montclair Film Festival and the Melbourne International Film Festival. “Inocente” provides a new angle to MTV’S programming slate and reaches their demographic with a positive message of self-acceptance and self-discovery through the arts. nn
nnAfter discovering the staggering statistics that 1 in 45, approximately 1.6 million, children in America are homeless, The Fines became intrigued to tell the story of these disenfranchised children. Notes Sean Fine, “We wanted to tell one child’s story, to put a personal face to the statistics. By creating a human connection for the audiences to this largely ‘invisible’ issue, we hope to get them thinking about what they can do to make the changes necessary to help defeat this problem.” nnWhen the directing duo was introduced to the San Diego-based A.R.T.S. program (“A Reason to Survive”), they found a channel for uncovering this largely silenced voice. The nonprofit uses all art forms as a vehicle to create positive, long-lasting change in children and youth facing major life challenges—giving them not only a reason to survive, but also to thrive. After speaking to the program director, the directors flew to San Diego and spent five days sans camera with “Inocente” and immediately fell in love with her story. As The Fines began to let the camera roll, the story unfolded, telling not only a story of homelessness and art, but also a story about family and what it truly means to them to be homeless. They discovered that Inocente‘s experiences with A.R.T.S. has led her to transform her dark experiences into vibrant and colorful pieces of artwork that have the ability not only transport her from her destitute situation but also reach others whom her story may help.nnAbout RabbitnLaunched in 2009, Rabbit is a bi-coastal production company representing a diverse and unique roster of directors, producers, designers, VFX artists and brand experience builders. nnWe handle all aspects of production, from preproduction through delivery – across platforms, disciplines, technologies and genres – and have developed a creative ecosystem that allows us to draw upon top global talent to fit the needs of any project.nnAt Rabbit, the only constant is our commitment to learn, collaborate, and celebrate the power of creative thinking.nnAbout The FinesnAcademy Award®-nominated directors and three-time Emmy award winners. Sean is the director/cinematographer, and Andrea is the director/writer. For the last decade, they have been producing, directing and shooting documentaries for the finest outlets in television and film. They have worked in over thirty countries, from dangerous war zones to the Arctic Circle, to bring unknown human stories to the screen.nnThe Fines’ film “War/Dance” won the 2009 Best Documentary and Best Cinematography Emmy and was nominated for the 2008 Academy Award® for Best Documentary Feature. “War/Dance’s” direction, cinematography and story were honored with over eighteen awards, including the Sundance Film Festival’s award for Best Documentary Design. “War/Dance” tells the amazing story about the power of music to heal and transform the lives of children living in Uganda’s war zone.nnThe Fines’ unique style has been honored with numerous awards including Sundance Film Festival’s Best Documentary Design; National Emmy® Award; Hot Docs Film Festival’s Audience Award; Chicago Film Festival’s Outstanding Cinematography; Full Frame Film Festival’s Audience Award; The Haskell Wexler Award for Cinematography; Philadelphia Film Festival’s Best Director; Best Non-Fiction Film in Michael Moore’s Traverse City Film Festival.Virginia Scripps Press Kitchen 310-392-6682
Who Needs Los Angeles? We Do.
One doesn't have to be a statistician to know that there are fewer commercials being shot in the U.S. today for the American market than ever before, and a dramatic decrease in L.A. in particular. In the last five years, as reported by FilmLA (the office tasked with issuing permits), L.A. commercial production has dipped 31 percent. But here’s the thing: This doesn’t mean that L.A. has lost its importance as the production center of the world. Production in L.A. is vital. It is the go-to. It’s where you can count on access to exemplary crews, a support infrastructure second to none, varied location and backlot options, a large population of on-screen talent and (fairly) predictable weather. The fact is, with overall decline and now the devastation of the fires, we’re on the brink of losing this mainstay resource. Without employment opportunities and now many without homes, talented and trained crew are bound to leave either the industry or the LA area for other opportunities, unless there are enough job opportunities to sustain a solid living. Now is the time when we ALL must support and bolster this community. Production is needed in L.A., now! Of course, advertising is a business, and marketers’ money should be spent as efficiently as possible, BUT we have to think beyond each production and know that if we lose the incredible resource of L.A. production as we know it, then marketers, agencies and the industry loses in the long run. Over the past several days, some agencies have issued directives to production companies that are unilaterally pushing upcoming production options out of L.A. The fact is L.A. is a large area, and many sections of the city and county are not directly impacted... Read More