MIAMI, November 22, 2011 – The Miami International Film Festival (MIFF), produced and presented by Miami Dade College (MDC), has hired one of Spain’s top film producers, industry veteran Elena Manrique, to spearhead the Festival’s Entertainment Industry Relations initiative and oversee the REEL Education Seminar Program for its 28th Edition, March 4-13, 2011.

Manrique, a six-year veteran with one of Spain’s top production companies, TeleCinco Cinema, served as an executive producer on the 2007 Oscar-winning Pan’s Labyrinth (Art Direction, Cinematography and Makeup), which also scored nominations for Best Foreign Film and Best Original Screenplay for director Guillermo del Toro. More recently, she served as executive producer of several Goya Award winners (the Academy Awards of Spain): prison drama Celda 211, winner of multiple honors, including the 2010 Goya for Best Picture, and the 2007 ghost story The Orphanage, another multiple Goya nominee (including Best Picture) and multiple winner (including Best New Director and Best Screenplay). Her other producing credits include the 2009 drama Rabia, an international film festival circuit favorite; the 2008 train murder mystery Transsiberian from director Brad Anderson (The Machinist, Session 9); the 2008 drama The Oxford Murders; and 2008 MIFF Official Selection The King of the Mountain.

In addition to producing, Manrique lends her expertise to film festivals and film promotion initiatives around the world. Her most recent experience includes: member of the Selection Committee of the Venice Days section at the 2010 Venice Film Festival; board member for La Fundación Caja, Madrid’s short film project awards (2009-10); and the founder of an industry workshop in Valencia to create and promote cinema among public and private broadcasters in Mediterranean countries. She also has served as a juror for numerous film festivals, including MIFF, San Sebastian, Sitges and Montpellier.

Manrique will be working in partnership with Diana Sanchez, MIFF’s Senior Program Consultant (Ibero-American Cinema) & Encuentros Director, on bringing top buyers and sales agents to meet with producers during the ninth edition of the Encuentros program, a three-day event which gives emerging producers from Florida, Spain, Portugal and Latin America the opportunity to come together with and present new projects to established U.S. and international industry professionals.

Prior to joining TeleCinco Cinema, Manrique began her career in 1993 in the film department of the French premium pay television network Canal+, where she worked her way up to director of acquisitions and programming for the channel’s Spanish operations. She earned degrees in Contemporary Literature and Art History from Madrid’s Universidad Complutense, and is fluent in Spanish, English and French and conversant in Italian and Portuguese.
MIAMI INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
The Miami International Film Festival, celebrating its 28th year in 2011, is a leading cultural destination event. It is considered the finest Ibero-American film festival in the U.S. The Festival, presented each year in March, attracts more than 75,000 audience members and over 400 filmmakers, producers, talent and industry professionals. In the last five years, the Festival has screened films from more than 60 countries, including 300 East Coast, U.S. and World Premieres. Because of MIFF programs, such as Miami Encuentros, and a special focus on Ibero-American cinema, the Miami International Film Festival has become the natural gateway for the discovery of Ibero-American talent. Additionally, the Festival offers unparalleled educational opportunities to filmmakers and the community at large, including the REEL Education Seminar Series, the World Issues / World Films outreach program, and MIFF Abroad, a cross-cultural venture created to cultivate the next generation of Ibero-American filmmakers. It is the only major festival housed within a college. For more information please visit www.MiamiFilmFestival.com or call 305.237.MIFF (3456).
MIAMI DADE COLLEGE
Miami Dade College has a long and rich history of involvement in the cultural arts, providing South Florida with a vast array of artistic and literary offerings including The Miami Book Fair International, the Florida Center for the Literary Arts, the Cultura del Lobo performance series, The Cuban Cinema Series, nine visual arts galleries including The Freedom Tower at Miami Dade College and the School of Entertainment and Design Technology, in addition to the renowned Miami International Film Festival. MDC is the largest institution of higher education in the country and is nationally recognized for many of its academic and cultural programs. With an enrollment of more than 170,000 students, MDC is the nation’s top producer of degrees. The college’s eight campuses and outreach centers offer nearly 300 distinct degree programs including several baccalaureate degrees.

MIFF Media Contact: Dana Ballestero, Press & Publicity Manager, 305-237-3768, dana@miamifilmfestival.com.
MDC Media Contacts: Juan Mendieta, MDC’s director of communications, 305-237-7611, jmendiet@mdc.edu; Tere Estorino, 305-237-3949, testorin@mdc.edu; Sue Arrowsmith, 305-237-3710, sue.arrowsmith@mdc.edu; Alejandro Rios, 305-237-7482, arios1@mdc.edu; or Tarnell Carroll, 305-237-3359, tarnell.carroll@mdc.edu.

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