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YoungArts Winners Return for Transformations Showcase
A few minor raindrops fell before and during the outdoor screening of the five short films that made up “Transformations,” part of the Outside the Box series at the YoungArts Campus near Downtown Miami. The precipitation, however, did not keep more than 350 attendees from sitting transfixed as the five films were introduced and projected onto the building wall.
Representatives from Borscht and Miami International Film Festivals were doling out info on their respective events as were others from the New York Film Academy and Institute of Contemporary Art Miami in the Design District. To add to the movie going experience there was free popcorn and cotton candy.
Kicking off the evening was YoungArts President & CEO Carolina Garcia Jayaram who said, “this evening marks YoungArts’ first commissioning program, and is just one example of how the organization seeks to support artists at every stage of their careers.’’
Katy Short (2013 Dance Winner) featured in the film “Variations on Breathing” then took the stage performing a moving dance number that evoked the movements in the film, which was the first one shown. The film’s music was by Pascal Le Boeuf (2004 Music and Jazz Winner); JeanCarlo Ramirez (2012 Cinematic Arts Winner) produced and directed; and Kate Wrijmoet (1984 Visual Arts Winner) provided the painting.
Joseph Webb performing at Transformations. Photo courtesy of YoungArts
That was followed by a moving tap dance by Joseph Webb (1996 Dance Winner) who was in the final film screened, “Hell You Talmbout.” Denzel Boyd (2004 Design Arts Winner) was co-director, art director and production designer with co-director and producer Tyler Rabinowitz (2011 Cinematic Arts Winner and U.S. Presidential Scholar in the Arts)
In between the first and the last unspooled:
“Tyler” by Dan Frantz (2011 Cinematic Arts Winner and U.S. Presidential Scholar in the Arts) director, cinematographer, editor and writer; Adam O’Farrill (2013 Jazz Winner) composer and writer and Devyn Tyler (2009 Theater Winner and U.S. Presidential Scholar in the Arts) actress, director and writer
“Solitude, Darkness, Light” by Kayla Briet (2016 Cinematic Arts Winner) cinematographer, sound editor and music production; Thomas Carr (1982 Photography Winner) still photography; and Isabela Dos Santos (2011 Cinematic Arts Winner and U.S. Presidential Scholar in the Arts) animation, writing and dance
“To and From” by Kira Bursky (2015 Cinematic Arts Winner) director, editor, actor; Da’Shawn Mosley (2012 Writing Winner and U.S. Presidential Scholar in the Arts) writer and actor; Tatev Yeghiazaryan (2005 Voice Winner) composer and actor; and Nick Ramey (2016 Cinematic Arts Winner) cinematographer
Returning after a long time was 1982 Photography winner Thomas Carr, who was thrilled to be involved in the project and at the event that evening. His journey back began in 2008 when he was contacted by YoungArts and featured in their newsletter.
“Since getting reconnected with YoungArts I’ve followed the program and kept up with the various e-mails about calls for entries and I was intrigued by the Transformations collaboration project,” said Carr.
Returning for the project made him just as proud as the day he won in 1982. “I felt so proud being on stage with such an amazingly talented and kind group of people — artists spanning four decades of YoungArts experience,” he said. “All three of us were the director and producer. We each had roles to play, but we all had input on all of the elements. This film is a work of art that we collectively created.”
The collection of five films represented true collaborative efforts between alumni of all disciplines, and were a capstone to the 35th Anniversary of YoungArts.
Watch trailers for each of the five films here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2rmCrKmObw&feature=youtube