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I had the chance to attend an exciting event last night, April 14, 2025, hosted by FilmGate Miami at their impressive downtown location. The event was part of their monthly Machine Learning Monday series, and this time, the focus was on the fascinating world of AI in images and sound. As someone who loves exploring how technology intersects with creativity, I was eager to see what the speakers had to share.

El talento de Francisco Piñero como creador digital, publicista y diseñador, se pierde de vista, y la más reciente muestra de ello es que “Mozart a La Cubana”, video tributo dirigido en conjunto con Stefano Bertelli, bajo el ala de InnerCat Films, acaba de ganar el premio al Mejor Video elegido por la audiencia en el “FilmGate Music Video Festival” de 2024, en Miami, un reconocimiento que resalta tanto la innovadora técnica visual como el poderoso mensaje de libertad y esperanza que transmite.

En una innovadora fusión de clásica música y ritmos afrocubanos, el renombrado pianista y compositor de Cuba, Chucho Valdés, presenta su más reciente creación: "Mozart a La Cubana".

Este dinámico homenaje, producido por InnerCat Films y dirigido por Francisco Piñero y Stefano Bertelli, nos sumerge en una visión única del futuro de la isla caribeña: una Cuba libre, moderna y llena de esperanza.

Valdés, uno de los músicos más influyentes del jazz latino, ha logrado una carrera de más de cinco décadas, recibiendo reconocimientos como múltiples premios Grammy y Grammy Latinos. A lo largo de su trayectoria, ha fusionado géneros como el jazz, la música clásica y los ritmos tradicionales de su país, pero en esta obra en particular, Valdés reinventa las composiciones de Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart con un toque distintivo afrocubano.

Miami film incubator and overall awesome organization FilmGate Miami recently held its first monthly film festival of the year. It was a ‘Free-For-All’ meaning films from all genres were eligible. The sold-out event took place on January 29, 2025, and featured ten short films. There were music videos, comedies, documentaries and more. One film stood out to us at The Jitney: Silence in the Dark. It is a short slasher film set somewhere in South Miami. It is beautifully scored and legitimately tense and well shot. Take a quick look at the trailer and read below for an exclusive interview with Writer and Director Steven Salgado.

On December 7, join Villa Albertine and FilmGate Interactive Media Festival in Miami for an evening celebrating immersive experiences with live music and performance art with French and American art leaders, artist talks, and the reveal of Villa Albertine’s French Immersion grant winners.

I couldn’t be more excited to share with you an exclusive interview from the ONLY comedian (and one of two artists!) who’s a Time100 AI honoree in the Innovators category: King Willonius.

His real name is Willonius Hatcher (his first name is pronounced “Will-OWN-ee-us,” and he also goes by Will).

After getting SO CLOSE, so many times to having a breakout as a comedian, filmmaker, and screenplay writer, he finally went big this year — so big, he made the Time100 AI list!

He gets credit for helping diffuse the infamous Drake and Kendrick beef with his comedy song that unexpectedly went viral, “BBL Drizzy” — the first song made in collaboration with A.I. that became a cultural phenomenon, transcending genres and mediums!

Today’s artists are navigating a landscape where digital technology blends the physical and virtual worlds, offering new ways to create, communicate, and collaborate. While technology can sometimes seem daunting, designed by a few for the many, artists now have unprecedented access and agency to harness these tools. By skillfully integrating digital technologies, creators can deepen experiences, reach new audiences, and design a collective future that reflects and connects communities in profound ways.

Knight New Work celebrates this intersection of artistic creation and technological innovation, encouraging new modes of production, expression, and communication. Since 2020, the program has fostered projects that leverage digital tools to expand artistic possibilities, engage broader audiences, and strengthen community bonds. Through Knight New Work, individual artists, collectives, and arts organizations are invited to explore how technology can enhance their practice and impact, with the only requirement being that proposed works premiere in, and/or the artist is based in, the resident’s community.

A planetarium experience that reimagines the 1982 film “Koyaanisqatsi,” a work by an artificial intelligence architect and comedian that’s a nod to soul and hip hop musicians, and another that explores the destructive nature of desire. And that’s just the opening night offerings of  FilmGate Interactive Festival XI.

The festival has established itself as a cornerstone of South Florida’s film ecosystem, empowering filmmakers and media artists while helping to elevate the region’s reputation as a dynamic filmmaking destination.

MIAMI, FL, UNITED STATES, December 14, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ -- FilmGate Miami, the Paramount World Center, and WideWorlds joined forces during Miami Art Week to present Fusion Frequencies on the iconic LED screen at the Miami Paramount World Center.

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This groundbreaking installation was a highlight of the 11th Annual FilmGate Interactive Media Festival (FGI XI). Fusion Frequencies brought together ten visionary artists who trained AI models with their unique styles, producing over 1,000 artworks in just three days. By incorporating global audience feedback, the result was a stunning hybrid visual language that bridges cultures, celebrates innovation, and champions shared authorship. Each of the 50 final images is a collaboration between two artists, enhanced by audience interactions.

The way the world is going, AI, VR, AR and all the tech acronyms you can think of will take over. So why be against it? It’s good to know about it.

FilmGate Miami is with its Interactive Fest, just in time for Art Week.

Art takes on many forms. At Filmgate’s Interactive Media Fest, creative technology is the future.

King Willonius, artist: “FilmGate does an amazing job curating really dope artists from, you know, that work in AR, VR, different emerging technologies, and then they’re able to showcase their work. One of the premier festivals that actually does that, you know, ’cause a lot of film festivals do traditional media, or traditional films.”

FilmGate Interactive es un festival de medios interactivos que muestra cómo la tecnología emergente da forma al futuro de las narrativas. Durante cinco días en la semana de Art Basel en Miami, celebramos a los narradores visuales con proyecciones, exposiciones, laboratorios creativos, clases magistrales, arte inmersivo, música y eventos en vivo.

A planetarium experience that reimagines the 1982 film “Koyaanisqatsi,” a work by an artificial intelligence architect and comedian that’s a nod to soul and hip hop musicians, and another that explores the destructive nature of desire. And that’s just the opening night offerings of  FilmGate Interactive Festival XI.

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​The festival has established itself as a cornerstone of South Florida’s film ecosystem, empowering filmmakers and media artists while helping to elevate the region’s reputation as a dynamic filmmaking destination.

Immerse yourself in the world of virtual reality film and art at this year's FilmGate XR/VR Interactive Film Festival.

What's happening: The five-day festival, now in its 10th year, boasts over 35 interactive projects, several planetarium "dome experiences" and panel discussions from tech industry players.

The FGI XI explores the theme "REWILDING" through immersive technology and generative AI, offering innovative experiences in storytelling, education, and wellbeing.

Highlights include 11 immersive installations, live panels, dome presentations, and North America's inaugural immersive market featuring global creators. Venues include Downtown Miami's Frost Science Museum and Miami Beach's Bass Museum, with events such as networking sessions, Art Basel visits, and a Sunset Cruise.

Este año, el Festival de Medios Interactivos FilmGate (FGIX), en colaboración con la Universidad de Miami, celebra su décimo aniversario con un programa más ambicioso que nunca.

Del 28 de noviembre al 3 de diciembre de 2023, el evento reunirá a creadores, productores, compañías tecnológicas y audiencias de todo el mundo para explorar 35 proyectos innovadores provenientes de Florida y más allá, incluyendo países como Taiwán, Francia, Alemania, Canadá y los Países Bajos.

The conversations and programming at the FilmGate Interactive Media Festival evolve quickly. In fact, you could say that the landscape changes so fast that just as one trend is the hottest topic, another takes its place.

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“FilmGate came out of curiosity,” says Diliana Alexander, executive director of FilmGate Miami, whose FilmGate Interactive Media Festival is in its 10th year and takes place this year at various locations from Wednesday, Nov. 29, through Sunday, Dec. 3.

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It will be no surprise to anyone familiar with what’s happening in the world of immersive technologies that this year’s FilmGate will be at the forefront of the latest conversation point – artificial intelligence or A.I.

FilmGate Interactive Media Festival, in partnership with University of Miami, celebrates its 10th Anniversary  showcasing 35 projects from Florida, and around the world, including Taiwan, France, Germany, Canada and the Netherlands. The films highlight how emerging technology can empower new ways of artistic and media expression.

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FilmGate’s 10th anniversary festival will feature talks, workshops, experiential installations, parties, music, and more, closing with a Sunset Cruise on the bay.

The worlds of film and technology have been firmly intertwined since the dawn of modern cinema. Advancements in technology have consistently propelled the film industry forward, from the introduction of sound and color to the digital revolution in editing and special effects. Conversely, the needs and challenges of filmmaking have often driven technological innovation, creating a symbiotic relationship between the two fields.

Here’s a deliciously sinister paradox: Some of the very best in dark cinema is coming out of Florida, the sunshiniest of states. There are a few epicenters of this, from the incredible Popcorn Frights, which has evolved into one of the best genre festivals on the planet in under a decade, to star-studded conventions such as Spooky Empire (November 1-3) and Nightmare Weekend Miami (October 18-20).

But if you want to get a peek at the most riveting, enchanting, disquieting up-and-coming genre filmmaking of tomorrow today, you absolutely cannot miss FilmGate Miami’s annual Horror Film Festival, which unspools this year on Wednesday, October 30 at Silverspot Cinemas in downtown Miami.

In a galaxy not so far away at Miami’s Frost Science Museum, a fusion is bubbling. FilmGate Fusion at Frost Science Mseum to be exact. Las Vegas, they may have the Sphere with its 360-degree concerts but we have the Frost Planetarium, which is showcasing artists every month from domes and beyond.

When art and science merge together, something visually beautiful happens and FilmGate Fusion at Frost Science wants to share the beauty.

Alec Warren: “It’s all about really bringing together the arts, science, technology and storytelling in order to entertain and engage audiences of different backgrounds, ages and interests.”

FilmGate Miami is the creative fuse to the science.

FilmGate Interactive Media Festival (FGIX), in partnership with University of Miami, celebrates its 10th Anniversary with its most ambitious program to date, showcasing 35 projects from Florida, and around the world, including Taiwan, France, Germany, Canada and the Netherlands that highlight and showcase howemerging technology can empower new ways of artistic and media expression, along with 10 University of Miami projects.

FilmGate’s 10th anniversary festival will feature talks, workshops, experiential installations, parties, music, and more, closing with our Sunset Cruise on the bay.
Theme for this year’s festival is REGENERATE X.

FilmGate Interactive (FGI) is an interactive media festival at the crossroads of visual storytelling, entertainment, and immersive technology. It invites curious and tech-savvy audiences to explore how emerging technology empowers new forms of storytelling. The festival is twofold: on the one hand, there is a monthly local festival of short works; on the other hand, there is the international film festival which leads Art Basel Miami, and which celebrates in 2023 its 10th edition.

The rise of immersive reality technologies in Florida comes from pioneers like FilmGate Miami. Its festival, FilmGate Interactive, celebrates its 10th anniversary this year, from November 29 to December 3.

Interview with Diliana Alexander, Executive Director of FilmGate Miami.
Diliana Alexander is the Executive Director of FilmGate Miami, an organization which empowers Florida’s visual storytellers and delivers a range of multidisciplinary programs in film, digital media, interactive and immersive content, virtual and augmented reality. She is especially interested in the convergence of art, science and technology.

Stop, collaborate and listen. Well, not listen, more like watch at Miami’s FilmGate Film Festival. And there will be collabs.

Florida filmmakers will be showcasing their short films at the Silverspot Cinema on Wednesday.

It’s open to the public and could be your chance to rub elbows with the next Steven Spielberg.

If tech leads to anxiety more often than serenity, the VR Live Mandala Experience may alter your state of mind. But you’ll need to dash to Allapattah Tuesday to partake.

Hands in the controls, VR headset strapped on, you’re ready to climb the Himalayas and enter the Temple of the Tilting Buddha.

Marchak said she was one of about 70 businesses that had to rush out of the decades-old building at 168 Southeast 1st Street in downtown Miami.

An unsafe structures notice was posted on the front door a few days later and a police officer was in the lobby Friday as tenants took out some of their belongings and furniture.

“They made it seem like we were going through what Surfside went through and it will collapse on us,” said tenant Diliana Alexander.

One business owner renting space on the building’s fourth floor was skeptical of the city’s reaction. Diliana Alexander, executive director of nonprofit FilmGate, called the shutdown “draconian.”

She was at the music and film festival South by Southwest in Austin, Texas, on March 16 when her staff called to tell her that a squad of Miami firefighters and police officers hurriedly rushed around their floor telling people they needed to leave.

If tech leads to anxiety more often than serenity, the VR Live Mandala Experience may alter your state of mind. But you’ll need to dash to Allapattah Tuesday to partake. The calming tones of Buddhist temple bells soothe stress even before you enter the ‘temple.’ Inside, players are invited to place their worldly trappings -- yes, including cell phones -- into a box and stand before a Buddhist altar. Hands in the controls, VR headset strapped on, you’re ready to climb the Himalayas and enter the Temple of the Tilting Buddha.

While most people know the story of the Buddha as a spoiled prince who gained enlightenment after fasting and sitting under a Bodhi tree, “Mandala: A Brief Moment in Time” offers a different side to the mythos of Buddhist philosophy, combining traditional Asian imagery and storytelling with innovative technology.

Hosted by FilmGate space in Downtown Miami at their Downtown Media Center, Mandala: A Brief Moment in Time is an immersive theater experience for 3-6 people that uses group discussions to tell different stories from Buddhism around the themes of suffering, happiness, hungry ghosts, & living the good life. There’s a moral dilemma at the end of the experience that requires the participants to come to some level of consensus. Consequently, there are a number of different endings based on what the group decides.

The 2022 Festival is taking place in person and virtually in Miami and Miami Beach, and is designed to highlight and showcase how emerging tech empowers new ways of artistic and media expression. Over the course of four days, between Nov. 28 and Dec 5, creators, producers, tech companies and curious audiences will have access to over 30 interactive experiences, 15 labs and talks, interactive exhibits, four dome experiences, a financing market, b2b meetings, music, and live events, accessible to all ages.

“The technology component of Art Basel has made it more vibrant and more interesting, and it also kind of spilled it on the street,” said Diliana Alexander, a film producer and executive director of FilmGate, a nonprofit that hosts its own technologically advanced storytelling festival during Art Week. “It’s more democratic, and it’s attracting a younger audience.”

The line between fine art and technology is increasingly blurry. And Miami art institutions – Oolite Arts being the most recent example – are doubling down on arming creatives with the tech tools they need to create 21st century art.

Another prominent example of this phenomenon was the 9th FilmGate Interactive Media Festival. Taking place across four venues in Downtown and South Beach, the expo explored the intersection of film and technology.

Taking place December 2 through 5, FilmGate returns to Downtown Miami and Miami Beach to showcase immersive visual experiences that push the boundaries of storytelling.

Over the four days, creators, producers, tech companies and curious audiences will have access to over 30 interactive experiences, 15 labs and talks, interactive exhibits, 4 dome experiences, a financing market, b2b meetings, music, live events and a sunset cruise closing ceremony, accessible to all ages.

Locations include The Frost Science Museum, The SouthEast Financial Center, O Cinema South Beach and more.

When filmmaker and self-described sci-fi geek Diliana Alexander discovered that VR could increase audiences’ empathy levels, she and her co-founder were inspired to create a festival that explored where this technology would take the creative world. Thus, FilmGate Interactive was born.

reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and mixed reality (MR).

FilmGate Miami is debuting 25 virtual reality and interactive art installations this year, including one VR experience that takes you deep sea diving.

FilmGate’s cofounder, Diliana Alexander says these “extended reality” installations provide new opportunities for guests to be a part of the art; not just view it but immerse themselves in it.

“These are projects that would have probably not existed two years ago or even last year because technology is changing, and artists are pushing boundaries,” said Alexander. “The audience, because they’re present and interacting or being engaged in some of kind way, they’re a lot more invested in what they’re experiencing.”

The FilmGate Interactive Festival, a one-of-a-kind international festival, taking place in person and virtually in Miami and Miami Beach, is designed to highlight and showcase how emerging tech empowers new ways of artistic and media expression. Over the course of four days, Friday through Monday, Dec. 2-5, 2022, creators, producers, tech companies and curious audiences will have access to over 30 interactive experiences, 15 labs and talks, interactive exhibits, 4 dome experiences, a financing market, b2b meetings, music, and live events, accessible to all ages.

On Tuesday, FilmGate Miami returns with another workshop, Why the Drama, allowing for screenplays to be workshopped with actors and industry folk in attendance. The night will include a reading of Sex, Love & Salsa! a pilot series written by Adrian Manzano, with the log line, "Dancers and musicians learn about life and love on the dance floor"; and Nelson Isava's The Girl Next Door: "Two immigrant sisters must find their way out of a deadly entanglement by looking inward and toward each other."

This ninth-annual bash is all about digital art and embracing the metaverse (aka Mark Zuckerberg’s current obsession), basically an interactive world the public accesses using virtual-reality headsets. The festival is a four-day blitz of virtual-reality screenings, live music, dance performances, filmmaking how-tos and interactive workshops.

FilmGatos!
How time flew! It's time to celebrate Florida Film and their creators with all the previous winners of our past monthly editions. This is Best of 2022!
All previous winners will be completing for an array of awards, including the covenant Pink Crystal Kraken Award.
About us: FilmGate Miami is a non-profit organization that's goal is to ensure the empowerment and growth of local creators and talent.

FilmGate Miami, now in its 10th year, is the epicenter for all things film in South Florida. With a new space occupying an entire floor of a classic Downtown Miami building, FilmGate has earned the title of Miami’s best film organization. Whether hosting boot camps on Acting and Screenwriting or Master classes on Producing, if you want to connect with the Miami film industry, this is the space for you.

Please note that we select our films as they arrive, to allow us more time to promote this festival. Submit your films as early as possible to improve your chances of being selected.

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If you have any trouble with entering your film or using a waiver code, please contact us at guillermo@film-gate.org or info@film-gate.org

In 2012, I co-founded FilmGate Miami – a not for profit organization with the mission to support independent film production in Florida. As a filmmaker, I needed FilmGate to exist and since it did not, we created it. Our first program was I’M NOT GONNA MOVE TO L.A. – the longest running monthly short film series in Florida; it celebrates local creativity. It takes place on the first Wednesday of each month to sold out audiences at O Cinema Wynwood. Later came the workshops, the production resources and finally the media center.

FilmGate is a non-profit organization that supports independent film in Florida through screening, workshop, panels and festivals.As of right now, the startup is focusing on their monthly screening festival for local filmmakers, “I am Not Going to Move to L.A” or NOLA, which is about to debut at its new venue, the Silverspot Cinema, on Aug. 28. The event consists of eight short films of no longer than twenty minutes, all directed and produced by filmmakers living in Florida.

FilmGate Miami co-founders Diliana Alexander and Jose Jacho talk about the resources available at FilmGate Miami Media Center, which nurtures local filmmaking by helping with cinematography classes, acting workshops and multimedia training.

Very active non-profit that produce events that actually BENEFIT YOU; I entered in their monthly NOLA film festival, took home two awards as a first-time filmmaker. I've attended their Acting Masterclasses, Filmmaking Bootcamp Series, Producer Series, Screenwriting Series, and on top of that, the free Naked Angels writer/actor workshop weekly....how are people not flocking to this at light-speed?!?

SWAMP DOCS – Meetup for Florida Activists, Journalists, and Documentarians.
Welcome to FilmGate Miami’s SWAMP DOCS - a conversation series exploring current issues affecting the South East Region of the US. This event provides informative support to documentarians and digital journalists. We at FilmGate Miami are stoked to have this officially open to the public.

The ninth annual FilmGate Interactive Media Festival is currently taking place around South Florida through December 5. According to their press release the festival, “is designed to highlight and showcase how emerging tech empowers new ways of artistic and media expression.” They go on to say, “audiences will have access to over 30 interactive experiences, 15 labs and talks, interactive exhibits, 4 dome experiences, a financing market, b2b meetings, music, and live events, accessible to all ages.”

“FilmGate came out of curiosity,” Diliana Alexander, executive director of FilmGate Interactive Media Festival told me in 2018.

A firm believer in audiences craving immersion and the ability to connect across many platforms, she created South Florida’s first fully interactive film and new technology conference. “I wanted to showcase how new technology is influencing what’s to come in entertainment, storytelling, film, and art.”

The tech world is turning the heat up a notch for this year’s Miami Art Week. There will be work presented by the MUD Foundation and FilmGate. Over the past several years, art and technology have converged into exciting new formats for artists to explore. This year, Miami is host to two digital art and virtual reality events with organizations that focus on keeping the technology in the hands of the artists, while making the work accessible to the public.

FilmGate Miami is debuting 25 virtual reality and interactive art installations this year, including one VR experience that takes you deep sea diving.

FilmGate’s cofounder, Diliana Alexander says these “extended reality” installations provide new opportunities for guests to be a part of the art; not just view it but immerse themselves in it.

Just last month, the FilmGate Interactive Media Festival had a ball at the University of Miami, where the fest hosted a series of film screenings, workshops, and virtual-reality and mixed-reality experiences. Now that the latest edition of the festival is in the rear-view mirror, what have the FilmGate Miami folks been up to? Turns out they’re opening a new space.

Screenwriters, playwrights, and actors come beautifully together in a unique performance space for an equally unique concept. It's called Naked Angels x FilmGate Miami. It was an idea that stemmed from New York City in the '80s with the likes of Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick, and now it has a weekly version in the 305.