For almost a decade, the Borscht Film Festival has increased the vibrancy of Miami by facilitating local artists to tell Miami stories
through film, and providing a platform to share these films with the community at large. We screen and commission films that portray a
wide diversity of stories about the city, empowering local citizens to define Miami’s cinematic identity for themselves.

Up until this point the Borscht Film Festival has been held in large spaces in urban centers to accommodate the size of the audiences, but in our research we found many people travel from disparate communities to attend the festival.

We are seeking funding to bring the films directly to some of the diverse communities that inspired them, creating a greater sense of civic pride and community engagement. The lack of reliable public transportation in Miami makes it difficult to have as diverse an audience as we would like, and we feel creating a monthly series of free popup film screenings in underused spaces located in underserved communities would be received very positively.

Of all the art forms, cinema is one of the most accessible, and each screening would be curated to maximize the accessibility in these
neighborhoods that receive less than their share of arts programming. For instance, we would play films that were made in or about the neighborhoods we are screening them in, as well as films that deal with themes that are predominant in that specific community. Local musicians or artists that complement the films could perform before them to give the screening a sense of being an event. We could also bring in filmmakers originally from
the neighborhoods for an open Q and A.

These events are projected to take place every month for the duration of the year and beyond, and will lead up to the Borscht Film Festival.