FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Bonnie Clearwater, Director, MOCA (305) 893-6211
Valerie Ricordi, PR Manager, MOCA (305) 893-6211 vricordi@mocanomi.org

OPTIC NERVE IS BACK AT MOCA
Two Evenings of Emerging South Florida Filmmakers
August 18 and 26

Schedule:
Friday, August 18 at MOCA
Joan Lehman Building, 770 NE 125th St., North Miami
7 pm First Screening
8 pm Artist Roundtable with Starbucks
9 pm Second Screening

Saturday, August 26 at MOCA at Goldman Warehouse
404 NW 26th St., Wynwood Arts District
7 pm Screening

(North Miami) - The Museum of Contemporary Art is proud to present the eighth installment of Optic Nerve with two evenings of screenings on August 18 and 26. 
Optic Nerve is MOCA’s very popular annual festival featuring short films and videos by some of the freshest and innovative artists in South Florida selected from an open call for submissions.  The program is part of the museum’s ongoing effort to provide new venues for emerging South Florida artists.  A record number of entries were submitted in this year’s Optic Nerve competition.  One of the featured films will be purchased for MOCA’s permanent collection with funds provided by Starbucks Coffee Company.

Optic Nerve VIII will be presented at MOCA’s Joan Lehman Building (770 NE 125th Street, North Miami) on Friday, August 18 at 7 and 9 pm.  The public is also invited to meet the filmmakers during an Artist Roundtable with Starbucks at 8 pm.  Optic Nerve VIII also will be presented on Saturday, August 26 at 7 pm at MOCA at Goldman Warehouse, 404 NW 26th Street in Wynwood. 

Optic Nerve VIII is sponsored by Starbucks Coffee Company.  The screening at MOCA at Goldman Warehouse is made possible with additional support from the City of Miami, Mayor's Office of Film, Arts and Entertainment.

Optic Nerve is free with museum admission.  RSVP is required. Seating is limited and not guaranteed. For reservations, call 305.893.6211.  Admission to MOCA’s Joan Lehman Building is free for MOCA members, North Miami residents, City of North Miami employees and children under 12, $5 adults, $3 seniors and students with ID. 
The August 26 screening at MOCA at Goldman Warehouse is by donation.

The 15 films incorporate a wide range of narrative and non-narrative film and animation techniques, and include:  Alejandra Leibovich’s How Do You Call It?, a three-minute animated short that humorously addresses the question ---why can’t we all get along; Duda Leite’s After the Fox, a trip back to the 1960s combining images of surfers and the music of Burt Bacharach; Franco Gonzalez’s  How Long is Forever, which is set against a gritty working class backdrop and illustrates a ritual performed by a group immersed in  heavy metal music, mysticism and low rider bike culture; Clifton Clidree’s Something Awful,  a film that incorporates some of the elements of silent pictures to create a savagely funny story of a sailor who catches a woman’s buttocks while fishing; and Jiae Hwang’s Storyteller, an animated short that lyrically combines dreamlike images and a softly sung Korean lullaby.

The Optic Nerve VIII films were selected by a panel comprised of Miami video artist Natalia Benedetti; Claire Breukel, director of exhibitions at ArtCenter/South Florida; and Harlan Erskine, senior digital artist and photographer at the award-winning Miami advertising agency, Crispin Porter + Bogusky.

LIST OF OPTIC NERVE VIII FILMS:

Clifton Childree Something Awful 5 mins.
Lou Anne Colodny Gottcha! Clone-Acopia 1 min. 53 sec.
Studio El Condor Self Page - Walter Skelter Reversion 3 mins. 50 sec.
Matthew Cox I Forgot My Name 4 mins. 30 sec.
FG How Long is Forever 8 mins
Liz Haley In Perpetuity, Circle of Purity 3 mins.
Jiae Hwang Storyteller 2 mins. 30 sec.
Duda Leite After the Fox 3 mins. 40 sec.
Alejandra Leibovich How Do You Call It? 3 mins.
Ali Prosch Forever 54 sec.
Nicholas Raftis Universal Flow 2 mins. 36 sec.
Geoffrey Thomas Candy 2 mins. 36 sec.
TM Sisters Superpowers 2 mins. 46 sec.
Friends With You Get Lucky 6 mins.
David Rohn Heroin Heroine 3 mins.	no picture

Optic Nerve VIII is sponsored by

The Museum of Contemporary Art is located at 770 NE 125th Street, North Miami. MOCA’s galleries are open Tuesday-Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. The museum is also open the last Friday of every month with special evening hours from 7:00 to 10 p.m. Admission is free for MOCA members, North Miami residents and City of North Miami employees and children under 12. General admission is $5 adults, $3 for seniors and students with ID. For more information on MOCA, call 305-893-6211 or visit www.mocanomi.org.

Museum Hours: Tuesday-Saturday, 11:00 am – 5:00 pm, Sunday, noon – 5:00 pm. MOCA is also open on the last Friday of each month from 7:00 – 10:00 pm in conjunction with Jazz at MOCA concerts.

Admission: Free for MOCA members, North Miami residents, City of North Miami employees and children under 12; $5 adults, $3 for seniors and students with ID.

More MOCA as MOCA turns 10!

Exhibitions and programs at MOCA are made possible through grants from the City of North Miami, the Florida Arts Council, the Department of State, the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs, Cultural Affairs Council, the Mayor and Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners.
The Museum of Contemporary Art, North Miami is accredited by the American Association of Museums.
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