Art Film Theater Business Plan

Miami Beach Film Society

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Management Summary

MBFS has been run successfully since 1993 by a Founder/Director and Board of Directors. With the opening of the Cinematheque there will be an expansion of this team to include an Operations Manager. The Director will continue to assume the duties until the need arises to hire for this paid position. As always, there will be volunteers in several capacities, and the volunteer Board will play a big part in organizing this area. They each will have a role in managing an area of volunteer duties. As the time of the Miami Beach International Film Festival (MBIFF) approaches, the team will be in place, ready for the project development, with potential managers in line for paid positions as they are needed. The Board of Trustees (Trustees), also volunteer, will be expanded and developed by the Director and Board to make available expert advise, donations of in-kind and products and services.

The Founder/Director, the first full-time position of MBFS, has the following duties:

• Advise Board and receive guidance and approval from Board on general areas and major decisions.   
• Develop and oversee daily operations, planning, and special events of MBFS in its home, the Cinematheque, and wherever else MBFS presents, including MBIFF working closely with the Operations Manager, Board of Directors, Programming and Production Team, and other volunteers.
• Develop the overall concept of programming structure and priorities, and oversee all creative aspects of programming and area development, including supplements to programming, product and services departments,  merchandising, and film production at the Cinematheque and other venues, including MBIFF, working closely with Programming Manager and Production Manager.
• Develop the marketing plans of the various areas of the Cinematheque and MBIFF, and continue to manage all aspects, with volunteer assistants. Establish a marketing budget, develop marketing materials, advertising placement, website development and maintenance, newsletter maintenance, measure effectiveness of marketing activities (program tracking).
• Develop a network of support and outreach programs for the Cinematheque, working with the Membership/Fundraising Chairman (volunteer Board position). Direct mail plan, development of target sponsors, solicitation of sponsorship and membership.
• Personnel management (recruiting, hiring, training, supervision, evaluating, and terminating).
• Develop annual budget with Operations Manager for Board approval including necessary revisions.

The Operations Manager is hired by the Director. The part-time position duties will be as follows:

• Advise Board and receive guidance from and approval from the Board on areas concerning financial matters.
• Assist in personnel management in the areas concerning financial matters.
• Coordinate fiscal management of the association, with the Director, and with approval from the Board.
• Oversee preparation of the monthly and annual reports of activities and fiscal reports.
• Coordinate, develop, manage, and report to Director and Board of Directors the management of the annual budget, including necessary revisions.
• Coordinate work on annual audits and tax filing.
• Define priorities for supervised financial staff.
• Coordinate inventory management of products, supplies, and services.

The Programming/Production Directors are hired by the Director. The duties are as follows:

• Assist the Director with programming and supplements to programming such as symposiums and seminars, and question and answer periods.   
• Assist the Director with the logistical aspects of programming such as contacts with directors and distributors, programming outreach and research, and preparation of symposiums, panels, and seminars.
• Promote and develop outreach programs for programming development, with the Director.
• Oversee, with approval from the Director, the program development of in-house productions such as Cinematheque On-Screen Ads and Miami Beach Newsreels with product placement.
• Assist with sponsorship ideas for the direct tie-ins with programming and in-house productions.
• Production of the on-screen film productions of the Cinematheque, with the Director's approval, such as promotional clips to introduce the presentation, On-Screen Advertisements for both in-house products and services and local business sponsors that fit together in concept and style, and Miami Beach Newsreels with creative product placement.
• Cover the productions with sponsorship, with the Director's approval from the target list of potential sponsors, to underwrite the productions and complete them.
• Assist the Director is gaining new and potential sponsors for On-Screen Ads and Miami Beach Newsreels, expanding the target list, and following through with "the account" to continue the relationship.

The Technical Coordinator is hired by the Director. The duties are as follows:

• To supervise and manage the technical aspects of the Cinematheque and MBIFF, such as the computer functioning, and logistical presentation of film screenings, working closely with the Director and potential sponsor of the technical area.
• To supervise the technical team at special events and manage the potential troubleshooting.

The Grants Consultant  is hired by the Director. The duties are as follows:

• To develop the grant aspect of the film society as an important division in itself.
• To manage, with the Director, all aspects of researching, applying for, and keeping track of appropriateness and deadlines for grants, and follow-up of presentations.
• Advising on directions and ideas in developing the related fundraising activities with the Board of Trustees.   

The Producer of Special Events is hired by the Director. The duties will be as follows:

• To produce the logistical aspects of the supplemental parties of MBIFF as designed by the Director.
• To cover the expenses of the parties by direct sponsor underwriting as approved by the Director from the target list of potential sponsors.
• Assist the society with potential growth of the target list of sponsors, for potential direct sponsorship of the parties.
• To follow up by organizing the aftermath and clean-up of the parties, making sure everyone is happy with the results.

The Sponsorship and Development Team is hired by the Director and come from several strategic areas of the world, all contributing from different points of view to bring different elements to the table:

• The International Film Festival Circuit Liaison will cover the connections between the world's film festivals, bringing aspects of those festivals to MBIFF and the Cinematheque.
• The European Correspondent will cover Europe to bring those aspects to festival.
• The North American Correspondent will cover the same areas from the United States areas.
• The South American Correspondent will cover South America, Central America, and the Caribbean. 

The Volunteer Positions are as follows:

The Board of Directors. As stated in our articles of incorporation, we have a minimum of five Board members. They represent various areas of business and the arts. The duties of the Board are:

• To meet at least quarterly to discuss the organizational activities of the society and advise and approve the general direction. 
• To make decisions on the fiscal annual budget for the best benefit of the organization, and hold annual meeting.
• Maintain the organization's corporate books and meeting minutes.
• To each be a Chair of a certain area with relevance to the health of the organization.


• The Membership/Fundraising Chair. Direct mail and email plan, existing and potential database development and management, renewal notices, special member mailings, solicitation of sponsorship and membership.


• The Volunteer Coordination Chair. Recruiting, organizing, developing a form for volunteer information, placing  volunteers in appropriate areas, managing need for volunteers, managing volunteer benefits and reward system. 


• The Fiscal Chair (Treasurer).  Documenting for minutes the financial situation, Board point of view of finances, working with Operations Manager.    


• The Grants Chair. Advising on and developing Grant possibilities, working with Grant Consultant to meet deadlines, solicit for needs for success in grants, help with steps obtain grants.


• The Outreach and Development Chair. Develop new markets and connections for film society.

There are also Volunteers in many areas such as:

Ticket Sales - At the box office and at special events.

Products and Services Sales - Waitstaff, deliveries, pick-ups, concessions in-house and at special events.

Marketing/Printing - Website, newsletter maintenance, production of printed supplements.

Public Relations - Pro bono services, assistance for pro bono providers.

Production - Film production assistance.

7.1 Personnel Plan

Founder and Director

Dana Keith

Director of the Miami Beach Film Society since 1993 when he founded the nonprofit organization. He has two bachelor's degrees, one in Cinema (emphasizing film history, aesthetics, and criticism), and one in Fine Arts (emphasizing graphic arts with photography/photolithography), from the University of California, Santa Barbara. He developed and prepared the Summer Film Institute at UCSB, was editor and designer of the film department's magazine Focus, and became apprentice at Paramount for the Art Director Robert Boyle (Production Designer for many Hitchcock films).

His film exhibition background includes management of the Arlington Center for the Performing Arts in Santa Barbara, and The Red Rock 11 Theatres in Las Vegas, at the time the world's largest theatre complex.

He has also been Hospitality Manager for the Academy Awards at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles. His hospitality industry background includes being part of the opening team on two leading boutique-style hotels in South Beach, the Hotel Astor, in 1995, and the Hotel Nash, in 1999, where he continued as Guest Relations Manager and won "concierge of the year" in the Miami market, and also designed many marketing aspects of the hotel experience, especially aspects related to film. 

Researching for Cinematheques and Museums for ten years in Europe while working as a model and photographer has influenced his interests and has been invaluable in developing the conceptual ideas of the film society and Cinematheque. He is a member of the Art Director's Union, and The Screen Actor's Guild.

Mr. Keith, with the help of the Board of Directors, will also assume the responsibilities of Operations Manager until the position is filled.

Board of Directors

Barbara Pergament, Chairman - Actress. 1980 S. Ocean Park 8K,  Hallandale, FL 33009  (954) 456-0877

Lucille Acocella, Secretary/Treasurer - North West Airlines. 1228 West Ave., Miami Beach, FL 33139  (305) 532-3274

George Neary - Director of Cultural Tourism  Greater Miami Visitors & Convention Bureau. 701 Brickell Ave. 2700, Miami FL 33131  (305) 539-3000

Marybeth Sheehan - DeNiro Realty. 9592 Majestic Way, Boynton Beach, FL 33137  (561) 734-6698

Cristiane Roget - West Coast Correspondent AP+Films International.  P.O.Box 17715,  Beverly Hills CA 90209  (310) 858-7062

Seth Finkel, Esq., Legal Consultant - Finkel and Associates.  28 West Flagler St., Miami, FL 33130  (305) 379-7538

Founding Circle and Board of Trustees

(in development for the Cinematheque and MBIFF)

Programming/Production Directors 

Juan Carlos Zaldivar

Director/producer Juan Carlos Zaldivar completed both his BFA and MFA in film studies at NYU Film School. In 1990 his second short, Palingenesis, was nominated for a Student Academy Award. His award winning thesis film, The Story of The Red Rose, premiered at Sundance in 1997, winning a grant from the Warner Bros. Film Production Fund and a Silver Plaque at the Chicago Intl. Film Festival, and will air on Showtime this fall. In 1998 Juan served as a juror for the Sundance Film Festival short film category, and wrote/directed the Sundance trailers that year, How To Make A Bird, How To Make A Tree, and How To Make A River. He was elected a Sundance Film Institute Fellow that summer. Juan produces for the PBS show In The Life. He teaches at the Undergraduate Film Program at NYU, and is a member of the National Association of Latino Independent Producers.  

Rhonda L. Mitrani

Director/producer/editor Rhonda Mitrani is graduate of the University of Michigan, BFA, where she directed her first short film Skin and Bones. She began her film career at Miramax Films in New York as Post Coordinator on such films as Marvin's Room, and assisted on Modulations which played at Sundance and Berlin Film Festivals. As editor, she was principal on such films as Hit and Run (best screenplay LAIFF, 1999), and edited for the Internet company Pseudo Programs and recently for the film The Suitor. She is a regular editor for ABC news. Cuba Mia is her first feature documentary, which has already won Best Documentary at the Wolfson Florida Moving Image Archive Awards.

Technical Coordinator  Aleksandar Stojanovic - CWS Productions 

Grants Consultant  Pola Reydburd

Special Events Producer  Paulo Sadri - TMG Productions, Miami Beach, FL/Beverly Hills, CA

International Film Festival Liaison  Sandy Mandelberger - International Media Resources, New York, NY

North and South American Correspondent  Jesse Rodriguiz, Chicago, IL