Anthony R. Page (Film - TV - Theater - Photography - Design - Advocacy)

 New Hands-On Training Workshops Aim to Prepare Local Talent for Opportunities Within the Growing Film Industry Across the Samaná Peninsula LAS TERRENAS, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC — The Alma Film Festival has officially announced the launch of its Workforce Readiness Initiative , a new professional training platform presented through the Dandelion Institute , the festival’s workforce development and educational division dedicated to expanding pathways into the film, television, and creative industries. Developed in response to the increasing production activity taking place throughout the Dominican Republic and the Samaná Peninsula, the initiative introduces a series of intensive workshops designed to help prepare emerging local talent for entry-level positions within professional film and television productions. The inaugural workshop series will take place in Las Terrenas this July and will focus on two foundational areas of production: P roduction Assistant (PA) training and Grip ...

Las Terrenas, Dominican Republic — The Alma Film Festiva l is proud to announce that registration is now officially open for the First Frame Film Academy , a free immersive youth filmmaking initiative of the Dandelion Institute designed to introduce young creatives to the world of filmmaking, storytelling, and media production. The First Frame Film Academy is a one-week intensive program where students ages 10–18 will learn the complete filmmaking process — from story development and screenwriting to production, editing, marketing, and final film delivery. The program will take place daily from 12:30 PM to 5:00 PM and will be taught primarily in Spanish, with English curriculum support also available. The First Frame Film Academy will feature guidance from a dynamic network of local and international film professionals, including filmmaker Alfredo J. Williams, who will serve as one of the program’s instructors. Alongside hands-on in-person training, students will also participate in ...

“We as a people have always been on the cutting edge of culture, and in cinema it’s no different. SignifyTV is proud to be one of the platforms helping those stories reach the audiences they’ve always deserved.” — Alahna Lark, Executive Director, SignifyTV ----------------------------------------------------------------------- A new global partnership centered on the advancement of Global South storytelling is launching through a multi-month collaboration between SignifyTV and the Alma Film Festival . Rather than a traditional screening series, this initiative represents a curated, cross-platform collaboration designed to spotlight filmmakers and cinematic voices from across the Global South while building deeper pathways for cultural exchange, audience engagement, and creative ecosystem development. The partnership is part of the Alma Experience , the global engagement arm of the Alma Film Festival, through which elements of the festival are activated in collaboration with partners ...

The Alma Experience: C-Suite Women’s Salon An Invite-Only, Intentionally Curated Experience Some films don’t just tell stories—they open doors to deeper understanding. On May 30th, a carefully curated group of women will gather in Atlanta for an intimate salon anchored by a screening of Je Suis Noires (Becoming a Black Woman) , a powerful documentary emerging from Switzerland that explores the lived experience of Black women navigating identity, visibility, and belonging within European society. Recognized for its cultural impact, the film has received multiple honors, including the Best Documentary Award at the inaugural Alma Film Festival , where director Rachel M’Bon was also presented with the Dr. Cornel West Award for Global Truth & Cultural Conscience . Beyond the film itself, Rachel M’Bon has continued to expand this work through her leadership with Now We Are Rising (NWAR) and the Afropea Cultural Cente r—extending the conversation into broader platforms of advocacy, cul...

Pictured here: Some of the Alma Film Festival's Community of Stakeholders. (L-R) Anthony R. Page (Festival Director), Perla Janerky Armando Sanchez, Yalonda Lolar-Johnson, Noelle Wright, Mal, Viara, Star, Kurt Wright, Nina Villani, Katrin Kocsis, Alahna Lark, and Leonardo Armando.   A Festival Is Not Enough: Why We’re Investing in Samaná’s Creative Economy We are building a creative and workforce development pipeline in Samaná, Dominican Republic—designed to connect local talent to the global film and television economy. This work is rooted in something simple: presence. During our time in Las Terrenas and the greater Samaná region, we were welcomed with warmth, openness, and generosity—by students, educators, local leaders, and families. What we experienced was real, and it stayed with us. But so did what we observed. Samaná is a place with a rich and layered history—once a quiet fishing and farming community, now evolving into a destination with increasing global visibility. Wit...

An impromptu performance by Malik Yoba became one of the many serendipitous moments that defined the spirit of the Alma Film Festival. Festival Recap At the outset, there was a question—quiet but persistent. With more than 12,000 film festivals operating around the world, was it still possible to create something that felt genuinely new? What emerged over the course of the Alma Film Festival in Samaná was not an answer in theory, but in practice. And it became clear, almost in real time, that what distinguishes Alma is not simply its programming model—though its emphasis on fewer films, deeper engagement, and research-centered dialogue is notable. It is the place itself. Here is a series of short visual sizzles capturing the essence, depth, and energy of the Alma Experience The Opening Night Of The Festival The Beauty of The Beach and The Beat Dominican Day in El Limón Our Community Connections Deepened We Made A Moment...Together Nicole Mapu, an expat from Chile, knows the secret th...