ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. - March 15, 2021 - Feature Florida Partnerships (FFP) is pleased to announce that the DeBartolo Family Foundation, a Tampa-based non-profit that provides educational scholarships and supports grassroots organizations helping underserved populations in the Tampa Bay area, has awarded a grant in support of the "Create it Here!" program, the signature FFP initiative that provides mentoring and financial assistance to aspiring Florida screenwriters.
"To be recognized by the DeBartolo Family Foundation for our efforts to create opportunity for Florida content creators from all backgrounds and from all over the state means a great deal to everyone on the FFP team," stated Feature Florida Partnerships executive director Chris Ranung. "We are aware that compelling stories exist in every Florida community. With assistance such as this generous contribution from the DeBartolo family, we will be able to extend our reach and bring more of these stories forward to the public."
FFP recently announced two "Create it Here!" finalists who are now receiving subsidies for professional script coaching services for their projects. The non-profit organization will relaunch the program in mid-April with a strengthened focus on reaching out to aspiring screenwriters from all of Florida's many and diverse cultural groups.
"The DeBartolo Family Foundation grant augments our ability to work on behalf of indigenous Florida film production," Ranung continued. "The family's affiliation, along with our other contributors and sponsors, is validating and heartening for everyone who advocates for Florida filmmaking."
Feature Florida Partnerships was created to address the flight of feature film and television projects away from the Sunshine State by building a new grassroots Florida-centric infrastructure based on proprietary financing and not reliant on incentives or rebates. The organization is comprised of production, banking and finance, legal, community relations, and media professionals who are driven by their collective desire to restore Florida's prominence in the domestic marketplace for motion picture production.
Contact Chris Ranung at chris@featurefloridapartnerships.org to discuss the "Create it Here!" program and visit featurefloridapartnerships.org for information about other FFP efforts on behalf of Florida's film community.
Media Contact
Chris Ranung, executive director
chris@featurefloridapartnerships.org
