Congrats to our new Artists Institute graduates, bon courage and break a leg! This weekend we held a beautiful ceremony in Jacmel where friends, family, and fellow students gathered to celebrate Haiti’s bright future. For the past three months, Artists Institute students have been focused on completing their year-end thesis films and mastered songs. Our students’ thesis projects represent the culmination of the creative scriptwriting, shooting, editing, mixing, recording, and composition skills they have acquired studying in Jacmel.  Emerging as both extremely talented and professionally trained filmmakers and audio engineers, our students launch into Haiti’s creative industry equipped with the tools to tell a new story. This year’s ceremony celebrated the 35 graduates from Ciné Institute and the culmination of the inaugural year at Audio Institute, whose first year graduates will receive their certificates in 2015. Keep reading for highlights from both divisions of Artists Institute.

CINÉ INSTITUTE

Wood-Jerry Gabriel is a second year student at Ciné Institute. Hailing from a family of prolific painters in Jacmel, Wood-Jerry is passionate about creating dynamic works of Haitian literary and visual art with a fresh perspective. In his free time, he creates poems and imaginative short stories. Wood-Jerry’s interest in creative writing led him to study journalism and Haitian storytelling. This weekend, Wood-Jerry graduated Ciné Institute with the Award of Excellence! His thesis film, The Widow, is the story of a Haitian woman whose loss weakens her sense of reality. Through Martha’s cloud of despair, she believes sees her late husband in the crowd at Carnival and chases the illusion. Wood-Jerry’s film explores madness, love, and the supernatural. The Widow is an excellent and riveting portrait of tragic romance, we can’t wait for it to screen at Haiti Optimiste next year!

AUDIO INSTITUTE

Roudie Rigaud Marcelin is a first year student at Audio Institute.  Roudie was born in Cap-Haïtien and previously studied video editing and sound with us at Ciné Institute! His talents are wide-ranging, and to capitalize on his creative instincts he decided to further his studies by applying to Audio Institute. “My experience living and breathing in movies for two years was extraordinary…On behalf of all the Artists Institute students, we really appreciate this great gesture and blessing that we were granted to continue our studies here in Jacmel that gives us strength and courage to never stop in our work.” Roudie’s introspective music blends ambient electronic styles with traditional Haitian musical elements such as Rara drums and vocal repetition. “I want this music to touch the heart of every person who will listen it.” His final song invites the audience to reflect on the trajectory of their lives like planets orbiting around the sun, moving together in harmony. Central to Artists Institute’s mission is that all film and music students share the benefits of their education through active participation in their local communities.

The original music and films our students have created showcase Artists Institute as a ready and vital voice in Haiti –and their art celebrates the complexity and vibrancy of Haitian culture. So much more to come, stay tuned!

Last week, APJ CEO David Belle introduced APJ to Chicago! Advisory Board Member Dana Maksimovich organized an evening at the Dana Hotel to raise awareness about our work in Haiti. The cocktail event welcomed friends Rev. Jesse Jackson, Michael Ferro, Ken Griffin, Theo Epstein, Steve Traxler, Les Coney and many new faces to APJ! We couldn’t be more grateful to the Chicago community for the warm welcome. We’re excited for more good things to come in the Midwest!  Stay tuned.

Moby is a longtime supporter of our work in Haiti. Immediately after the earthquake, Moby volunteered to perform at an intimate fundraiser that raised $4.5 million for our programs. His commitment and activism are inspiring to us!

Get your tickets to #ThirdPersonLA today! thirdperson.eventbrite.com

“Well … pretty much anything that involves Artists for Peace and Justice I try to come out and support.” – Moby

Moby, otherwise known as Richard Melville Hall, is a multiplatinum American musician, DJ, photographer, and activist. His innovative electronic music albums Everything is Wrong (1995), Play (1999), and Destroyed (2011) have made him an international favorite, selling over 10 million copies around the world. Moby is also an outspoken activist for a variety of causes including veganism, animal rights, human rights, and intellectual property.

In 2004, Moby was awarded and appreciated with IMNF’s Music Has Power Award for his dedication to music therapy.

In 2007 Moby started a website designed for independent and non-profit filmmakers, film students, and anyone in need of free music for their independent, non-profit film.

In 2013 Moby “is back with arguably one of the best albums of his career, Innocents.”

“One of the reasons I’ve dedicated my life to making music is because I love the way that music affects me emotionally and the way that it affects other people emotionally…a lot of times I’m trying to make music that not only affects me emotionally, but also transforms the space in which I’m listening to the music. The test of a good song is, does it make something mundane seem more special?” – Moby

Moby has been actively involved with Artists for Peace and Justice for over three years, playing at our fundraisers and spreading the word about our work in Haiti.

Moby signs the Chrysler 300 at the 2011 Vanity Fair Campaign Hollywood event celebrating Artists for Peace and Justice.