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Isaac Brown
Biography
Isaac Brown is an award-winning director with 10 national broadcast credits to his name. He holds a master’s degree in documentary film production from University of Florida’s Documentary Institute. His thesis film, “Gimme Green,” won more than a dozen awards and was screened at Gen Art Film Festival, Margaret Mead Film and Video Festival, Big Sky Documentary Film Festival, as well as dozens of other film festivals around the world. It was a national finalist for a Student Academy Award, and received an Academy of Television Arts and Sciences’ College Television Award. The film also received international acclaim, when it was nominated for a BBC NEWCOMER award at WildScreen Film Festival in Bristol, UK. “Gimme Green” aired on the Sundance Channel as part of a new series, “The Green.” Brown is a recipient of a 2010 Florida Media Arts Fellowship. He also is an instructor in the Digital Film and Video Program at The Art Institute of Jacksonville, Florida.
Role in the Field
Isaac Brown was a crucial part of the 2008 Florida FlyIns Field Team. He led and guided the student journalists in production and editing of photographs and videos. As a University of Florida photojournalism graduate, Brown was instrumental in aiding the photojournalists with their in-field editing, story refining and production. He also directed and produced his own piece, “Agua de Vida,” while in the field.
Boaz Dvir
Biography
Boaz Dvir, the director of communications of the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications is an award-winning documentary filmmaker. Dvir has been a FlyIns writing coach since he accompanied the class to Nicaragua in 2004. He is the writer, director and co-producer of “Jessie’s Dad,” a documentary about Mark Lunsford’s crusade to protect children against sex offenders (www.jessiesdad.com). He has written for many publications, including New York’s Newsday, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, the St. Petersburg Times and Scripps Howard’s Treasure Coast Newspapers.
Role in the Field
Boaz Dvir led the 2008 FlyIns class to Guatemala on behalf of Prof. John Kaplan. Dvir served as the main teacher and editor in the field.
Andres Farfan
Biography
Andres G. Farfan was raised in Granada, Nicaragua. At age 14, he moved to Miami, Florida with his family and graduated from Miami Southridge High School in 2002. He currently attends the University of Florida. Andres is a documentary photojournalist and videographer and has worked as a reporter, videographer and photographer for local magazines and radio stations in Gainesville, Florida. He also has freelanced for local newspapers and served as a video consultant on private companies’ promotional projects. He is fluent in English and Spanish.
Role in the Field
Farfan was an independent-study pupil of Boaz Dvir and served as group lead translator. He translated during the trip’s daily organizational meetings with our hosts and transportation aides, as well as during excursions, individual interviews and the students’ final project editing.
John Kaplan
Biography
Professor John Kaplan teaches photography, design and international journalism to undergraduate and graduate students at the University of Florida. He has lectured and taught at more than 50 colleges, workshops and seminars in the U.S., Asia, United Kingdom and Latin America and also has received recognition for his poetry and writing.
In 1992, his project about the diverse lifestyles of American 21-year-olds was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Feature Photography. In 2003, Kaplan's project on survivors of torture in West Africa was awarded the Overseas Press Club Award for Feature Photography and the Harry Chapin Media Award for Photojournalism. The National Headliner Awards, Best of Photojournalism Competition, Pictures of the Year International, Society of News Design and Photo District News Best of Photography Contest also recognized the project. In 2005, he was named the University of Florida International Educator of the Year for Senior Faculty.
In 2002 and 2001, UF photojournalists won what is considered to be the Pulitzer Prize of collegiate journalism, the William Randolph Hearst national championship. Along with professor John Freeman, Kaplan was instrumental in the teaching, editing and coaching of the winning work. Students Rob Witzel and Michael Tercha were also named individual championship national winners in 2002 and 2001. Two former FlyIns program participants; Daron Dean and Danny Ghitis were Hearst championship second place winners in 2004, 2005 and 2006.
Kaplan also is an affiliate faculty member of the university’s Center for Latin American Studies and of the School of Natural Resources and Environment. |
