Flickers' Rhode Island International Film Festival (RIIFF) takes place every year in

Providence Providence often refers to: * Providentia, the divine personification of foresight in ancient Roman religion * Divine providence, divinely ordained events and outcomes in some religions * Providence, Rhode Island, the capital of Rhode Island in the ...

and

Newport Newport most commonly refers to: *Newport, Wales *Newport, Rhode Island, US Newport or New Port may also refer to: Places Asia *Newport City, Metro Manila, a Philippine district in Pasay * Newport (Vietnam), a United States Army and Army of t ...

Rhode Island Rhode Island ( ) is a state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Connecticut to its west; Massachusetts to its north and east; and the Atlantic Ocean to its south via Rhode Island Sound and Block Is ...

as well as satellite locations throughout the state. Started in 1997, the Festival is produced by Flickers, the Newport Film/Video Society & Arts Collaborative, a

501(c)(3) A 501(c)(3) organization is a United States corporation, Trust (business), trust, unincorporated association or other type of organization exempt from federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) of Title 26 of the United States Code. It is one of ...

non-profit created in 1981. RIIFF has been a qualifying festival for the

Academy Awards The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence in ...

since 2002.

History

The Festival was founded by George T. Marshall, who is also the founder of the Flickers Arts Collaborative. He has been serving as the Executive Director/CEO of the Festival since its inception. Shawn Quirk is the Programming Director, and J. Scott Oberacker is the Educational Outreach Director. Timothy Haggerty is the Technical Director, while Katie Reaves, Mary McSally, and Reshad Kulenovic serve as the Educational Program Directors. Lawrence J. Andrade acts as the Executive Advisor and Human Resource Director, and Michael Drywa is the Board President. In 1998, it hosted the world premiere of the

Farrelly brothers Peter Farrelly and Bobby Farrelly, collectively referred to as the Farrelly brothers, are American screenwriters and directors. They have made eleven films together, mostly comedies, including '' Dumb and Dumber'' and ''There's Something About Ma ...

film, ''

There's Something About Mary ''There's Something About Mary'' is a 1998 American romantic comedy film directed by the Farrelly brothers, who co-wrote the screenplay with Ed Decter and John J. Strauss. The film features Cameron Diaz as the title character, while Ben S ...

''. The Festival draws over 45,000 people annually along with a strong filmmaker presence attending its main event each August and its Horror Film sidebar in October. In 2018, the Festival screened 295 films; with 84 being world and US premieres.Rhode Island International Film Festival - an FFW festival profile
, Film Festival World, retrieved 2008-01-17 In 2010, the Festival has been designated as the host for Oscar Night America in Rhode Island, which it continues to host each year. In 2014, that event was renamed the "Red Carpet Experience: Providence," and continues annually. The festival often attracts major industry talent and celebrities who attend to participate in conversations about varied aspects of filmmaking. Attending filmmakers in the past have included actor

Andrew McCarthy Andrew Thomas McCarthy (born November 29, 1962) is an American actor, travel writer, and television director. He is most known as a member of the Brat Pack, with roles in 1980s films such as '' St. Elmo's Fire'', ''Pretty in Pink'', ''Mannequi ...

, who premiered his directorial debut, ''News for the Church'';

Michael Showalter Michael Showalter (born June 17, 1970) is an American director, writer, and producer. He first achieved recognition as a cast member on MTV's ''The State'', which aired from 1993 to 1995. He and David Wain created the ''Wet Hot American Summer ...

discussing his feature film ''

The Baxter ''The Baxter'' is a 2005 American comedy film written by, directed by and starring comedian Michael Showalter. A "Baxter", as defined by the film, is the nice, dull guy in a romantic comedy who is dumped at the end of the story for the prota ...

'', and actors

Seymour Cassel Seymour Joseph Cassel (January 22, 1935 – April 7, 2019) was an American actor who appeared in over 200 films and television shows, with a career spanning over 50 years. He first came to prominence in the 1960s in the pioneering independent f ...

Kim Chan Kim Chan (born Kim Shung Chan; ; December 28, 1917 – October 5, 2008) was a Chinese–American actor and producer. He was most notable for his roles as Lo Si, a.k.a. The Ancient, in '' Kung Fu: The Legend Continues'' and Mr. Kim in ''The F ...

, and

Ernest Borgnine Ernest Borgnine ( ; born Ermes Effron Borgnino; January 24, 1917 – July 8, 2012) was an American actor whose career spanned over six decades. He was noted for his gruff but relaxed voice and gap-toothed Cheshire Cat grin. A popular perf ...

(2009) who received Festival Lifetime Achievement Awards. Director

Blake Edwards Blake Edwards (born William Blake Crump; July 26, 1922 – December 15, 2010) was an American film director, producer and screenwriter. Edwards began his career in the 1940s as an actor, but he soon began writing screenplays and radio scripts ...

received a Festival Lifetime Achievement Award in 2001, which was accepted by his wife, actress/singer,

Julie Andrews Dame Julie Andrews (born Julia Elizabeth Wells; 1 October 1935) is an English actress, singer, and author. She has garnered numerous accolades throughout her career spanning over eight decades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Fi ...

. Actress

Blythe Danner Blythe Katherine Danner (born February 3, 1943) is an American actress. Accolades she has received include two Primetime Emmy Awards for Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series, Best Supporting Actress in a Dra ...

received the Festival's Creative Vision Award in 2008 for "significant contributions to the arts." That same year, actor

Richard Jenkins Richard Dale Jenkins (born May 4, 1947) is an American actor. He is well known for his portrayal of deceased patriarch Nathaniel Fisher on the HBO funeral drama series ''Six Feet Under (TV series), Six Feet Under'' (2001–2005). He began his c ...

received the George M. Cohan Ambassador Award which honors "unique Americans who have made a timeless contribution to the arts and have inspired future generations of Rhode Islanders." In 2009, film composer

Klaus Badelt Klaus Badelt (born 12 June 1967) is a German composer, producer, and arranger of film scores. He is known for his collaborations with Hans Zimmer, helping to write scores for dozens of critically acclaimed films including '' The Thin Red Line'' ...

was awarded the Festival's Crystal Image Award for his contribution to the art of filmmaking. In 2010, the award went to children's author/filmmaker,

Sandra Boynton Sandra Keith Boynton (born April 3, 1953) is an American humorist, songwriter, director, music producer, children's author, and illustrator. Boynton has written and illustrated over eighty-five books for children and seven general audience books ...

. In 2011, the Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to actors

Paul Sorvino Paul Anthony Sorvino (, ; April 13, 1939 – July 25, 2022) was an American actor. He often portrayed authority figures on both the criminal and the law enforcement sides of the law. Sorvino was particularly known for his roles as Lucchese cri ...

and

Ken Howard Kenneth Joseph Howard Jr. (March 28, 1944 – March 23, 2016) was an American actor. He was known for his roles as Thomas Jefferson in ''1776'' (1972) and as high school basketball coach and former Chicago Bulls player Ken Reeves in the televisi ...

. In 2014, the Award was presented to actor/artist,

Theo Bikel Theodore Meir Bikel ( ; May 2, 1924 – July 21, 2015) was an Austrian-American actor, singer, musician, composer, unionist, and political activist. He made his stage debut in ''Tevye the Milkman'' in Mandatory Palestine, where he lived as a ...

. In 2017, the Award was renamed the Gilbert Stuart Artistic Vision Lifetime Achievement Award and presented to special effects creator,

Douglas Trumbull Douglas Hunt Trumbull (; April 8, 1942 – February 7, 2022) was an American film director and visual effects supervisor, who pioneered innovative methods in special effects. He created scenes for '' 2001: A Space Odyssey'', '' Close Encounter ...

. In 2018, the Award was presented to production designer, Joseph M. Alves. Sidebar events for the Festival include the KidsEye International Film Festival, the RI International Horror Film Festival, the Vortex Sci-Fi and Fantasy Film Festival, Cine ¡Ole! (Spanish Film Series), the Golden Jasmine Chinese Film Festival, the Roving Eye International Film Festival, the Annual Flickers' Japanese Film Festival, the Providence Underground Film Festival and the First Look Series. Educational programs include the KidsEye Summer Filmmaking Workshop (started in 1998), the Youth Film Jury, ScriptBiz, the Providence LGBTQ Film Festival, and the Rhode Island Film Forum. In 2010, the Flickers North Country Film Festival was introduced as a companion event to the annual RIIFF. The location for the Festival is in Coos County, New Hampshire. The principal location for exhibition is at the Balsams Grand Hotel Resort in Dixville Notch, New Hampshire. Programming took place in late September through early October. In 2011, the event moved to Brattleboro, Vermont and was held in collaboration with the Brattleboro Retreat. In 2010, the Festival introduced three new outreach programs that were designed to reach beyond the Rhode Island border: the 7DayPSA Competition and the New England Film Festival Alliance. In 2017, the Flickers introduced a new program geared to youngsters confined to hospitals called the Children's Hospital International Film Festival. In 2016, ''

Nobody Dies Here ''Nobody Dies Here'' (French: ''Ici, Personne Ne Meurt)'' is a 2016 French documentary short film directed by Simon Panay. The film has been presented as World Premiere to the 20th Rhode Island International Film Festival where it won the First Jury ...

'' won the First Jury Prize for Best Documentary. In 2022, the Festival's founder George T. Marshall died three months after the 40th annual edition of the Festival. The Festival is berthed at The Vets (formerly the VMA Arts & Cultural Center), a 1,900-seat facility located at One Avenue of the Arts in Providence and presents screenings throughout the state of Rhode Island during the year.

References

External links

Rhode Island International Film Festival
* {{IMDb event, 0026014 Film festivals in Rhode Island 1997 establishments in Rhode Island Film festivals established in 1997