Filmmaker Christine Vachon to receive first ever "Roger Williams Independent Voice Award" at this Year’s Festival

The Rhode Island International Film Festival™ (RIIFF) is pleased to announce that leading independent film producer and Brown University graduate Christine Vachon is the first recipient of the Roger Williams Independent Voice Award. The award will be presented at RIIFF’s Opening Night Gala, Tuesday, August 7th. The location for the Gala is the Providence Performing Arts Center (PPAC) 220 Westminster Street, in Rhode Island’s capital city.

The Roger Williams Independent Voice Award is presented semi-annually to an outstanding artist whose vision promotes tolerance, compassion and understanding. Named after the founder of Rhode Island, Roger Williams, who established an American tradition of religious freedom and individual liberty that was encoded in The Bill of Rights. This award honors a truly unique American whose ethics, philosophy and conscience reflects that of Roger Williams, who provided a refuge from rampant religious persecution, an open door to all people; a safe harbor in a vast sea of tyranny and oppression

“Throughout her enduring career, Ms. Vachon has brought a unique and independent voice to the film industry through a vast body of work that reflects the values associated with our state’s founder, Roger Williams and celebrated with this award,” said RIIFF Executive Director, George T. Marshall.

As head of the New York-based production company, Killer Films, Christine Vachon has produced over 30 films that include “Boys Don’t Cry,” “Far from Heaven,” “One Hour Photo” and “Happiness.”
Vachon is known as a producer who is passionately loyal to the vision of worthwhile films. She has asserted that in order to realize a film’s artistic possibilities there must be an understanding of the social and political realities of the times.

She is also the author of two books about the Indie film industry. Published in 2006, in the book “A Killer Life: How and Independent Film Producer Survives Deals and Disasters in Hollywood and Beyond,” Vachon has written that she wants to produce films that challenge the viewer and approach a story from an unexpected place.

The book is a follow-up to Vachon’s best-selling first book, “Shooting to Kill.”

In its 11th year, the Rhode Island International Film Festival 2007 takes place Aug. 7-12.  Aiming to promote Rhode Island as a filmmaking location and to celebrate the independent filmmaking spirit, RIIFF also hosts a number of high-profile premières and provides a showcase for international features, documentaries, and shorts.

Ranked as a one of the Top 12 Film Festivals in the United States, this world-class festival will be held in venues in Providence and around the state. It features screenings, filmmaking workshops, industry events and seminars.

The Rhode Island International Film Festival is supported in part by the City of Providence, the Providence Tourism Council, the Providence Department of Arts, Culture & Tourism, WJAR TV10, Motif magazine, Clear Channel Communications, Sony, SAG/INDIE, the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts, Amtrak, Rule Broadcast Systems, support from URI's College of Arts and Sciences, URI's Feinstein College of Continuing Education, and the URI Film Media Programand contributions from members and community supporters.

The Flickers Arts Collaborative, an organization with 25 years of experience presenting major artistic events as well as independent and foreign films to the public, produces the Rhode Island International Film Festival.

Advance ticket sales for screenings and special events are available through the RIIFF website (www.RIFilmFest.org). Student, group, and senior discounts are also available but only in advance. To purchase tickets or obtain more information about any aspect of RIIFF, call 401-861-4445; or write RIIFF, 268 Broadway, Providence, RI 02903; email info@film-festival.org.

Event Location:

Providence Performing Arts Center
220 Weybosset Street, Providence, RI 02903
401.421.2997
3,300 capacity, www.ppacri.org

Map It: See list of films