2020 FLICKERS' VORTEX SCI-FI, FANTASY &
HORROR FILM FESTIVAL

ANNOUNCES THE WINNERS FOR THE 21st ANNUAL EVENT

70 films from across the globe vied for adjudicated genre awards

• READ THE AWARDS NEWS RELEASE

PROVIDENCE, RI –A phantasmagoric symphony of international genre films were given there due with the wrap of the 21st Annual Flickers’ Vortex Sci-Fi, Fantasy, and Horror Film Festival through adjudicated awards.

The Festival celebrated and showcased imagination and creativity in filmmaking and included eight (8) World and U.S. Premieres. In all, 70 films were selected from over 3,000 genre submissions, representing 15 countries. This year’s Festival was planned, developed and curated by Shawn Drywa, Vortex Program Director and creator of the annual genre Festival with Shawn Quirk, RIIFF Program Director.

THE 2020 Vortex Festival was a hybrid event with programming appearing online and select screenings held at the Rustic Drive-in. Webinars, industry workshops, forums, the popular Lovecraft Walking Tour, special tributes, virtual coffee talks, filmmaker interviews, post film screening Q&A’s, the 2020 Festival wcontinued popular annual programs “Virtually,” including a special episode of the Flickers’ series “doubleFEATURE” that aired on RI PBS.

With the popularity of HBO’s “Lovecraft Country,” the seasonal return of the H.P. Lovecraft Walking Tour could not have been timelier. The Tour, presented in collaboration with the Rhode Island Historical Society took place over four days during the Festival and followed Rhode Island Department of Health and CDC guidelines for safety. Attendees maintained social distancing from their guide during the tour, as well as wore masks while on the street and in public.

Double-bill screenings at the Rustic Drive-In, 195 Eddie Dowling Hwy, North Smithfield, RI, took place during the week of October 19-24, 2020.

This year’s programming was curated by Shawn Drywa, who created the Vortex Festival 21- years ago while a student at Rhode Island College and a Flickers’ intern. He partnered with Shawn Quirk, RIIFF’s Program Director for the main Festival in creating this year’s hybrid event.

"We had a wonderfully diverse list of entries and events for this year's festival. Everything from traditional horror and horror comedy to thought provoking science fiction and animation. Our Drive- In program at the Rustic was unique, entertaining and memorable -- we also had great weather.

“Plus, we had some great panelists, a virtual awards ceremony and closing night "quarantini" party. We truly had something for everyone which offered broad appeal on our new virtual entertainment reality," noted Drywa.

Most events were free to the general public except the Lovecraft Walking Tour and the screenings at the Rustic Drive In, which were $20 per carload.

Winners of the 2020 Festival Awards:

BEST DIRECTOR:

GRAND PRIZE:

“Hungry Joe,” Paul Nicholas Holbrook & Sam Dawe, Directors | United Kingdom, 2019

BEST FANTASY SHORT FILM:

GRAND PRIZE:

“The Haunted Swordsman” | Directed by: Kevin McTurk | United States, 2019

 

FIRST PRIZE:

“Girl and Robot” | Directed by: Joe Loftus | Ireland, 2020

BEST HORROR SHORT FILM:

GRAND PRIZE:

“Hungry Joe” | Directed by: Paul Nicholas Holbrook & Sam Dawe | United
Kingdom, 2019

 

FIRST PRIZE:

“Limbo” | Directed by: Daniel Viqueira Carballal | Spain, 2019

 

Tied with:

"Ten Shots" | Directed by: Gordon Shoemaker | USA, 2020

BEST SCI-FI SHORT FILM:

GRAND PRIZE:

“Instant Doctor” | Directed by: Youth & Diogo Gameiro | Brazil, 2020

FIRST PRIZE:

“APPyness” | Directed by: Ryan Turner | United States, 2019

 

Tied with:
“Zwart” | Directed by: Tommie Geraedts | Netherlands, 2019

BEST ANIMATED SHORT FILM:

GRAND PRIZE:

“Abe's Story” | Directed by: Adam H Stewart | Ireland, 2019

FIRST PRIZE:

“One Last Monster” | Directed by: Gene Kim | United States, 2019

 

Tied with:
“Delivery” | Directed by: Kenna Hornibrook | United States, 2020

BEST FEATURE HORROR FILM:

GRAND PRIZE:

“The Unfamiliar” | Directed by: Directed by: Henk Pretorius | United Kingdom,
2019

FIRST PRIZE:

“Death Drop Gorgeous” | Directed by: Michael J Ahern, Christopher Dalpe &
Brandon Perras-Sanchez | United States, 2020

BEST SCREENPLAY

GRAND PRIZE:

"Carmentis," Directed by: Antony Webb | Australia, 2020

FIRST PRIZE:

"Odd Girl," Directed by: Rami Kahlon | Canada, 2019

DIRECTORIAL DISCOVERY AWARD:

Tiago Teixeira, Director, “Dog Skin” | United Kingdom, 2019

H.P. LOVECRAFT AWARD:

“IMAGO” | Directed by: Remy Blaser | Switzerland, 2019

This year’s Vortex programming is sponsored by the Flickers' Rhode Island International Film Festival Rhode Island Film & Television Office, The Providence Tourism Council, ACT/Providence, Cox Media, WLNE ABC6, Eurochannel, RISCA, WSBE RI PBS, Narragansett Brewing Company, , the RI Historical Society, the RWU School of Humanities, Arts and Education, and the RWU Department of Communication, Graphic Design and Web Development.

The next edition of the Flickers' Vortex Sci-Fi, Fantasy & Horror Festival will take place October 16-24, 2021.

__________________

Sponsors for 2020:

The Department of Theatre, Dance, and Film at Providence College.

Johnson & Wales College of

Arts & Sciences

©2020 Rhode Island International Film Festival®. All Rights Reserved.