2008 Background & Mission Statement

"Celebrating 25 Years of the Flickers Arts Collaborative"

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"One of the top 10 Short Film Festivals and Top 10 International Film Festivals in the United States. The RIIFF provides the kind of intimate festival experience that will change your life. Don’t miss it. "

- Chris Gore, author of The Ultimate Film Festival Survival Guide, 2nd edition (December 2004)

Now in its twelfth year, the Rhode Island International Film Festival™, (RIIFF) will take place August 5-10, 2008. In its brief life span, the Festival has become a leading juried competition showcase for international independent filmmakers and their work. In 2007, RIIFF screened 320 titles in six days to large and appreciative crowds. The Festival had 5 sell-outs and is recognized within the industry as the largest festival in New England.

Festival Facts at a Glance:

• 2007 Fact Sheet

• 2006 Fact Sheet

• 2005 Fact Sheet

• 2004 Fact Sheet

What sets RIIFF apart is that the Festival is one of only five broadly focused, independent festivals in New England accepting works of any type (dramatic, documentary, experimental, animation), on any subject matter, and in any genre. In 2002, RIIFF was notified by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) that it had elected to recognize the Rhode Island International Film Festival as a qualifying festival for the Short Films category for the Annual Academy Awards. With more than 6,000 film festivals worldwide, only 61 have this recognition.

RIIFF offers an artistic exchange as well as opportunities for the global creative community that are not available in the established entertainment industry. It is designed to foster contact among film directors, producers, distributors, backers and audiences. Filmmakers will have an opportunity to share new film product, test-market films in development, and share the film-making process with industry peers, students, and the general public.

The Festival's goal is to recognize achievement and innovation in a variety of filmmaking and storytelling disciplines while providing an opportunity to secure wider distribution. The Festival also actively supports and encourages film preservation and its restoration, thus ensuring future generations of this unique artistic medium.

Thanks to the strong and visionary support of its lead sponsors such as Sony, Clear Channel, Amtrak, WJAR NBC 10, Rule Broadcast Systems, Motif, The University of Rhode Island College of Arts & Sciences, The Film Media Program, and the URI Feinstein College of Continuing Education, Roger Williams University, Radio Disney, The City of Providence, the Providence Tourism Council and the Providence Department of Arts, Culture and Tourism, the Festival has been able to expand its offerings and include a broad range of film-related programming such as KidsEye™; a highly respected international Screenwriting competition; a Master Class on Filmmaking (Take 1-2-3: Filmmaking with the Pros), the Rhode Island Film Forum; and the late afternoon forums, "Between Takes." (Our "Positive Lifestyle Award" has become a significant and important filmmaking award for the Festival. The winner in 2000 was the acclaimed documentary Amargosa; and in 2001, To Ease the Loss and Gregor's Greatest Invention -- which was nominated for an Academy Award.)

The Rhode Island International Film Festival, takes place in the historic cities of Newport and Providence as well as satellite locations throughout the state. RIIFF is the only festival in the US that is a statewide event. The dynamic nature of Rhode Island offers excellent screening facilities, strong community support, and unlimited growth potential.

Perhaps, one of the most unique elements of the Festival comes from its geographic location and cultural-heritage linkages. The proximity of Rhode Island to Canada and the state's large French-Canadian population has led the Festival to establish as one of its chief aims the encouragement an artistic exchange between filmmakers from the New England region and the Canadian provinces. This was clearly realized in 2007 with the entry of 151 films from Canada, representing seven Provinces. Tourisme Quebec has been one of the Festival's major sponsors and has helped to nurture the Festival's Canadian outreach.

The presence of Brown University, Rhode Island School of Design, the University of Rhode Island, Rhode Island College, Roger Williams University, Johnson & Wales University, Bryant University, Providence College, other institutions of higher education, and Rhode Island's proximity to New York and Boston, give the Festival a film-literate audience, and provide an ideal forum for filmmakers to show their work in a high-visibility environment. The recent growth in film and television production (Disney's "Underdog," Showtime's "The Brotherhood," Disney's "Dan in Real Life" etc.) have given the state international prominence.The continuing revitalization of the capital city of Providence has brought access to excellent dining, recreation and arts experiences. In the November 2000 edition, Money magazine selected Providence as the top city to live in on the East Coast. The size of the state is a chief asset since, within an hour's drive, you can experience first-class beaches, inland lakes, or protected woodlands.

The Rhode Island International Film Festival, represents an ideal opportunity to test-market new film product in an area with demographics that represent a microcosm of the film going public: a unique mix of cultural,ethnic and educational backgrounds exist in a relatively concentrated area.

The Rhode Island International Film Festival, now in its eleventh year, is created and produced by the 25 year-old Flickers Arts Collaborative. Rhode Island Governor Donald Carceiri is the Honorary Co-Chairman along with Providence Mayor David Cicilline and US Senator Jack Reed. WJAR-TV 10, an NBC affiliate, is the Official Television Sponsor. Final Draft is the official software of the Festival. Michael Drywa, Esq. is the RIIFF Board President.

25 Years of Arts and Educational Programming: Organizational Background
Flickers began life in 1982 as "The Newport Film Society." Its first film screenings officially took place in January 1983 at the historic Van Alen Casino Theatre in Newport, R.I. During its first five years exhibiting film, Flickers screened more than 475 titles, of which many were state and regional premieres.

Encouraging the celebration of film as an important part of our culture, the Society sponsored specialized film series, lectures and forums. For example: Cheslaw Kyanka, founder of the Polish Solidarity Union, spoke at a society screening of "Man of Iron"; Newport's first International Film Festival took place through Flickers in 1983; and the Society presented the first R.I. Japanese Film Festival in 1984.

Festival Structure
The structure for this year's Festival will include multiple screenings of both film and video over a six-day period. Filmmakers will be available for discussion and commentary at an Opening Night Gala Reception, Awards Luncheon, A Conversation With..., Closing Night Gala, film forums, master classes and colloquia. The Festival is preceded by ScriptBiz™, a hands-on screenplay pitch seminar (early August 2008) and the KidsEye™ Summer Camp (July 7-11, 2008).

Filmmakers may enter their films either in competition or out of competition. Films in competition will be judged by a jury of distinguished industry professionals. Whether in or out of competition, all films will be eligible for the Viola M. Marshall Audience Choice Awards.