PARTICIPATE IN THE 12TH ANNUAL
RHODE ISLAND INTERNATIONAL

FILM FESTIVAL • August 5-10, 2008

Celebrating the 25th Anniversary of the Flickers Arts Collaborative

2008 RIIFF Call for Entries

is now open... apply today!

Our main deadline is May 15th.

The Rhode Island International Film Festival is a founding partner of The International Film Festival Submission System (BrigitFest) – on the Web at Withoutabox.com and prefers paperless entries. Withoutabox provides cost-saving, online entry to major film festivals throughout the U.S. and in Europe with one master entry form, allowing you and us to enter your film more quickly and with greater accuracy. This method is free and easy. Withoutabox users enjoy the advantages of Extended Deadlines and Online Press Kit submissions and filmmakers with an upgraded project on Withoutabox receive $5.00 off their Entry Fees.

• RIIFF 2008 Downloadable Application Form • Learn More About Our Call for Entries

The Rhode Island International Film Festival™ for independent film and video, is calling for entries to its 12th Annual Festival. The Festival will take place August 5-10, 2008 in the capital city, Providence and throughout scenic Rhode Island. Of special note is that the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has 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 3,000 film festivals worldwide, only 61 have this recognition.

The Festival is accepting shorts as well as feature-length films and videos. Films and videos must have been produced after 2005. The Rhode Island International Film Festival accepts work of any type (dramatic, documentary, experimental, animation), on any subject matter, and in any genre. 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, peers and film fans. Whether in or out of competition, all films will be eligible for Audience Fest Favorites awards (The Viola M. Marshall Awards).

The Festival 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.

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.

Due to its unique geographic location and cultural-heritage linkages, one of the chief aims of the Festival is the encouragement of an artistic exchange between filmmakers from the New England region and the Canadian provinces. The Canadian sidebar goes back to the first year of RIIFF and has long played a significant role in programming.

The presence of Brown University, Rhode Island School of Design, the University of Rhode Island, Rhode Island College, Providence College, Bryant University, Johnson & Wales University, Roger Williams University and 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 Rhode Island International Film Festival represents an ideal opportunity to test-market new product in an area with demographics that represent a microcosm of the filmgoing 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 12th year, is created and produced by the Flickers Arts Collaborative.

Festival Chairs are Rhode Island Governor Donald Carcieri, Mayor David Cicilline of Providence and US Senator Jack Reed. Michael Drywa, Esq. is the Festival Board President.

FESTIVAL FACTS AT A GLANCE (the backstory from 2007)

Downtown Providence was again invaded August 7-12, 2007 as filmmakers and audiences arrived to take part in the 11th Annual Rhode Island International Film Festival. Two hundred thirty six filmmakers from around the world came to exhibit their films, meet with distributors and compete for the Festivals top prizes. Throughout the week, lines went around the block at the Columbus Theatre for what would be part of a series of five sell-out performances. A total of 320 films were screened with 125 World Premieres and 36 North American and US premieres.

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, RI 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 RI Japanese Film Festival in 1984.

Festival Structure
The structure for the 2008 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, Closing Night Gala, A Conversation with.., the RI Film Forum, master classes and colloquia. The Festival activities actually begin in early July with a five day kids filmmaking summer camp (now in year 9) called KidsEye™ for ages 8-15; then continues in early August with Take 1-2-3: Filmmaking with the Pros, a hands-on Film Production Master Class; ScriptBiz™ a screenplay pitch forum; then a special screenwriting competition follows with a public reading.

• Downloadable RIIFF 2008 Application Form

If you have problems downloading or accessing any of this information and would like a hard copy of our Guidelines for Submission and an entry form please call, write, or e-mail:

Rhode Island International Film Festival™

P.O. Box 162
Newport, Rhode Island 02840 (United States)
Street Address: 96 Second Street, Newport, RI 02840
Tel/Fax: (401) 861-4445 / 490-6735
info@film-festival.org

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