FLICKERS: Rhode Island's Film Fest

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Parent Category: Film Festivals
Category: Previews
Published on Saturday, 06 August 2011 05:00
Written by L E Shannon

flickers-poster-tooThe 15th annual FLICKERS: Rhode Island International Film Festival (RIIFF) screens August 9 - 14, 2011 at The Vets, the Paff Theatre and Metcalf Auditorium Chace Center in Providence, Rhode Island.

Founded in 1997, FLICKERS: Rhode Island International Film Festival is dedicated to the creation of opportunities for "artistic interaction and exchange among independent filmmakers, directors, producers, distributors, backers and the film-going community". It is a safe haven for all independent filmmakers -- a place where they can hide from all the overblown CGI effects and high concept reinterpretations of classic films." It accepts films of any type, in any genre.

RIIFF is the largest public film festival in New England, as well as New England’s only Academy Award-qualifying film festival. It is also ranked as one of the top 12 U.S. film festivals. This year, RIIFF received a record 4,537 submissions from filmmakers representing more than 60 countries.

The Opening Night Celebration presents a selection of short film premieres from around the world. Screenings include:

This year‛s recipient of RIIFF’s Lifetime Achievement Award is veteran actor Paul Sorvino.

RIIFF is presenting the woflickers-cowsillsrld premiere screening of Family Band: The Cowsills Story, directed by Louise Palanker and Ian Broyle. The feature-length documentary chronicles the career of Newport, R.I.’s own world-famous singing family band, who rose to international fame in the 1960s and inspired the popular television show The Partridge Family.

Following the screening, the Cowsills family will be giving a reunion concert marking the first time the family has performed together in many years.

The North American premiere of Bob Marley: The Making of a Legend, is being screendd. The documentary film is comprised of rare "lost footage" of Bob Marley, shown for the first time in 30 years.

RIIFF is holding a special outdoor screening of the feature documentary Everyday Sunshine: The Story of Fishbone, directed by Chris Metzler and Lev Anderson.

Following the screening, local folk rock band The Mighty Good Boys will be performing.

Other documentaries include:flickers-atomic-mom

Atomic Mom
dir. M.T. Silvia
This award-winning film explores a complex mother-daughter relationship within an obscure -- but important -- moment in American history. "As the only female scientist present during atomic detonations in the Nevada desert, Pauline Silvia, the filmmaker’s mother, undergoes a crisis of conscience. After a long silence and prompted by her daughter, she finally reveals grim secrets of working in the U.S. atomic testing program."

Incident in New Baghdad
dir. James Spione
During one of the most chaotic and deadly periods of the Iraq War, two Iraqi journalists, along with at least eight other mostly unarmed individuals, died violently on the streets of Baghdad in July 2007. When the driver of a passing van attempted to come to the aid of the mortally wounded journalist, a second helicopter attack destroyed the van and killed several more people, wounding two small children. This film examines what happened that day from the first-hand perspective of an American infantryman whose life was profoundly changed by his experiences on the scene. U.S. Army Specialist Ethan McCord bore witness to the devastating carnage, found and rescued the two children caught in the crossfire, and soon turned against the war that he had enthusiastically joined only months before.

Sun City Picture House
dir. David Darg
Raphael Louigene loves movies. Raphael has dreamed of building the first movie theater since the devastating earthquake of January 2010 in Haiti. With the help of the community, Raphael and his friends rally together and work through a tropical storm and into the night to try and build the theater in four days. This is a joyful and moving story of a community torn apart by disaster then united through a common love for movies.

Some of the narrative features being screened are:

Losing Controlflickers-losing-control
dir. Valerie Weiss
starring Kathleen Robertson, Lin Shaye, Miranda Kent, John Billingsley
The romantic comedy about a female scientist who wants proof that her boyfriend is "the one" before she can accept his marriage proposal.

Fort McCoy
dir. Kate Connor, Michael Worth
starring Eric Stoltz, Kate Connor, Camryn Manheim
"During WWII, Frank Stirn and his family relocate to serve at a POW camp in Wisconsin. Unconventional relationships are made and barriers are crossed as the tight-knit Stirn family adjusts to life on the base while living so close to the enemy."

Montana Amazon - The Adventures of Dunderheads
dir. D.G. Brock
starring Olympia Dukakis, Haley Joel Osment, Alison Brie
"The Dunderheads are an eccentric Montana family who've been in the mountains for far too long. Now one step ahead of the law, matriarch Grandma Ira flees to Canada with her two wildly dysfunctional teenage grand kids, across the American West into a comic collision with the mainstream world."

Walk a Mile in My Pradas
dir. Joey Sylvester
starring Tom Arnold, Nathaniel Marston, Dee Wallace, Mike Starr
A little Christmas magic causes two coworkers with contrasting lifestyles to switch sexual orientations.

RIIFF will also be screening seven Academy Award-nominated and winning short films directed by students, including:flickers-fort-mccoy

For the first time, RIIFF presents the Secret Cinema. "Anyone can buy passes, but the main film title are not disclosed until participants are firmly in their seats. Plus, everyone has to sign an Oath of Secrecy. RIIFF is confident that this is one "secret society" you will want to join.

RIIFF also presents the 12th annual Providence Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender (GLBT) Film Festival, a cinematic sidebar of the main festival. The GLBT Film Festival features compelling dramas, comedies and documentaries centered around the GLBT community. Funded in part by a grant from The Rhode Island Foundation’s Equity Action fund, the GLBT Film Festival kicks off with an opening night filmmaker reception. Some standout films include:

The KidsEye™ International Film Festival provides a chance for young filmmakers around the world to get an inside look at the filmmaking industry. This year’s program opens with a premiere work by noted children’s author Sandra Boynton.

ScriptBiz.11 is a one-day workshop providing aspiring talents with insight into what it takes to become a scriptwriter. Lessons include how to embark on the creative writing process and tips on ways to promote a screenplay to filmmakers. Attendees can choose from an introductory or advanced level program. This year’s topic is There's More Than the Written Page and is geared toward promoting oneself as a writer, finding producers, and networking to success.

For more information, go to www.RIFilmFest.org or www.film-festival.org.

FLICKERS: Rhode Island International Film Festival
August 9 - 14, 2011

The Vets
1 Avenue of the Arts
Providence, R.I.
401-621-9660

Paff Theatre
University of Rhode Island
Feinstein Providence Campus
80 Washington St.
Providence, R.I.
401-277-5000

Metcalf Auditorium Chace Center
Rhode Island School of Design Museum
20 North Main St.
Providence, R.I.