FLICKERS’ RHODE ISLAND INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES ITS 2021 AWARD WINNERS
Diverse Group of 476 International Films Shine at Academy-Award Qualifying Festival
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(Providence, R.I. * Aug. 18, 2021) – Flickers’ Rhode Island International Film Festival (RIIFF) proudly announced the Award Winners for its 39th Anniversary Celebration of Flickers, on Sunday, August 15, 2021 . The Annual Awards Ceremony was held virtually on Zoom and Facebook Live, receiving 2,450 international views. This year’s Festival ran from Tuesday, August 9th through Sunday, August 15th. Due to the health directives and restrictions regarding social gatherings and COVID-19, the Festival was a hybrid event that included “live” screenings at area Drive-ins, outdoor venues and an online virtual platform. This year, the Festival was seen globally in over screening a record 476 films and garnered more than 47,000 views.
The Flickers’ Rhode Island International Film Festival (RIIFF), a major destination on the Festival circuit and recognized by the Academy as a Qualifying Festival in all short film categories, welcomes stellar filmmaking talents from all over the world to beautiful Providence, Rhode Island-one of America’s oldest and most beloved cities.
RIIFF embraces both filmmakers and screenwriters with the sort of warm-hearted spirit that fosters long-lasting friendships, sparks exciting creative projects, and inspires artists to return again and again. Last year, five films from the Festival received Oscar® nominations including, “Colette” by Anthony Giacchino and Alice Doyard, which won for Best Documentary Short. To date, the Festival has seen 76 Oscar® nominations and 13 wins sparked by its Academy Award qualifying status.
Along with double features at the Rustic and Misquamicut Drive-Ins, the Festival also screened outdoors at the Waterfire Arts Center, courtesy of Sony corporation, the Rooftop of the Providence G and “Dusk” in Providence, there were online webinars, industry workshops, special tributes, virtual coffee talks, filmmaker interviews, and post film screening Q&A’s, the 2021 Festival continued popular annual programs. These included the Scriptbiz Seminar, the Rhode Island Film Forum, interviews on the Festival’s weekly Rhode Island PBS series, “doubleFEATURE,” the Youth Film Jury, KidsEye Screenings and an online summer workshop, a Virtual Awards program and the announcement of this year’s Winifred Brownell Scholarship Fund Award winner.
This year’s Festival was dedicated to the memory of Gloria Andrade, mother of long-term Flickers’ Board member, Lawrence Andrade. A special celebration of her life took place during Flickers official Opening Night celebration on Tuesday, August 10, 2021 at the Rustic Tri-View Drive-In North Smithfield, RI.
According to George T. Marshall, Flickers Executive Director, “Gloria Andrade was a loyal and fervent supporter of the Festival. We felt it important to celebrate her contributions and call attention to someone who made this a better world for all of us. After the year plus of lockdowns due to COVID, we want to call attention to those we lost, acknowledge their loss and to most importantly celebrate their lives.”
Steven Feinberg, Executive Director of the Rhode Island Film & TV Office, said “Congratulations to the esteemed Rhode Island International Film Festival for their 39th successful run of the festival during these extremely challenging times in our world. They were able to be creative with virtual screenings and conversations as well as outdoor screening experiences. A heart-felt and warm congrats to executive director George T. Marshall, programmer Shawn Quirk, fellow producer Larry Andrade, tech champion Tim Haggerty, Board chair Michael Drywa, Esq, and the entire board, support team, interns, volunteers, students.
Director Feinberg continued, “You should all be extremely proud of your celebration of global films and a new wave of moviemakers from around the world. Thank you also for showcasing our beautiful “Ocean State” of Rhode Island. RIIFF is a treasure we should all cherish. Thank you again.”
This year’s interns came from across the country and worked tirelessly to make the event a reality. From overseeing filmmaker contacts, public relations and marketing to hosting Q&A’s, the Festival salutes these dedicated scholars: Interns at the Festival this summer include: Rachel Adler, Bryn Mawr College; John Austin Ashmead, Roger Williams University; Kelli Bertolina, New York University; Joseph Brown, Roger Williams University; Joshua Cooperman, Muhlenberg College; Layla Dozier , Bates College; Ryan Elin, Roger Williams University ; Kayla Ellis, Gettysburg College; Jake Ferrigno, University of Connecticut; Alice First, New York University; Sonic Fleming, Boston University; Jessie Garbeil, Clark University; Karl Heine. Cape Cod Community College; Amanda Margolis, Colgate University; Andrew McGowan, Bowdoin College; Isabella Nicdao-Walrath, New York University; Kelly Notine, Drew University; Audrey Orange , Brown University; Lourdes Tantas-Ortega, Rutgers University; Ava Provolo, Mount Holyoke College; Morris Pu, Vassar College; Max Silber, Boston University; Alisa Rabin, University of Connecticut; Josh Sklarin, Syracuse University; Ames Stevens, Vassar College; Abigail Sullivan, University of Massachusetts Amherst; Ryan M. Twomey, Providence College; Kyara Uchida, New York University; Gracie Vicente, Wheaton College; Gabrielle Wilson, Roger Williams University; Chen Xu, Wellesley College; and Sara Zakaria, University of Massachusetts Boston.
SPECIAL THANKS
“Our sincere appreciation and gratitude goes to Steven Feinberg, the Rhode Island Film & Television Office; Kristen Adamo at the Providence/Warwick CVB; Claire Collins at IMCS; Amir Tadmor, Cultural Affairs , Consulate General of Israel to New England; Nina Stack, The Champlin Foundation; Marie-Josee Duquette, Délégation du Québec à Boston; Tom Oyer, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Scirs8ences; Brian Egan, Channel 6; Ashley Erling, The Rhode Show; Daniel Schwartz, The Vets; Ed Mastriano, Cox Media; Barnaby Evans, Waterfire; Brendan Chipley Roane, Rooftop of the Providence G; Krissy Hersey and Melony Forcier, Rustic Tri-View Drive In; Dr. J. Scott Oberacker, Johnson and Wales University; Fr. Kenneth Gumbert, Providence College ; Todd Trebour, RISCA; short film distributors, Andrew Lund, Hunter CUNY College; Katie McCullough and Ian Bignell , Festival Formula; writer, Chris Sparling; director, Eric Latek; writer/director, Patricia Chica; actor Michael Grando and legendary actress, Marlyn Mason, and Final Draft, we hit a home run this year, further raising the bar for the future and next year’s edition of the Festival,” said George T. Marshall, Flickers’ Executive Director.
“This year, we received an incredible number of inspiring and thought-provoking international films. Despite all the ongoing challenges facing artists in today’s film industry, films continued to be produced and submitted. We are both humbled and in awe of the sheer talent that is currently on the global stage. Filmmakers from around the world with unique and inspiring artistic voices were championed this past week as we showcased their exceptional work and featured them in Q&A’s and industry panel discussions. We are truly witnessing a global Renaissance in the cinematic arts that is taking place regardless of our current limitations from COVID-19. It is a distinct honor to be able to share these groundbreaking films with our global audiences as we navigate these redefining times,” added Shawn Quirk, RIIFF’s Program Director.
Flickers is a 501(c)(3) non-profit arts organization that supports and promotes the film arts in Rhode Island and throughout New England. Over the past two decades, its production, the Rhode Island International Film Festival, has screened 6,268 independent films and videos out of 81,625 entries, presented 1,504 World/North American premieres, featured over 1,300 entries that were locally produced, and hosted 4,243 filmmakers and crew. Since its inception, over 547,000 film lovers have enjoyed the Rhode Island International Film Festival and its programming, not including those in New England watching its weekly broadcast and cable programming series, doubleFEATURE, now entering its sixth season.