The Rhode Island International Film Festival, now in its 13th year, has secured its place in the global community as the portal for the best in international independent cinema; earning the respect of domestic and foreign filmmakers, filmgoers and trend watchers. This confluence of art and commerce brought together world-class celebrities, award-winning filmmakers, new talent and audience members in record numbers last year. With the ongoing support of the City of Providence along with corporate and community partners, the Rhode Island International Film Festival is now the largest film festival in New England. Ranked as one of the top 12 Festivals in the United States, RIIFF is also a qualifying festival for the Short Film Academy Award through its affiliation with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences. It is the only festival in New England with this accolade.

The Festival takes place August 4-9, 2009.

Description:
What also sets it apart is that the Festival is one of only four 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 7,000 film festivals worldwide, only 62 have this recognition. RIIFF is also the only film festival in the United States to have an affiliation with the Grammy Awards.

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, HB Communications, CVS, 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, Hasbro, 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), and the late morning forums, Between Takes. (Our "Positive Lifestyle Award" has become a significant and important filmmaking award for the Festival.

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 2008 with the entry of 186 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," CBS's "Waterfront," 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. 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 13th year, is created and produced by the 25 year-old Flickers Arts Collaborative. Providence Mayor David Cicilline and US Congressman James Langevin are Honorary Chairs. WJAR-TV 10, an NBC affiliate, is the Official Television Sponsor and Clear Channel Communications, the Official Radio Sponsor. Final Draft is the official software of the Festival. The Providence Phoenix is the Official Newspaper sponsor. Michael Drywa, Esq. is the RIIFF Board President.

History:
Flickers originated as the Newport Film Society (NFS) in 1982, and its first public film screenings officially took place in January 1983 at the historic Van Alen Casino Theatre in Newport. The Society took off quickly and within a year had over 375 community members. By 1987, more than 475 films were screened in Newport, many of which were state and regional premieres. Encouraging the celebration of film as an important part of our culture, Flickers sponsored specialized film series, lectures and forums including a memorable presentation by Cheslaw Kyanka, founder of the Polish Solidarity Union, who spoke at a NFS screening of Man of Iron. The first International Film Festival in Newport in 1983, and the group presented the first Rhode Island Japanese Film Festival in 1984. This event ran for over seven consecutive years and was re-introduced in 2001 as part of the annual Blacks Ship Festival in Newport.

Today, the Flickers Arts Collaborative acts as a catalyst for cooperative activity in order to bring innovative arts programming of the highest quality to the diverse communities of Rhode Island. Flickers is dedicated to the union of art forms via live performance and multimedia productions. In addition to producing the Rhode Island International Film Festival, Flickers also organizes and presents the Jamestown Chamber Music Series, events for Christmas in Newport, the award-winning, Jubile Franco-Americain in Northern Rhode Island, the Providence Film Festival- a two-day Festival-Within-A-Festival, showcasing local and regional filmmakers, the Providence Gay & Lesbian Film Festival, the KidsEye International Film Festival (films by and for kids) and KidsEye Summer Filmmaking Camp (a week-long hands-on filmmaking camp, now in its eighth year), the RIIFF Horror Film Festival, Cinema Rhode Island (statewide programming at various locations which allow other non-profits to raise funds and show the best of past RIIFF programming), Take 1-2-3: Filmmaking with the Pros (a professional-level master class which annual features visiting guest directors); and the Creative Impulse Awards (celebrating the best in marketing and talent throughout the region). Flickers is active in the production of video and film pieces about the arts for public, broadcast and local cable-access television; arts promotion and advocacy, and marketing. The organization is currently creating two prototypes for National Public Radio and designing the multi-media components for a new exhibit under the banner of the RI Historical Society and the Museum of Work and Culture in Woonsocket.

Flickers believes that working collaboratively maximizes the impact of always limited dollars in the arts and therefore works to create an inclusive, interactive working environment that excites the participation of other artists, other non-profit organizations and the community at large. Flickers has always refrained from imposing its artistic preconceptions on collaborators, but instead works with the community members to assess needs, gather input and raise support for artist endeavors. The result is greater participation, creativity and more ownership of events by the community. It also places the work of artists front and center in any given community as can be witnessed by the impact of the Jubile Franco-American in the Blackstone Valley.

Contact people:

George Marshall, Executive Director, 401-861-4445, (email) Adam Short, Producing Director, (401) 861-4445, (email) Demetria Carr, Associate Producing Director, (401) 861-4445, (email)

Address:

268 Broadway Providence, RI 02903 (See a map)

Directions:

Traveling from Boston: Take 95 South to Exit 21 (Atwells Ave.). Follow Service Road No. 8, two sets of lights. Take a right onto Broadway. Theatre is on the left, roughly 5 blocks down. Traveling from New York: Take 95 North to Exit. . . (more)

Miscellaneous Information

Handicap accessible?
	Yes
Interests Served:
	Solutions for Children, Youth, Families, Helping People in Crisis, Building Adult & Neighborhood Independence
Does your agency accept court-appointed volunteers?
	No
What type of organization
	Nonprofit 501(c)(3)