CELEBRATING FLICKERS 40TH ANNIVERSARY, RI INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL RETURNS AUGUST 8-14

RHODE ISLAND, August 11 - Celebrating Flickers 40th Anniversary, the Rhode Island International Film Festival (RIIFF) discovers and empowers filmmakers and creative artists and will be held in Providence, Woonsocket, and other locations throughout the state of Rhode Island. Ranked as one of the top Festivals in the United States and is a major destination on the Festival circuit. RIIFF is a qualifying festival for the Live Action, Documentary and Animation Short Film Academy Awards through its affiliation with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences. It is also a BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television Arts) and Canadian Screen Awards (Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television)-qualifying Festival. There are only 10 film festivals worldwide that share this distinction.

In the course of its history as an Academy Award qualifying Festival, Flickers has charted 82 Oscar® nominations and 14 wins from its pool of premiere films. It is little wonder that Chris Gore's Ultimate Film Festival Survival Guide praises RIIFF as "the kind of intimate festival experience that will change your life." This year's ticketing rates will remain the same as 2019, with no increases.

According to George T. Marshall, Flickers Executive Director and Festival Founder, "This is our first year since 2020 that we are expanding our hybrid model for the Festival with more in-person programming and screenings. We could not be more excited than to be able to welcome our audiences' home to the movies. It is long overdue.

"The movies hold a special place in the hearts of millions of people across the globe. As noted in Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Sunset Boulevard," movies 'taught the world new ways to dream.' It is time that we started dreaming again together."

Steven Feinberg, Executive Director of the Rhode Island Film & Television Office said, "My favorite week of the year has finally arrived. We salute Flickers and the prestigious Rhode Island International Film Festival for celebrating 40 exciting years of excellence. Five films from last year's Festival went on to be nominated for the elusive Academy Award – including the award-winning, 'The Long Goodbye.' What an amazing journey!"

RIIFF incorporates gala celebrations, premiere screenings, VIP guests, industry seminars, educational programs, cultural outreach, music, architecture, history, a special HP Lovecraft Walking Tour, Filmmaker Conversations with Q&A's plus award ceremonies that is woven into a weeklong extravaganza designed for all who love the world of cinema. This year's Festival will be screening in-person and online a total of 349 films curated from a record entry-base of 7,047 titles.

Some of the highlights from this year's Festival include the feature narrative and documentary films: "Jimmy and Carolyn" Directed by: James Andrew Walsh, United States; "Brothers (Bratya)" Directed by: Darkhan Tulegenov, Kazakhstan; "The Country Club" Directed by: Fiona Robert, United States: "No Time To Fail" Directed by: Sara Archambault, Margo Guernsey, United States; "COVID CENTURY – The Pandemic Preparedness Dilemma" Directed by: Michael Wech Germany; "Dealing With Dad" Directed by: Tom Huang, United States; "Fragile" Directed by: Emma Benestan, France; "Killing the eunuch KHAN" Directed by: Abed Abest, Iran; "Lamya's Poem" Directed by: Alex Kronemer, United States; "ME WE" Directed by: David Clay Diaz, Austria; "Oh, it Hertz!" Directed by: Gunnar Hall Jensen, Norway, Sweden; "Omar Sosa's 88 Well-Tuned Drums" Directed by: Soren Sorensen, United States; "Róise agus Frank" Directed by: Rachael Moriarty, Peter Murphy, Ireland; "A Stage of Twilight" Directed by: Sarah T. Schwab, United States with Karen Allen and William Sadler; "Two Eyes" Directed by: Travis Fine, United States; and "Unidentified Objects" Directed by: Juan Felipe Zuleta, United States. (descriptions can be found for many of these titles below)

Cited as one of the "Best International and Short Film Festivals in the United States," RIIFF 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. The Festival is also New England's largest film festival, screening a record 300 films each year. During the COVID-19 pandemic, RIIFF was one of the few festivals that continued to present its program in 2020 and 2021, through a hybrid model of in-person and online presentations. The online component alone in 2021 had 52,947 views.

RIIFF offers countless networking opportunities that advance and enhance careers and creates a supportive and encouraging environment for the most inquisitive creators and lovers of film. Its innovative programming cultivated industry ties, and loyal audiences have made the Festival a strategic and desirable platform for international film premieres, drawing hundreds of independent filmmakers from around the globe. RIIFF is widely recognized as a credentialed industry-friendly launch pad for the work of exceptional emerging talent. This confluence of art and commerce brings together world-class celebrities, award-winning filmmakers, new talent, and audience members each year.