16th Annual
October 19-25, 2015 www.rifilmfest.org
Table of Contents
3. About the Rhode Island International Film Festival 7. Welcome from Providence Mayor Jorge Elorzo
RHODE ISLAND INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL | TABLE OF CONTENTS
11. Letter from the Executive Director 12-13. 2015 Festival Dedication: Barbara Meek 17. Sponsors 19. 2015 Film Guide 53. 2015 Vortex News Release
New England’s Premiere Showcase for Independent Film For well over a decade, the Flickers: Rhode Island International Film Festival has brought the vibrant world of international and independent cinema to Rhode Island. Starting life as a small arts and culture festival in Rhode Island’s Blackstone Valley, RIIFF has grown over the years into the largest film festival in New England, and one of the country’s premiere showcases for independent film. This year, 265 films, culled from a record 5,700 submissions, screened in venues throughout the state. And as a first-stop destination for filmmakers across the globe, this year’s festival presented 73 World and North American Premieres. For the Vortex Festival, 80 titles will be screened from 15 countries. International Scope and Aesthetic Diversity As a premiere showcase for Independent Film, RIIFF takes great pride in the broad diversity of its line-up. This year, the festival showcased work by filmmakers from over 54 different countries, representing a wide variety of different genres and formats, from Feature-length Narratives and Documentaries, to Short Films, Animations and Experimental fare. And the Festival highlightd a number of special Sidebar presentations, including: short films from Quebec, Jewish Films, films with LGBT-related themes and several packages of short films with distinct narratives that explore the world we live in from all kinds of perspectives. There was truly something for everyone at RIIFF, which takes pride in offering filmgoers the opportunity to take in the very broadest scope of what the international, independent film world has to offer. Industry Plaudits Indeed, given the incredible breadth and undeniable quality of its annual programming, RIIFF has long been recognized within the industry as one of the country’s top independent film festivals. Moviemaker Magazine (April 2015) has declared RIIFF one of the "Top 50 Film Festivals Worth the Price of Admission" and it has been ranked as one of the top 12 film festivals internationally. However, our true claim-to-fame is the festival’s designation as New England’s only Academy Award-Qualifying film festival, making RIIFF one of only 19 film festivals in the world to have this honor. Each year, the festival sends its top short film to the Academy to be officially considered for the Best Short Film Oscar. Over the festival’s 19-year run, 38 of its films have been nominated and 8 have won. So as you attend screenings and participate in filmmaker Q&As, keep your eyes peeled – you just might be watching the winner of next year’s Academy Award! Cultivating a Film Community Of course, RIIFF is about more than industry honors and designations. Our main goal has always been to help cultivate what is already a growing and passionate film community within Rhode Island. As such, our screenings are complimented by a host of activities geared towards bringing local filmmakers, students and fans together with the bevy of international and independent filmmakers who attend the festival each year. Throughout the festival week RIIFF hosts a variety of gala parties, intimate receptions, educational workshops and networking events. Most of these are open to the public and were attended by many of the over 300 international filmmakers the festival attracted this year. So be sure to take advantage of these opportunities! Every year RIIFF creates a complete “festival experience” for Rhode Islanders, bringing the international film community and the local community together. Educational Outreach It is crucial to point out that the festival experience offered by RIIFF extends to area students, as well. Film education is one of our most cherished goals. Each summer, RIIFF runs the popular KidsEye™ Summer Filmmaking Camp for students ages 8-16, now in its 17th year. Many of these students will attend the KidsEye™ International Film Festival, a special program of kid-oriented independent films shown during the main festival. And while attending the festival, you may bump into members of our High School Student Jury Program as they hustle in and out of screenings and debate the latest film. Through programs such as these, RIIFF creates a space for the next generation of filmmakers, critics and fans to discover the world of independent film for the first time. Discover the New Voices of Independent Film! So whether you are a filmmaker or a film buff, a hardened film professional or an eager film student; get your tickets and take in all that the Flickers' Vortex Sci-Fi, Fantasy and Horror Film Festival has to offer. Our loyal and committed, top-notch staff has worked tirelessly to expand and strengthen this year’s programming and provide audiences with what will undoubtedly be an unforgettable cinematic experience. Join us as we continue on with our mission to discover the new voices of independent film!
www.RIFilmFest.org www.RIFilmFest.org
Flickers' Vortex Sci-Fi, Fantasy & Horror Film Festival Flickers' Vortex Sci-Fi, Fantasy & Horror Film Festival
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Dear Rhode Island International Film Festival Filmmakers,
From the many diverse locations to our outstanding restaurants and cultural attractions, I’m certain you will find that Rhode Island is a fun, film-friendly neighborhood. This compact state is merely forty-eight miles long and about forty-miles wide, so please see as much of it as you can. Each area is diverse, rich with history and visually unique. One twenty minute road trip can take you from a vibrant cityscape to a scenic ocean drive and, if you keep going, you may wind up at one of our magnificent mansions. Please do not hesitate to call our office if you have any questions or needs. We stand ready to assist you any way we can and the Rhode Island Film & TV Office is always here to help you make some movie magic! Congratulations to George T. Marshall and the RIIFF volunteers/sponsors! Enjoy the show! Steven Feinberg Executive Director Rhode Island Film & Television Offi ce One Capitol Hill 3rd Floor Providence, RI 02908 Phone: 401-222-3456 (222-FILM) Fax: 401-222-3018 E MAIL: steven.feinberg@arts.ri.gov WEB SITE:www.fi lm.ri.gov RHODE ISLAND: THE INDEPENDENT STATE OF FILM©
RHODE ISLAND INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL | A LETTER FROM...
Greetings from the beautiful Ocean State! On behalf of the Film & Television Offi ce, I welcome you to discover Rhode Island.
PREMIERE Welcome to Providence, the Creative Capital and welcome Rhode Island International Film Festival! Congratulations on your participation in the festival. I hope while you are in Providence you will take advantage of our diverse arts offerings, explore our beautiful architecture and enjoy our world class cuisine. The festival recognizes achievement and innovation in a filmmaking. As a city we pride ourselves on creating a culture of innovation and creativity. My team of city service providers regularly receives high marks in facilitating film production and works in collaboration with the RI Film & Television office. We are proud to have recently been the location for Maya Forbes’ Infinitely
Polar Bear and Woody Allen’s new film, Irrational Man. We pride ourselves on cultivating new talent and supporting established filmmakers. The state film tax credit is available for productions with budgets starting at 100k and up. I hope you will consider returning to make your next project. Enjoy the festival! Jorge O. Elorza, Mayor
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RHODE ISLAND INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL | A LETTER FROM...
Cinema Rhode Island Discover The New Voices of Independent Film
Share A Passion For Film with Filmmakers From Across the Globe
Year-Round Programming
Now Showing!
s Membership has its Advantages
Support, Build, Nurture & Grow
www.RIFilmFest.org
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Flickers held the state’s first International Film Festival in Newport in 1983, which laid the foundation for today’s Rhode Island International Film Festival. During its fi rst five years exhibiting fi lm, Flickers screened more than 475 titles, of which many were state and regional premieres. Some examples that demonstrate the breadth of films exhibited include “Amadeus,” “Flight of the Eagle,” “The Man from Snowy River,” “Parting Glances,” Truffaut’s “Confidentially Yours,” Bergman’s “Fanny & Alexander,” Fassbinder’s “Querelle,” Franco Zeffirelli’s lush “La Traviata,” Bertolucci’s uncut “1900,” the premiere of the independent fi lm “Coaster,” the restored print of Gloria Swanson’s epic “Queen Kelly,” Fellini’s “And the Ship Sails On,” and “My Beautiful Laundrette.” The society sponsored specialized film series, lectures, and forums including one at the screening of “Man of Iron,” which featured Cheslaw Kyanka, founder of the Polish Solidarity Union. The Society also presented lectures for colleges and organizations on topics from Italian Neo-Realism to fi lm programming. It even organized travel programs to study international media centers in New York, San Francisco, London, Paris, and Athens. Over the past 35 years, Flickers has changed directions, taken detours, and charted new routes. The organization has been impacted by the hard work, vision, and commitment of so many people that it would be wrong to personally take credit for where we are today. No one person is responsible for the success of what was originally envisioned as a way to meet people, make friends, and share a common love of film. Some of these people have actually been with us for this quarter century. Others have drifted in and out, some have moved on, but all have been touched in some way by this organization. Today, programming efforts cover a broad range of areas -from arts to humanities to social services to production to educational outreach -multiple linkages and numerous collaborations have been established. Flickers has evolved with the changes, needs, and demands of the community it serves. It has never lost sight of its mission, and continues its quest to create inventive and cutting-edge programming. It has been an amazing adventure and one that was completely unforeseen at its beginning. This year’s dedication is to all the people who created Flickers and sustained it over the past 35 years. It’s a long, long list of wonderful people. All are linked by a passion and commitment you cannot fi nd anywhere else: the love of film that served as Flickers’ founding inspiration. My sincere thanks!
George T. Marshall Executive Director
www.RIFilmFest.org
RHODE ISLAND INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL | LETTER FROM THE DIRECTOR
Letter from the Director
It was around 1979 that I started thinking about creating a small film society whose sole purpose was to discover and screen classic, foreign, and cutting edge film. I had picked up a book entitled “How to Organize and Run a Film Society,” and I played with the idea over the next several years. In 1981, I formalized my ideas and created “Flickers—The Newport Film Society.” It was very much a “Field of Dreams” experience: I built it and people came. Our first screening took place at the then-named Van Alen Casino Theatre in Newport. The screening was in January 1983. The film was Fellini’s “Amarcord.” One hundred seventy fi ve people showed up and from there, Flickers was launched.
BARBARA MEEK A LIGHT HAS GONE OUT… When I first saw her on stage, I was in High School. The year was 1970. The play was William Shakespeare’s “The Taming of The Shrew.” The location was the RISD Auditorium. The production was by the Tony Award-winning, Trinity Square Repertory Theatre. The direction was by legendary, Adrian Hall; and in a brilliant, subversive act of casting, she played Kate to William Cain’s Petruchio. The actor was Barbara Meek. From that first indelible performance that still plays in my memory, this amazing talent touched my life. In the late 1980s, I was given a great gift when she agreed to be interviewed for our half-hour series, “Between Takes.” At the time, Flickers was producing the series at Rhode Island College where I was an Assistant Professor of Communications. “Between Takes” began life as part of my Advanced Studio Production course. Ms. Meek brought such a sense of class to our little production and not too long afterwards, we were working closely with the Trinity creating their Public Service Announcements and shooting the first half hour of all their productions. It was during our taping at RIC that Barbara responded to my question on how she would describe herself professionally, “I am an actor.” I can still her say it. Jump forward to the birth of the Rhode Island International Film Festival in 1997. She was an early supporter and I’d find her attending our films and was always a regular at our Opening Night presentation. In 2012, I was able to return the favor when our Board voted unanimously to present her with our “Roger Williams Independent Voice Award.” The award is presented semi-annually to an outstanding artist whose vision promotes tolerance, compassion and understanding. Named after the founder of Rhode Island, Roger Williams, who established an American tradition of religious freedom and individual liberty that was encoded in The Bill of Rights. This award honors a truly unique American whose ethics, philosophy and conscience reflects that of Roger Williams, who provided a refuge from rampant religious persecution, an open door to all people; a safe harbor in a vast sea of tyranny and oppression. The Award was presented to her that evening by Maia Farish, wife of Roger Williams University President, Donald J. Farish. Additionally, Former Providence Mayor, Angel Taveras presented her with a special City Citation. With more than 100 roles at Trinity, signature work on television in the early 1980s, where she was a regular on "Archie Bunker's Place," where she played Carroll O'Connor's truculent housekeeper Ellen Canby, to her role as a foster mother on "Big Brother Jake," Barbara Meek was an American original. She opened many doors for future generations and broke down barrier after barrier. The world is a better place thanks to her and I am forever grateful to have been privileged to know this gifted and caring soul. Thank you!
George T. Mashall, Executive Director, RIIFF
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Flickers' Vortex Sci-Fi, Fantasy & Horror Film Festival
photo courtesy of RI Philharmonic - photographer Ray Larson
Shouldn’t all Rhode Islanders have access to the arts? The arts are more than just an important part of our state’s economy. For young people, the arts are a path to success. The arts contribute to achievement in school, particularly among disadvantaged students. For cities and towns, the arts promote civic engagement and encourage neighborhood and downtown revitalization. They make our communities more liveable. With all that’s good about the arts , shouldn’ t all Rhode Islanders be able to enjoy and participate in what our state has to offer?
That’s where we come in. Rhode Island’s investment in the arts is small (just 7/100 ths of 1% of our state’s budget). With that, we managed to reach over 1.2 million Rhode Islanders and visitors last year, including over 189,000 young people. Let’s ensure that all Rhode Islanders can benefit from the arts in the Ocean State.
Support the Arts! www.arts.ri.gov
MONDAY, OCTOBER 19 Providence Public Library 3:45pm 4:00pm 4:15pm 4:30pm 4:45pm 5:00pm
VORTEX AFTER SCHOOL SERIES: KidsEye Worlds of Imagination Showcase 04:00 - 05:30
5:15pm 5:30pm 5:45pm Providence Public Library
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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 20 Global Heritage Hall,
Providence Public
Swan Hall, URI
GHH01
Library
Kingston Campus
3:45pm
VORTEX AFTER SCHOOL SERIES: KidsEye Flights of Fantasy Showcase
4:00pm 4:15pm 4:30pm 4:45pm
04:00 - 05:30
5:00pm 5:15pm 5:30pm 5:45pm 6:00pm 6:15pm 6:30pm 6:45pm 7:00pm
VORTEX LECTURE SERIES: “The Singularity of Imagination” A Conversation with ….
CAMPUS CONNECTIONS: Using Genre to Tell a Story
06:00 - 08:00
7:15pm 7:30pm
07:00 - 09:00
7:45pm 8:00pm 8:15pm 8:30pm 8:45pm 9:00pm 9:15pm
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Global Heritage Hall,
Providence Public
Swan Hall, URI
GHH01
Library
Kingston Campus
10/17/15 10:40 PM
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 21 Global Heritage Hall,
Museum of Work and
GHH01
Culture
Paff Theatre
Providence Place Showcase Cinema
6:45pm 7:00pm 7:15pm 7:30pm 7:45pm 8:00pm 8:15pm
CAMPUS CONNECTIONS: Vortex University Sci-Fi, Fantasy Showcase 07:30 - 09:30
COCTEAU'S SHADOW: French Language Fantasy/Sci-Fi Films
DOUBLE FEATURE: Lake Nowhere & Selene Hollow
Free Advance Screening: "Friends and Romans"
07:00 - 09:00
07:00 - 09:00
07:30 - 09:30
8:30pm 8:45pm 9:00pm 9:15pm 9:30pm 9:45pm
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Global Heritage Hall,
Museum of Work and
GHH01
Culture
Paff Theatre
Providence Place Showcase Cinema
10/17/15 10:41 PM
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 22 Jamestown Arts
Paff Theatre
Tiverton Public Library
Center 5:45pm
ANTHONY QUINN CENTENARY SALUTE: The Magus
6:00pm 6:15pm 6:30pm
06:00 - 08:00
6:45pm 7:00pm 7:15pm 7:30pm
SHORTS OF TENSION AND TURMOIL
Fury: The Tales of Ronin Pierce 07:00 - 09:30
07:00 - 09:00
7:45pm 8:00pm 8:15pm 8:30pm 8:45pm 9:00pm 9:15pm 9:30pm 9:45pm Jamestown Arts
Paff Theatre
Tiverton Public Library
Center
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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 23 Global Heritage Hall,
Narragansett Theater
The Bell Street
GHH01
at the Pier
Chapel Theatre
3:15pm 3:30pm 3:45pm 4:00pm 4:15pm 4:30pm
VORTEX FORUM: Behind the Camera Lens, On the Nature of Genre Filmmaking 03:30 - 05:00
4:45pm 5:00pm 5:15pm 5:30pm 5:45pm 6:00pm 6:15pm 6:30pm 6:45pm 7:00pm 7:15pm
JACKRABBIT 07:00 - 09:00
MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE: An International Shorts Showcase 06:30 - 08:30
7:30pm 7:45pm 8:00pm 8:15pm 8:30pm 8:45pm 9:00pm 9:15pm 9:30pm 9:45pm
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ASTRAEA 09:30 - 11:30
THINGS THAT GO BUMP IN THE NIGHT: An International Shorts Showcase
10/17/15 10:42 PM
Vortex Sci-Fi, Fantasy & Horror Film Festival: Print Schedule: Grid
http://vortex2015.sched.org/2015-10-23/print-grid 09:00 - 11:00
10:00pm 10:15pm 10:30pm 10:45pm 11:00pm 11:15pm 11:30pm 11:45pm
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Global Heritage Hall,
Narragansett Theater
The Bell Street
GHH01
at the Pier
Chapel Theatre
10/17/15 10:42 PM
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 24 John Brown House
Narragansett Theater
The Bell Street
at the Pier
Chapel Theatre
11:45am 12:00pm 12:15pm 12:30pm
H.P. LOVECRAFT LITERARY WALKING TOUR 12:00 - 04:00
12:45pm 1:00pm 1:15pm 1:30pm 1:45pm 2:00pm 2:15pm 2:30pm 2:45pm 3:00pm 3:15pm 3:30pm 3:45pm
FROM THE LAND BEYOND BEYOND... A Fantasy Shorts Showcase 03:00 - 05:00
4:00pm 4:15pm 4:30pm 4:45pm 5:00pm 5:15pm 5:30pm 5:45pm 6:00pm
FILMMAKER AWARDS CEREMONY & RECEPTION 05:30 - 06:30
6:15pm
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Vortex Sci-Fi, Fantasy & Horror Film Festival: Print Schedule: Grid 07:00 09:30 - 09:00 11:30
6:30pm 6:45pm 7:00pm 7:15pm
http://vortex2015.sched.org/2015-10-24/print-grid POSSIBILITIES, 06:30 - 08:30 INFINITE OPTIONS: An International Short Films Showcase 09:00 - 11:00
7:30pm 7:45pm 8:00pm 8:15pm 8:30pm 8:45pm 9:00pm 9:15pm 9:30pm 9:45pm 10:00pm 10:15pm 10:30pm 10:45pm 11:00pm 11:15pm 11:30pm 11:45pm John Brown House
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Narragansett Theater
The Bell Street
at the Pier
Chapel Theatre
10/17/15 10:42 PM
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 25 John Brown House 11:45am 12:00pm 12:15pm 12:30pm
H.P. LOVECRAFT LITERARY WALKING TOUR 12:00 - 04:00
12:45pm 1:00pm 1:15pm 1:30pm 1:45pm 2:00pm 2:15pm 2:30pm 2:45pm 3:00pm 3:15pm 3:30pm 3:45pm 4:00pm 4:15pm John Brown House
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THE HOTTEST TICKET OF THE AWARDS SEASON:
RED CARPET E
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P R O V I D E N C E Flickers: Rhode Island International Film Festival and the RI Film & Television Office Invite you to join us to celebrate the Motion Picture Industry’s biggest night of the year!
Sunday, February 28, 2016 6:00 p.m. - Midnight The Vets, One Avenue of the Arts, Providence, Rhode Island
88th Academy Awards® HD Broadcast begins at 8:30 p.m.
To Purchase Tickets: www.RIFilmFest.org • 401.861.4445
Vortex Sci-Fi, Fantasy & Horror Film Festival: Print Schedule
http://vortex2015.sched.org/2015-10-19/print/all
Vortex Sci-Fi, Fantasy & Horror Film Festival OCTOBER 19 • MONDAY A Awards Ceremony V Vortex Shorts 4:00pm – 5:30pm
N Narrative Feature
S Special KidsEye Screening Program
W Walking Tour & Film Screening
Y Symposium
S VORTEX AFTER SCHOOL SERIES: KidsEye Worlds of Imagination Showcase
FROM THE LAND BEYOND
Providence Public Library (150 Empire Street, Providence, RI 02903)
Enjoy a a free afternoon screening for your family to enjoy at the Providence Place Library. These films are age-appropriate and showcase a mixture of fantasy and science fiction. This event is free, but please register for the event using Eventbrite. Broken Wand | Anne Yang, Michael Altman, Directors | 3 min. | USA, 2014. 'Broken Wand' is the story of a washed-up magician trying reconnect with his preteen grandson who used to love magic. Dissonance | Till Nowak, Director | 15 min. | Germany, 2015. A genius musician lives a lonely life in a surreal, floating world. He plays the piano every day in a gigantic concert hall, but there is nobody to listen. One day his animated world collapses and reality breaks out. Knock Knock | Anthony Lund, Director | 3 min | USA, 2014. On a dark, stormy night, a brave little boy decides to find out who is knocking on his door... his closet door, that is. Lapse of Time | Celine Tricart, Director | 15 min. France, 2013. On a winter afternoon, in the course of a hide and seek game, a kid finds shelter in the most unlikely of places : the huge astronomic-tuned clock of the city's cathedral! Sneaking his way through, he accidentally gets his jacket stuck into the mechanism blocking the entire system...and of time itself! Life on Juniper | Mark Ratzlaff, Director | 15 min. Canada, 2015.
Following reports of a mysterious crash, an aging farmer encounters a visitor determined on disrupting his quiet way of life. Prelude | Mitra Shahidi, Director | 5 min. Australia, 2011. Prelude is a whimsical story of a creative little girl and her scientist grandfather. A series of happy accidents cause the relationship between these two get stronger.
Raspberry Galaxies | Noah Sterling, Director | 5 min. United Kingdom, 2015. When a young girl discovers that the center of our galaxy contains the same chemicals that give raspberries their taste, she is inspired to create a universe of her own out of actual raspberries. Zéro | Tony T. Datis, Director | 10 min. France, 2014.
In the heart of a small suburban park, a young boy is about to reveal his incredible secret to his classmate. Side Kick | Puja Maewal, Director |10 min. | USA, 2014. A little girl mistakes a thief for a comic book superhero.
Vortex Sci-Fi, Fantasy & Horror Film Festival: Print Schedule
http://vortex2015.sched.org/2015-10-20/print/all
Vortex Sci-Fi, Fantasy & Horror Film Festival OCTOBER 20 • TUESDAY A Awards Ceremony V Vortex Shorts 4:00pm – 5:30pm
N Narrative Feature
S Special KidsEye Screening Program
W Walking Tour & Film Screening
Y Symposium
S VORTEX AFTER SCHOOL SERIES: KidsEye Flights of Fantasy Showcase
FROM THE LAND BEYOND BEYOND: KIDʼS SHORTS
Providence Public Library (150 Empire Street, Providence, RI 02903)
Part two of our kids' programming during the Festival. Free films continue with a selection of titles from the RIIFF 2015. This event is free, but please register for the event using Eventbrite. Soar | Alyce Tzue, Director | 6 min. | USA, 2014. A precocious young girl makes a new friend when a tiny boy pilot drops out of the sky on a broken flying machine. Now she must race against time to return him home, before her new friend becomes stranded on Earth forever. The Orchestra | Mikey Hill, Director | 15 min. | Australia, 2015. Imagine a world where a band of tiny musicians follow you and play a soundtrack for your life, communicating your emotions, fears and hopes. In this world lives elderly Vernon, a lonely man whose crippling shyness causes his orchestral musicians to perform terribly out of tune. Josef et Aimée |Ben Shirinian, Director| 15 min. | Canada, 2014. Josef and Aimee were originally from cities in the north of France, but as the Nazi occupation of France drew near, their families sent them into hiding in the south of France. The Epic of Hershey | Douglas McGinness, Director | 15 min. | USA, 2015. God is missing. That's what the homeless children of New York believe, and God having been kicked out of power by the evil demon named La Llorona is how the children understand their suffering on the streets. The Alchemistʼs Letter | Carlos Andre Stevens, Director | 5 min. | France, 2015. When Veridian, an estranged son, receives his late alchemist father Nicolas' inheritance, he is exposed to the ill-fated reality that his father built a tumultuous gold-making machine powered by his own memories. Eloise Little Dreamer | Myriam Obin, Director | 4 min. | Canada, 2015 This creative animation manages to bring voice to a day of celebration in the streets of the city; everyone is wearing masks and making noise. However, a little girl discovers things are not what they appear to be. What is, in reality, a peaceful protest is soon disrupted by an aggressive police action. Fulfilament | Rhiannon Evans, Director | 8 min. | USA, 2015 Travel around the brain with a little, lost thought and discover what it takes to make a great idea. Theodora | Henry Chaisson and Travis Bogosian, Directors | 6 min. | USA, 2014. A resourceful young girl prepares dinner for a friend. This is a free screning, no ticket needed! 6:00pm – 8:00pm
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Y VORTEX LECTURE SERIES: “The Singularity of Imagination” A Conversation with ….
On Tuesday Night at Global Heritage Hall, GHH01 (Roger Williams University, One Old Ferry Road, Bristol, RI 02809) 6:00 p.m., VORTEX presents a special filmmaker conversation called “The Singularity of Imagination.” The evening features
10/17/15 10:43 PM
Vortex Sci-Fi, Fantasy & Horror Film Festival: Print Schedule
http://vortex2015.sched.org/2015-10-20/print/all
documentary filmmaker, Reshad Kulenovic, a writer/director based in Boston, New York, and Sarajevo. His short film Snovi played 20 international film festivals and was nominated for a 2011 Student Academy Award. Snovi was produced by the Centre Andre Malraux Sarajevo, which also produced Jean-Luc Godardʼs Notre Musique. Kulenovic became one of the first artists to be funded by the Heinrich Boll Foundation. His documentary 100 Million Dollar House, set in the West Bank, premiered at the 2015 Rhode Island International Film Festival and was acquired for distribution by Al Jazeera. He graduated with an MFA in Film Production from Boston University. During an in-depth conversation, Kulenovic will speak about his professional journey; screen his work and share insights into what it takes to succeed in the film industry and the fine line between truth and fiction. This program is presented by the RWU Film Production Collaborative and is a free event. 7:00pm – 9:00pm
V CAMPUS CONNECTIONS: Using Genre to Tell a Story
Using Genre to Tell a Story Swan Hall, URI Kingston Campus (Swan Hall, 60 Upper College Rd. Kingston, RI 02881) This is a free screening event with a lecture from RIIFF Programming Director, Shawn Quirk, about using a film's genre to tell a story. The event is free, but register using Eventbrite as seating is limited. Dissonance | Till Nowak, Director | 15 min. | Germany, 2015. A genius musician lives a lonely life in a surreal, floating world. He plays the piano every day in a gigantic concert hall, but there is nobody to listen. One day his animated world collapses and reality breaks out. YIKES | Michael Fodera, Director | 11 min. | USA, 2015. A sheltered and struggling young actor, Ian, receives a call from his agent about an upcoming audition. Shortly after, Ian begins to see disturbing visions of the immediate future and he soon realizes that having this ability is not exactly a welcomed gift unless he is ready to do something about it. Scheherazade | Mehrnoush Aliaghael, Director | 15 min. | Iran/USA, 2014. In an audition, the unseen man behind the camera is asking the young actresses to share their dark personal stories to prove how well they relate to the anti-hero they are auditioning for. The result is a story tapestry of dark fantasies, secrets, memories, and betrayals. But their stories are not the end, they are only the beginning. What is happening in this audition room? Whisper | Jo Lewis, Director | 11 min. | United Kingdom, 2015. A young woman travels to a remote beach side cabin in an attempt to finally quit her heroin habit. While there she accidentally sets in motion a chain of sinister events. Hauntingly beautiful, Whisper is a modern day ghost story that will keep you gripped from start to spine-chilling finish. The Bridge Partner 14 min. | Gabriel Olsen, Director | 13 min. | USA, 2014. Mattie is a timid housewife who has settled into a dull yet comfortable routine. She is confronted with a captivating alternative when she is paired with a new partner at a weekly bridge game. This stranger, Olivia, is everything Mattie is not: foreign, independent and alluring. But as the game ends, Olivia calmly leans across the table and whispers a shocking message. Or at least that's what Mattie thinks she hears. Larry Gone Demon | Matt Lawrence, Director | 14 min. | USA, 2014. When three twenty-somethings must deal with the incorrigible and incredibly demonic Larry, they risk life and limb in an attempt to save the soul of their once-kind-and-unassuming friend while also procuring his five-hundred dollars in back rent. Tarim the Brave Versus 1000 Special Effects | Guillaume Rieu, Director | 19 min. | France, 2015. As he is going to save a princess imprisoned in the dungeon of an evil sorcerer, Tarim understands that he is the main character of a movie, and decides to fight against the special effect. …
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Vortex Sci-Fi, Fantasy & Horror Film Festival: Print Schedule
http://vortex2015.sched.org/2015-10-21/print/all
Vortex Sci-Fi, Fantasy & Horror Film Festival OCTOBER 21 • WEDNESDAY A Awards Ceremony V Vortex Shorts 7:00pm – 9:00pm
N Narrative Feature
S Special KidsEye Screening Program
W Walking Tour & Film Screening
Y Symposium
N Free Advance Screening: "Friends and Romans"
This year's Vortex Sci-Fi, Fantasy &
Providence Place Showcase Cinema (10 Providence Pl, Providence, RI 02903)
Horror Film Festival wouldn't be complete without a film that challenges a traditional genre. In this case, it's a new take on the mob/gangster film.
We're inviting you to a special advance screening of "Friends and Romans." Go out and have yourself a movie night, for free!
Starring: Michael Rispoli, Annabella Sciorra, Tony Sirico, Paul Ben-Victor, Anthony DeSando and Katie Stevens. Director: Christopher Kublan Producer: Michael Mailer Written by: Gregg Greenberg, Christopher Kublan and Michael Rispoli Release Date: October/November, 2015 Synopsis: Set in a predominantly Italian-American neighborhood in Staten Island, FRIENDS & ROMANS is a winning comedy about an ordinary guy who goes to extraordinary lengths to make his dreams come true. Heading a large and colorful ensemble, Michael Rispoli stars as Nick DeMaio, an aspiring actor who is perpetually typecast as "Gangster Number 3" in films about the Mob. In an attempt to be taken seriously, Nick and his buddies decide to stage a play, and not just any play, but Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar," (which, after all, is just another tale about a "Don" and his "capos," except in iambic pentameter). Coming and going at odd hours for rehearsals, this motley crew attracts the attention of the Feds, who mistakenly assume these good guys are "goodfellas," and their play is a front for criminal activity. Typecast once again as a gangster--this time in real life--Nick has to prove his mettle, both onstage and off. Boasting a cast that includes no fewer than eight alumni of "The Sopranos," FRIENDS & ROMANS also stars Annabella Sciorra, Tony Sirico, Paul Ben-Victor, Anthony DeSando and Katie Stevens.
This is a free screening, but reserve your seating using the link below: http://www.gofobo.com/RIIFFRIENDS 7:00pm – 9:00pm
N DOUBLE FEATURE: Lake Nowhere & Selene Hollow
Paff Theatre (80 Washington Street, Providence, RI)
PROVIDENCE UNDERGROUND FILM FESTIVAL: Part 1
Lake Nowhere | Christopher Phelps and Maxim Von Scoy, Directors | 51 min. | USA, 2014. From the vaults of the golden age of slasher films comes LAKE NOWHERE, a raucous, bloody romp which resurrects the thrill of gory midnight movies for an hour-long plunge into the depths of horror. Inspired by the dusty days of VHS, LAKE NOWHERE is preceded by original trailers & commercials, replicating the experience of watching a long lost bootleg tape. Preceded by: Selene Hollow | Mathew Provost, Director | 44 min. | USA (Local), 2015. Selene Hollow follows recently unemployed journalist Byron, as he struggles to reinvent himself while penning his first novel. Lost in the middle of nowhere, Byron's new home of Selene Hollow, soon reveals itself to be much more than a quiet place for him to escape.
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Vortex Sci-Fi, Fantasy & Horror Film Festival: Print Schedule
http://vortex2015.sched.org/2015-10-21/print/all
Theyʼre Closing In | Jarret Blinkhorn, Director | 6 min. | USA (Local), 2015. Tension grows as a tired married couple are forced to deal with each others issues because if they leave... The creatures outside will make them regret it. 7:30pm – 9:30pm
N CAMPUS CONNECTIONS: Vortex University Sci-Fi, Fantasy Showcase
Special free event Global Heritage Hall, GHH01 (Roger Williams University, One Old Ferry Road, Bristol, RI 02809) presented by the RWU Film Production Collaborative. Please register for this event via Eventbrite -- link below! The Answer | Iqbal Ahmed, Director | 83 min. | USA, 2014. Living a quiet life below the radar, BRIDD is thrown into chaos when he returns home and is attacked by masked men. Narrowly escaping, he and his feisty co-worker CHARLOTTE follow clues left by his dead parents to find out who's after him -- and why. In the process, he discovers something shocking about himself -- he's special. The last thing he ever wanted. Preceded by: Movies in Space | Chris W. Smith, Director | 15 min. | USA, 2015. MOVIES IN SPACE is a comedy sci-fi following the rise and fall of Travis Shepard, a future-earth-ambassador, who unwittingly gets caught up in an alien Hollywood-like system.
7:30pm – 9:30pm
V COCTEAU'S SHADOW: French Language Fantasy/Sci-Fi Films
Special presentation of French Speaking sci-fi and Museum of Work and Culture (42 S Main St, Woonsocket, RI 02895) fantasy films at Woonsocket's Museum of Work and Culture. Eloise Little Dreamer | Myriam Obin, Director | 4 min. | Canada, 2015 This creative animation manages to bring voice to a day of celebration in the streets of the city; everyone is wearing masks and making noise. However, a little girl discovers things are not what they appear to be. What is, in reality, a peaceful protest is soon disrupted by an aggressive police action. Zéro | Tony T. Datis, Director | 10 min. France, 2014. In the heart of a small suburban park, a young boy is about to reveal his incredible secret to his classmate. Josef et Aimée | Ben Shirinian, Director| 15 min. | Canada, 2014. Josef and Aimee were originally from cities in the north of France, but as the Nazi occupation of France drew near, their families sent them into hiding in the south of France. Hair Cut | Virginia Mori, Director | 8 min. | France, 2014. A teacher and her pupil linger in an empty classroom. Through their looks and gestures, a strange confrontation begins. A Vif | Guillaume Foresti, Director| 23 min. | France, 2014. Beatrice and Laurent are a couple. Laurent mysteriously lost his senses, little by little. Gradually, he lost the taste and smell, and touch. But more worryingly, it only affects his perception of his wife. He wonders if the problem really comes from him... Chulyen | Agnès Patron, Director | 20 min. | France, 2015. Up there, so close to the pole, Chulyen is bored. Half man, half crow, with his pitiless eyes he cuts the world into pieces. When Chulyen covets a giant's kayak, he comes down from the air to charm and deceive him. Tarim le brave contre des Milles et Un Effects (Tarim the Brave Versus 1001 Special Effects) | Guillaume Rieu, Director | 19 min. | France, 2015. As he is going to save a princess imprisoned in the dungeon of an evil sorcerer, Tarim understands that he is the main character of a movie, and decides to fight against the special effect.
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Vortex Sci-Fi, Fantasy & Horror Film Festival: Print Schedule
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Vortex Sci-Fi, Fantasy & Horror Film Festival OCTOBER 22 • THURSDAY A Awards Ceremony V Vortex Shorts 6:00pm – 8:00pm
7:00pm – 9:00pm
N Narrative Feature
S Special KidsEye Screening Program
W Walking Tour & Film Screening
Y Symposium
N ANTHONY QUINN CENTENARY SALUTE: The Magus
The Magus Tiverton Public Library (238 Highland Rd, Tiverton, RI 02878) Director: Guy Green | 117 min. | 1968, USA Cast: Anthony Quinn, Michael Caine, Candice Bergen A teacher on a Greek island becomes involved in bizarre mind games with the island's magician (Anthony Quinn) and a beautiful young woman. FREE EVENT V SHORTS OF TENSION AND TURMOIL
Jamestown Arts Center (18 Valley Street, Jamestown, RI)
NOTE: TICKETS WILL BE SOLD AT THE DOOR! 100 seat max capacity so please get there early. Back to Earth | Thomas Wilson, Director | 14 min. | Australia, 2015. The sun is setting. A young man, Lou, is sitting next to a re-opened grave, hurriedly preparing an assortment of objects; a mortar and pestle, salts, flowers and a watch, taking cue from a leather-bound book full of notes and hand-drawn diagrams. He places the items on and around a recently deceased corpse that he has pulled out of the grave. A Boyʼs Life | Howard McCain, Director | 7 min. | USA, 2014. A Boy's Life is a short narrative told only through visuals. It takes what initially appears to be a portrait of a troubled youth and twists to reveal a world gone awry. Harking back to the classic stories of 'Lord of the Flies' and 'City of God,' it examines the power of youth in an environment of chaos and violence. The Crop | Will Halas, Director | 15 min. | USA, 2014. On a road in the middle of nowhere, with the horizon stretching out as far as the eye can see, a Man tries to start the car, but the ignition will not catch. He gets out, grabs his bag, and walks around to the passenger side. Bleeding from a wound in abdomen, he opens the door, grabs a gun from the glove box, and for the first time, we see a second man - a very dead man - in the passenger seat. Playback | Nathan Crooker, Director | 4 min. | USA, 2014. A man turns on his TV but can only find static, when suddenly the static cuts out to show security camera footage of a masked killer chasing a scantily-clad woman and brutally gutting her in an apartment hallway. Sebastian & Them | Benjamin Bee, Director | 7 min. | United Kingdom, 2015. Sebastian has to leave is childhood friends behind. the only problem is they don't want him to leave him... Seule | Didier Philippe, Director | 10 min. | France, 2014. Claire, a young woman, lives alone in a large apartment. Her fear of the outside world stops her from going out and letting people in. One day, she discovers evidence revealing that a man lives in her home. The presence of that man becomes more and more apparent and eventually threatening... A Way Out | Jason Tostevin, Director | 14 min. | USA, 2015. Aging gangster Vic has made a deadly decision of the heart: he's going to risk quitting the life to have one last chance at redemption, saving his grandson before he follows in his Vic's footsteps. But when he reveals his plan to his protege Reggie, whom he's groomed for years to take his place, he discovers he's not the only one who's been harboring a killer secret. YIKES | Michael Fodera, Director | 11 min. | USA, 2015.
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INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
20th edition July 2016
Montreal
www.fantasiafestival.com
Fantasia2016 RIFF.indd 1
2015-07-30 2:47 PM
Connecting Switzerland and North America in science, education, art and innovation.
www.swissnexboston.org/15years
Vortex Sci-Fi, Fantasy & Horror Film Festival: Print Schedule
http://vortex2015.sched.org/2015-10-22/print/all
A sheltered and struggling young actor, Ian, receives a call from his agent about an upcoming audition. Shortly after, Ian begins to see disturbing visions of the immediate future and he soon realizes that having this ability is not exactly a welcomed gift unless he is ready to do something about it.… 7:00pm – 9:30pm
N Fury: The Tales of Ronin Pierce
Paff Theatre (80 Washington Street, Providence, RI)
PROVIDENCE UNDERGROUND FILM FESTIVAL: Part 2 Catch a special screening of films produced by local filmmakers and a RIIFF alum! Fury: The Tales of Ronin Pierce | Kevin McCarthy, Director | 91 min. | USA (Local), 2014. Our film revolves around Ronan Pierce, a vigilante cop with a dark past in the fictional Harbor City. Harbor city is full of psychopaths, rapists, gangs,serial killers & corrupt cops/politicians. However, none are worse than The Luna Cartel, a large global human trafficking network enslaves thousands of young beautiful women from around the world, and harvests organs from all of it's other victims Preceded By: Peeved | Rhonda Marie, Director | 17 min. | USA (Local), 2015. A family becomes unhinged due to their pet “peeves.” An unstable son takes matters into his own hands while being taunted by the mystery of his deceased sister. A Tricky Treat | Patricia Chica, Director | 3 min. | Canada, 2015. A man is kidnapped by a very strange family, and his fate is held in the hands of two kids.
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Vortex Sci-Fi, Fantasy & Horror Film Festival: Print Schedule
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Vortex Sci-Fi, Fantasy & Horror Film Festival OCTOBER 23 • FRIDAY A Awards Ceremony V Vortex Shorts 3:30pm – 5:00pm
6:30pm – 8:30pm
N Narrative Feature
S Special KidsEye Screening Program
W Walking Tour & Film Screening
Y Symposium
Y VORTEX FORUM: Behind the Camera Lens, On the Nature of Genre Filmmaking
BEHIND THE CAMERA Global Heritage Hall, GHH01 (Roger Williams University, One Old Ferry Road, Bristol, RI 02809) LENS: On the Nature of Genre Filmmaking On Friday afternoon, October 23rd, at 3:30 p.m. horror and sci-fi film fans will want to be at the Global Heritage Hall, Room 01, Roger Williams University in Bristol. The Forum, “Behind the Camera Lens” provides audiences with the opportunity to meet some of the movers and shakers in the film, horror and sci-fi production scene. Rhode Island has become known as the Independent state for film. Starting with the foundation provided by the film and media programs at our colleges and universities, and the unique talent base of creative artists who have made their homes here. The Ocean State has built a reputation as a one-stop film studio. Among such notable filmmakers as Wes Anderson, Woody Allen and the Farrelly Brothers, and others who have made their films within the Ocean State, the independent horror and sci-fi fantasy genre is steadily becoming an industry standard for RIʼs film community. “Behind the Camera Lens,” will be hosted by Steven Feinberg (“Fortress,” “Peter York,” “Pell Grants: A Passion for Education”), Executive Director of the Rhode Island Film & Television Office, the man behind the stateʼs high profile within the industry, and filmmaking professionals who have successfully made careers within the industry: Panelists: Kevin McCarthy, (“Fury: The Tales of Ronin Pierce”), Christina Raia (“Summit”), Tommy Denucci (“Almost Mercy”) and Shawn Quirk, RIIFFʼs Programming Director. The RWU Film Production Collaborative will host the free event. V MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE: An International Shorts Showcase
Things are never what you think they are…
The Bell Street Chapel Theatre (5 Bell Street, Providence, RI)
Hair Cut | Virginia Mori, Director | 8 min. | France, 2014. A teacher and her pupil linger in an empty classroom. Through their looks and gestures, a strange confrontation begins. Pale Blue Eyes | Joe Henderson, Director | 10 min. | Australia, 2014. Nothing is what it seems. Chulyen | Agnès Patron, Director | 20 min. | France, 2015. Up there, so close to the pole, Chulyen is bored. Half man, half crow, with his pitiless eyes he cuts the world into pieces. When Chulyen covets a giant's kayak, he comes down from the air to charm and deceive him. One Night in Hell | James Hall, Jason Jameson, Directors | 7 min. | USA, 2014. A devilish and spectacular animation short that tells the story of a skeleton's journey into a stereoscopic hell. Under the Bed | Tamar Ben-Baruch, Director | 3 min. | USA, 2014. Under the Bed is the story of a little boy trying to escape a horrific nightmare as his furniture and belongings come to life. The Cure | Xavier Mesme, Director | 14 min. | France, 2015. One evening, a mysterious visitor pays a visit to a drug addict, bringing her a miracle cure for her addiction. But the woman realizes that the visitor came with other intentions in mind. The Cart | Patrik Erikson, Director | 6 min. | Poland, 2015. A girl is pushing a fish in a water filled cart across a dark plain.
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Vortex Sci-Fi, Fantasy & Horror Film Festival: Print Schedule
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The cart is leaking, and mysterious beings are attracted to the struggle. What awaits in the abyss? Teeth | Tom Brown, Daniel Gray, Directors | 6 min. | USA/United Kingdom, 2015. That which is neglected, is lost. The Morrigan | Colum Eastwood, Director | 16 min. | Ireland/United Kingdom, 2014. A young couple's remote holiday cottage comes under attack from malevolent forces when they give refuge to a mysterious young girl. CAT BIRD COYOTE | Amy Raasch, Director | 3 min. | USA, 2015. In a stark laboratory, a ruthless bird scientist's experiments cause a freak explosion, freeing one of his subjects. An abused cat escapes from her captor as a coyote digs through trash. Once free, the animals must not only fend for themselves, but face each other in the wild. Sick To My Bones | Matthew Bailey, Director | 14 min. | United Kingdom, 2015. A winged warrior wakes up to find herself close to death and bound by chains to her demonic prisoner. It is her duty to walk the wasteland and bring her prisoner to a place where he can be assimilated and become just like her. But as her body starts to shut down, will she be able to complete her task? Day 40 | Sol Friedman, Director | 6 min. | USA, 2014. In this animated retelling of the Noah's Ark story, various unholy activities fill the great ship, as the animals discover the darker side of their nature. … 7:00pm – 9:00pm
N JACKRABBIT
Narragansett Theater at the Pier (3 Beach St., Narragansett RI)
Watch the feature length film "Jackrabbit" that played at Tribeca 2015 and a short film that questions what love really is. Jackrabbit | Carleton Ranney, Director | 100 min. | USA, 2015. The planet's technological infrastructure has been wiped out by an event known as The Reset. Now, in the struggling and isolated City VI, a computer prodigy must team up with a solitary hacker to decipher a strange message left behind when their mutual friend commits suicide. What they discover will change their lives forever. Preceded by: Lost In Bloom | Michael Messina, Director | 27 min. | USA (Local), 2015. In the months following an experimental brain treatment, Ethan enjoys newfound confidence and clarity, until unforeseen complications bring him to question the nature of free will and the fallacy of true love.
9:00pm – 11:00pm
V THINGS THAT GO BUMP IN THE NIGHT: An International Shorts Showcase
Get ready for an international short film showcase filled The Bell Street Chapel Theatre (5 Bell Street, Providence, RI) with horror and science fiction. Havva | Guclu Aydogdu, Director | 8 min. | Turkey, 2015. The tragic miracle of a father in an alternate post-apocalyptic world. A Vif | Guillaume Foresti, Director| 23 min. | France, 2014. Beatrice and Laurent are a couple. Laurent mysteriously lost his senses, little by little. Gradually, he lost the taste and smell, and touch. But more worryingly, it only affects his perception of his wife. He wonders if the problem really comes from him... Drink | Emily Moss Wilson, Director | 23 min. | USA, 2014. DRINK is a sci-fi cautionary tale that follows Alice and her two sons, Clint and Billy, as they flee their home in the middle of the night. They arrive at an old desert motel, and it doesn't take long before Alice realizes she has a strange connection to this place. A tragedy of the past begins to reveal secret desires that could send Alice down
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Vortex Sci-Fi, Fantasy & Horror Film Festival: Print Schedule
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a path of freedom or insanity. Mrs. K | Dongneok Seo, Director |15 min. | South Korea, 2015. Mrs. K, a 9 months pregnant thirty-something housewife, starts to suspect her wealthy husband of something sinister. La Ropavejra | Nacho Ruipérez | 28 min. | Spain, 2014. Young Teresita finds herself suddenly being forced to live in a house with a group of 9 forgotten children. Without the slightest hope for escape they spend their days obeying orders and being abused by the Huckster. Larry Gone Demon | Matt Lawrence, Director | 14 min. | USA, 2014. When three twenty-somethings must deal with the incorrigible and incredibly demonic Larry, they risk life and limb in an attempt to save the soul of their once-kind-and-unassuming friend while also procuring his five-hundred dollars in back rent. 9:30pm – 11:30pm
N ASTRAEA
Narragansett Theater at the Pier (3 Beach St., Narragansett RI)
Screening of "Astraea" a feature film that played at Cinequest, and "Open 24 Hours" directed by a Brown University senior. Astraea | Kristjan Thor, Director | 95 min. | USA, 2015. When disease nearly wipes out the human race, a telepathic teenage girl named Astraea believes her visions confirm that survivors are living in Northern Canada. Preceded by: Open 24 Hours | Henry Chaisson, Director | 6 min. | USA (Local), 2015. In the dead of night, Russell stops at a backwater convenience store to purchase gas and a pair of suspicious tools. He meets his match in Dixie, an overzealous checkout clerk who misinterprets Russell's dark motives at every turn -- or does she? Russell is forced to play into Dixie's eccentric whims, or risk drawing attention to the eerie rumble that pours from the trunk of his car. Barrow | Peter Gurbiel, Director | 15 min. | Australia, 2014. Twenty years to the day her father murdered her mother, young forensic entomologist Carly Jacobs discovers that both time and memory are more connected than she could ever have imagined possible.
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Vortex Sci-Fi, Fantasy & Horror Film Festival: Print Schedule
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Vortex Sci-Fi, Fantasy & Horror Film Festival OCTOBER 24 • SATURDAY A Awards Ceremony V Vortex Shorts
12:00pm – 4:00pm
N Narrative Feature
S Special KidsEye Screening Program
W Walking Tour & Film Screening
W H.P. LOVECRAFT LITERARY WALKING TOUR
Y Symposium
John Brown House (52 Power St, Providence, RI)
One of the most popular Festival events returns for this year's Vortex: College Hill gets especially eerie around this time each year, when the Rhode Island Historical Society celebrates the birthday of H.P. Lovecraft. This would have been his 123rd year, and his macabre stories are no less chilling for their age: See the spots that inspired Lovecraft to write some of his most horrific tales. Walk the streets he walked, and check out places that he mentioned in works such as "The Call of Cthulhu." The tour lasts 90 min. This tour includes free admission to Saturday's 3:00pm Screening at the Bell St. Chapel as part of the 2015 Vortex Sci-Fi, Fantasy & Horror Film Festival!
3:00pm – 5:00pm
V FROM THE LAND BEYOND BEYOND... A Fantasy Shorts Showcase
An international mix of short fantasy films from around the globe.
The Bell Street Chapel Theatre (5 Bell Street, Providence, RI)
Tarim le Brave | Guillaume Rieu, Director | 19 min. | France, 2015. As he is going to save a princess imprisoned in the dungeon of an evil sorcerer, Tarim understands that he is the main character of a movie, and decides to fight against the special effects. Dust | Mike Grier, Director | 27 min. | USA, 2015. In a harsh and unpredictable natural environment where people have isolated them selves behind massive walled cities, a socially marginalized Tracker teams up with a blackmarket merchant to save the industrial society that has rejected his way of life. Edit/Undo | Daniel Clements, Director | 17 min. | Canada, 2015. What if you could undo your mistakes in life, like you can undo your mistakes on a computer, with just the click of a button? Dive | Matthew Saville, Director | 14 min. | New Zealand, 2014. What if your reflection had a mind of it's own? In Extremis | Gregory Crosbie, Director | 14 min. | United Kingdom, 2014. A night watchman is sent to guard the cellar of a museum by its mysterious curator, who tells him that his “usual man” is unavailable that night. He instructs the watchman to set off an alarm bell if anyone tries to gain access to the cellar during the night and warns him to mind his own business whilst there – before leaving him alone to his shift. Theme Song Rebel | Luke Patton, Director | 20 min. | USA (Local), 2013. In a dystopia where a person's social class is determined by their theme song, Louise wants to change her tune. 5:30pm – 6:30pm
6:30pm – 8:30pm
A FILMMAKER AWARDS CEREMONY & RECEPTION
Join us as we announce the award winners for this The Bell Street Chapel Theatre (5 Bell Street, Providence, RI) yearʼs Festival and toast the 16th Anniversary of the Vortex Sci-Fi, Fantasy, and Horror Film Festival. Reception follows. N SUMMIT
The Bell Street Chapel Theatre (5 Bell Street, Providence, RI)
Join us for a screening at the Bell St. Chapel Theatre. Summit | Christina Raia, Director | 80 min. | USA, 2014. A snowy road lies empty and silent as a parked car sits crooked off to the side. The driverʼs door is aimlessly open. A trail of red stains the snow. A womanʼs body lies at the end of the blood-stained trail; her skin blue from the cold, her throat slit. Her lifeless eyes stare out at the
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Vortex Sci-Fi, Fantasy & Horror Film Festival: Print Schedule
http://vortex2015.sched.org/2015-10-24/print/all
open, desolate woods. Preceded By: Scheherazade | Mehrnoush Aliaghael, Director | 15 min. | Iran/USA, 2014. In an audition, the unseen man behind the camera is asking the young actresses to share their dark personal stories to prove how well they relate to the anti-hero they are auditioning for. The result is a story tapestry of dark fantasies, secrets, memories, and betrayals. But their stories are not the end, they are only the beginning. What is happening in this audition room? Night of the Slasher | Shant Hamassian, Director | 11 min. | USA, 2014. A 'shot-in-one-take' slasher film about a teenage girl who must commit horror movie sins by drinking alcohol, doing drugs, and having sex in order to lure a masked killer and defeat him. LOVEBITES | Andrew Chung, Director | 12 min. | Canada, 2015. In a bleak zombie-plagued future, Carolyn fights to survive day to day with her lover, Maddy. But Maddy has a hard time letting go of the past, while Carolyn only lives for today, because it's the only thing left she can count on. 7:00pm – 9:00pm
N JULIA
Narragansett Theater at the Pier (3 Beach St., Narragansett RI)
Screening of feature film "Julia" preceeded by short films "Mae Day" and "Tessellate" Julia | Matthew A. Brown, Director | 95 min. | USA, 2014. A neo-noir revenge thriller centering on Julia Shames, who after suffering a brutal trauma, falls prey to an unorthodox form of therapy to restore herself. Mae Day | Ryan Clark, Director | 13 min. | USA (Local), 2015. A mansion heist turns deadly when two thieves come face-to-face with a young woman who has no intention of backing down. Tessellate | Dario Ortega, Director | 16 min. | USA, 2014. A experimental film explores the a Father's memories of loss, creation and redemption. The father tries to save his son from certain death by using an experimental technology that allow him to store memories. This eventually creates a circle of life that was unforeseen.
9:00pm – 11:00pm
V ENDLESS POSSIBILITIES, INFINITE OPTIONS: An International Short Films Showcase
Special showcase of international science fiction showcase that include tales of space, the supernatural and the end of civilization.
The Bell Street Chapel Theatre (5 Bell Street, Providence, RI)
Enfilade | David Coyle, Director | 10 min. | Australia, 2014. You can't escape the loop. Sumer | Alvaro Garcia, Director | 10 min. | United Kingdom, 2014. For unknown reasons, the Earth's ionosphere has weakened dramatically during the course of the last century. All animal and plant species perished decades ago. All that remains is one small group of humans who attempt to resist the hostility and hardness of the external environment from SUMER, the last hive city in the world. The Last Man | Galvin Rothery, Director | 20 min. | United Kingdom, 2014. A Deep Reserve soldier is awoken from stasis and finds the world ruined by war. Intersection | Brendan Beachman | 19 min. | USA, 2015. Two road construction workers flag for non-existent vehicles on a remote desert intersection. The monotony of their day is smashed by the violent arrival of an object from the sky. Future Perfect | Nick Citton | 11 min. | USA, 2014. A time travel movie that take place in the space between then and now. One man is hired to do a job that makes
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Vortex Sci-Fi, Fantasy & Horror Film Festival: Print Schedule
http://vortex2015.sched.org/2015-10-24/print/all
him question every impulse in his body, until he sees a future he cannot unlearn. A sparse, minimalist sci-fi story about the endless nature of grief. Rose | Tom Stoddart, Director | 11 min. | United Kingdom, 2014. A widowed mother struggling to cope with her daughter's dark secret is offered help by a mysterious doctor, leading to devastating consequences. Squeezebox | Sam Lerma, Director | 21 min. | USA, 2015. A musician's ominous dreams intersect with reality after he buys a mysterious box with an appetite. 9:30pm – 11:30pm
N SUBTERRANEA
Narragansett Theater at the Pier (3 Beach St., Narragansett RI)
Screening of RIIFF 2015's Vortex Sci-Fi & Fantasy Award winner "Subterranea" and comedy short "Movies in Space." Subterranea | Mathew Miller, Director | 99 min. | USA, 2015. A man raised in complete isolation his entire life is released into society for the first time as an adult and must learn how to live. Along the way, he discovers that he's part of a social experiment and sets off to find answers about his dark past. Preceded by: Movies in Space | Chris W. Smith, Director | 15 min. | USA, 2015. MOVIES IN SPACE is a comedy sci-fi following the rise and fall of Travis Shepard, a future-earth-ambassador, who unwittingly gets caught up in an alien Hollywood-like system.
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Vortex Sci-Fi, Fantasy & Horror Film Festival: Print Schedule
Vortex Sci-Fi, Fantasy & Horror Film Festival OCTOBER 25 • SUNDAY A Awards Ceremony V Vortex Shorts
12:00pm – 4:00pm
N Narrative Feature
http://vortex2015.sched.org/2015-10-25/print/all
S Special KidsEye Screening Program
W Walking Tour & Film Screening
W H.P. LOVECRAFT LITERARY WALKING TOUR
Y Symposium
John Brown House (52 Power St, Providence, RI)
One of the most popular Festival events returns for this year's Vortex: College Hill gets especially eerie around this time each year, when the Rhode Island Historical Society celebrates the birthday of H.P. Lovecraft. This would have been his 123rd year, and his macabre stories are no less chilling for their age: See the spots that inspired Lovecraft to write some of his most horrific tales. This tour includes a special screening of short films at the Providence Public Library as part of the 2015 Vortex Sci-Fi, Fantasy & Horror Film Festival! A Vif | Guillaume Foresti, Director | 23 min. | France, 2014. Beatrice and Laurent are a couple. Laurent mysteriously lost his senses, little by little. Gradually, he lost the taste and smell, and touch. But more worryingly, it only affects his perception of his wife. He wonders if the problem really comes from him... Drink | Emily Moss Wilson, Director | 23 min. | USA, 2014. DRINK is a sci-fi cautionary tale that follows Alice and her two sons, Clint and Billy, as they flee their home in the middle of the night. They arrive at an old desert motel, and it doesn't take long before Alice realizes she has a strange connection to this place. A tragedy of the past begins to reveal secret desires that could send Alice down a path of freedom or insanity. Larry Gone Demon | Matt Lawrence, Director | 14 min. | USA, 2014. When three twenty-somethings must deal with the incorrigible and incredibly demonic Larry, they risk life and limb in an attempt to save the soul of their once-kind-and-unassuming friend while also procuring his five-hundred dollars in back rent. Black metal, excrement, Russian gangs, bowling priests, and aborted fetuses collide in this riotous horror-comedy. Barow | Wade K. Savage, Director | 15 min. | Australia, 2014. A young woman training to be a forensic entomologist is forced to confront her dark past Rose | Tom Stoddart, Director | 11 min. | United Kingdom, 2014. A widowed mother struggling to cope with her daughter's dark secret is offered help by a mysterious doctor, leading to devastating consequences. Squeezebox | Directed by Sam Lerma | 21 min. | USA, 2015. A musician's ominous dreams intersect with reality after he buys a mysterious box with an appetite.
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10/17/15 10:45 PM
RHODE ISLAND INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL | AROUND THE WORLD
Our RIIFF Around the World
For details, art or photos about FLICKERS media releases, contact Tsutomu Brelsford, tbrelsford@film-festival.org • 401/861.4445
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• PHOTOS AVAILABLE ON REQUEST OR DOWNLOAD: http://www.film-festival.org/Photos.php
FLICKERS’ VORTEX SCI-FI, FANTASY, AND HORROR FILM FESTIVAL LAUNCHES ITS 16TH GENRE-FILLED YEAR 80 Films, 14 Countries, 7 Running Days, 10 Statewide Locations, Free KidsEye Screenings, Expanded Sci-Fi And Fantasy Programming, Date-Night of Horror, Women Directors Horror Film Showcase, College Connection Screenings, and the Popular H.P. Lovecraft Walking Tour PROVIDENCE, R.I. (September 25, 2015) — A phantasmagoric symphony of international films blasts its way across the big screen as the Flickers’ Rhode Island International Film Festival (RIIFF) launches its 16th Annual VORTEX Sci-Fi, Fantasy, and Horror Film Festival, October 19-25th. In addition to its traditional spooky film fare the newly re-branded “Vortex” will showcase a wide-array of Sci-Fi and Fantasy cinema. This year's Festival includes a return of its popular H.P. Lovecraft Walking Tour presented in collaboration with the RI Historical Society, free after-school KidsEye Programs, a DateNight of Horror with a costume competition, a special focus on Horror Films by Women Directors, a new Campus Connections program that brings programming to area Colleges and Universities, and two free Forums that look behind-the-scenes at creating genre films in the Ocean State. The Forums will feature award-winning filmmakers Reshad Kulenovic, Tom DeNucci, Michele Meek, Kevin McCarthy, and Christina Raia. Executive Director of the Rhode Island Film & Television Office, Steven Feinberg, will serve as moderator. The 2015 festival will include screenings in Providence at the Bell Street Chapel Theatre, the PAFF Theatre at the University of Rhode Island Providence Feinstein Campus, and the Providence Public Library, the Rhode Island Historical Society, along with satellite programming at the University of Rhode Island in Kingston, the Museum of Work & Culture in Woonsocket, the Narragansett Theater at the Pier, the Jamestown Art Center, the Tiverton Public Library and Roger Williams University in Bristol, RI. The Flickers’ VORTEX Sci-Fi, Fantasy, and Horror Film Festival celebrates and showcases imagination and creativity in filmmaking and will include a bevy of World and U.S. Premieres. In all, 80 films have been selected from over 5,000 submissions. They represent 15 countries including the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, Canada, Germany, Iran, Spain, France, Turkey, South Korea, Poland, and the United States. Many of the filmmakers will be in attendance, so audience members will have a chance to meet, ask questions, and even network with the next generation of genre filmmakers. General Admission for screenings is $10.00 per person. Festival 5-packs available at $40 (good year round and at any RIIFF film event) can be purchased online: http://www.film83 Park Street, Suite 5, Providence, RI 02903 United States · 401.861.4445 (f) 401.490.6735 E-mail: info@film-festival.org · Website: http://www.RIFilmFest.org
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festival.org/FivePack15.php. Group Discounts can be arranged in advance by calling the Festival office at 401/861.4445. The full schedule for this year’s Festival can be found here: http://www.rifilmfest.org and https://vortex2015.sched.org KIDSEYE PROGRAMMING LAUNCHES FESTIVAL DAY ONE: Monday, October 19th The Festival kicks off officially on Monday, October 19th, 4:00 p.m. with an after-school program showcasing sci-fi and fantasy films. Geared for kids of all ages and part of the Festival’s KidsEye programming, the free screening takes place at the Providence Public Library,150 Empire Street, Providence. Films include live action/animated short “Dissonance,” directed by Till Nowak (Germany); “Knock Knock,” directed by Anthony Lund (USA); “Broken Wand,” directed by Anne Yang and Michael Altman (USA); “Lapse of Time,” Directed by Celine Tricart (France); “Life on Juniper,” directed by Mark Ratzlaff (Canada); “Zéro,” directed by Tony T. Datis (France); “Sidekick,” directed by Puja Maewal (France). DAY TWO: Tuesday, October 20th The programming continues on Tuesday, October 20th, 4:00 p.m. at the Providence Public Library with the films “Soar,” directed by Alyce Tzue (USA); “The Epic of Hershey,” directed by Douglas McGinness (USA); the award winning animated short “Eloise Little Dreamer,” directed by Myriam Obin (Canada); “Josef et Aimée” directed by Ben Shirinian (Canada); “The Alchemist’s Letter,” directed by Carlos Andre Stevens (USA). This is a free event. THE SINGULARITY OF IMAGINATION: A Conversation with... On Tuesday Night at 6:00 p.m., VORTEX presents a special filmmaker conversation called “The Singularity of Imagination.” The evening features documentary filmmaker, Reshad Kulenovic, a writer/director based in Boston, New York, and Sarajevo. His short film Snovi played 20 international film festivals and was nominated for a 2011 Student Academy Award. Snovi was produced by the Centre Andre Malraux Sarajevo, which also produced Jean-Luc Godard’s Notre Musique. Kulenovic became one of the first artists to be funded by the Heinrich Boll Foundation. His documentary 100 Million Dollar House, set in the West Bank, premiered at the 2015 Rhode Island International Film Festival and was acquired for distribution by Al Jazeera. He graduated with an MFA in Film Production from Boston University. During an in-depth conversation, Kulenovic will speak about his professional journey; screen his work and share insights into what it takes to succeed in the film industry and the fine line between truth and fiction. This program is presented by the RWU Film Production Collaborative and is a free event. CAMPUS CONNECTIONS: SPECIAL SCREENING & DISCUSSION ON USING GENRE TO TELL A STORY Tuesday’s VORTEX programming continues at the University of Rhode Island Kingston Campus at 7:00 p.m. where a diverse selection of Horror, Sci-Fi, and Fantasy short films will be showcased at Swan Hall Auditorium, 45 Upper College Road. Following the screenings, a presentation by RIIFF Program Director, Shawn Quirk, and entitled “Using Genre to Tell a Story” will discuss film curation and the Festival’s process in making its film selections. The special screening is presented by the URI Harrington School of Communication and Media and is a free event.
83 Park Street, Suite 5, Providence, RI 02903 United States · 401.861.4445 (f) 401.490.6735 E-mail: info@film-festival.org · Website: http://www.RIFilmFest.org
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DAY THREE: Wednesday, October 21st PROVIDENCE UNDERGROUND FILM FESTIVAL, Part 1 On Wednesday, October 21st, at 7:00 p.m., at the Paff Theatre located at the University of Rhode Island Feinstein Providence Campus, audiences will have the chance to discover the next wave of Rhode Island based filmmakers. VORTEX’s Providence Underground Film Festival will showcase a selection of up and coming genre filmmakers from Rhode Island and beyond! The night’s line-up kicks-off with the terrifying short film “They’re Closing In,” directed by Rhode Island Filmmaker Jarret Blinkhorn followed by “Lake Nowhere,” directed by Brooklyn based filmmakers Christopher Phelps and Maxim Von Scoy, a nostalgic yet creepy feature film that pays loyal homage to the heyday of 80’s VHS recorded horror films. The second part of this double bill will be “Selene Hollow” directed by Rhode Island Filmmaker Mathew Provost, which chronicles a writer’s many adventures through his imagination through Horror, Sci-Fi, and Fantasy scenarios as he struggles with writer’s block. The Providence Underground Film Festival has become a popular sidebar of the annual Rhode Island International Film Festival in August. The sidebar was created to provide a platform for students and micro-budget filmmakers with independent visions. Unlike what are now considered mainstream “independent” film events, the Providence Underground Film Festival is not designed to imitate established market-driven events but instead to focus on the artistic, aesthetic and most uniquely, the educational side of independent filmmaking. The goal of the programming is to be innovative, original, including lowbrow, experimental, avant-garde and cutting-edge films, while providing an experiential foundation for emerging artists and storytellers. It’s motto: “Tell us your story.” Tickets can be purchased online or at the door. FRENCH LANGUAGE SCI-FI & FANTASY FILMS The Festival will treat audiences in the Blackstone Valley to an evening of French speaking Sci-Fi and Fantasy short films. Programming takes place at the Museum of Work & Culture in Woonsocket, RI at 7:30 p.m. Entitled “Cocteau’s Shadow,” the collection of films will feature both moments of macabre and reverie as they take you on a journey through alternate realities and perspectives in Gallic fashion. These include: “Eloise Little Dreamer” directed by Myriam Obin (Canada); “Zéro” directed by Tony T. Datis (France); “Josef et Aimée” directed by Ben Shirinian (Canada); “Hair Cut” directed by Virginia Mori (France); “A Vif” directed by Guillaume Foresti (France); “Chulyen” directed by Agnès Patron (France); and “Tarim le brave contre des Milles et Un Effects (Tarim the Brave Versus 1001 Special Effects)” directed by Guillaume Rieu (France). Tickets can be purchased at the door. CAMPUS CONNECTIONS: SPECIAL SCREENING AT ROGER WILLIAMS UNIVERSITY, BRISTOL Wednesday’s programming continues at 7:30 p.m., Roger Williams University, Global Heritage Hall, Room 01, with the East Coast premiere of “The Answer” directed by Iqbal Ahmed. The story concerns Bridd who leads a normal everyday life until he starts receiving handwritten messages in the mail from his dead parents. Little does he know what he’s about to discover. “The Answer” will be preceded by the comedy short film “Movies In Space” directed by Chris W. Smith. This is a one-of-a-kind short film about an astronaut pursuing his dream as a filmmaker on an alien planet. The screening of “The Answer” and “Movies in Space” will be presented by the RWU Film Production Collaborative and is a free event. 83 Park Street, Suite 5, Providence, RI 02903 United States · 401.861.4445 (f) 401.490.6735 E-mail: info@film-festival.org · Website: http://www.RIFilmFest.org
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DAY FOUR: Thursday, October 22nd ANTHONY QUINN CENTENARY SALUTE As part of Flickers’ year-long Anthony Quinn retrospective, be sure not to miss the special screening of “The Magus” starring Anthony Quinn, Michael Caine, and Candice Bergen at the newly opened, Tiverton Public Library, 34 Roosevelt Avenue, Tiverton on Thursday, October 22nd at 6:00 p.m. In the film, a teacher (Caine), moves to a Greek island and becomes a victim of bizarre mind games orchestrated by the island’s magician (Quinn). This classic psychological and fantasy drama is the perfect canonical addition to Vortex’s festival program. This is a free event. PROVIDENCE UNDERGROUND FILM FESTIVAL, Part 2 In Providence, 7:00 p.m. at the Paff Theatre located at the University of Rhode Island Feinstein Providence Campus, the Providence Underground Film Festival continues with a second evening showcase of new and exciting work by local filmmakers. This special salute to Ocean State filmmakers will include “Fury: The Tales of Ronin Pierce” directed by Kevin McCarthy from North Providence. Shot mostly in Fall River, Fury is a film about a vigilante cop with a dark past, who seeks revenge. This epic noir film is preceded with “Peeved” by first-time filmmaker Rhonda Santos from Providence, and “A Tricky Treat” by Festival-alum, Patricia Chica from Montreal, Canada. Tickets can be purchased online or at the door. MEANWHILE IN JAMESTOWN... The action shifts south to Jamestown, RI at 7:00 p.m. for a selection of Sci-Fi, Horror, and Thriller short films from across the globe. The location: the Jamestown Arts Center, 18 Valley Street. The program: Phantasmagoric Illusions: Flights of Fantasy. The Showcase will feature films that explore the odd and inexplicable. The screenings include “Playback” a terrifying short film by Nathan Crooker from New York “Seule” by Didier Philippe from France, “Sebastian & Them” by Benjamin Bee from the United Kingdom, and “Back to Earth” by Thomas Wilson from Australia. Tickets can be purchased at the door. DAY FIVE: Friday, October 23rd BEHIND THE CAMERA LENS: On the Nature of Genre Filmmaking On Friday afternoon, October 23rd, at 3:30 p.m. horror and sci-fi film fans will want to be at the Global Heritage Hall, Room 01, Roger Williams University in Bristol. The Forum, “Behind the Camera Lens” provides audiences with the opportunity to meet some of the movers and shakers in the film, horror and sci-fi production scene. Rhode Island has become known as the Independent state for film. Starting with the foundation provided by the film and media programs at our colleges and universities, and the unique talent base of creative artists who have made their homes here. The Ocean State has built a reputation as a one-stop film studio. Among such notable filmmakers as Wes Anderson, Woody Allen and the Farrelly Brothers, and others who have made their films within the Ocean State, the independent horror and sci-fi fantasy genre is steadily becoming an industry standard for RI’s film community. “Behind the Camera Lens,” will be hosted by Steven Feinberg (“Fortress,” “Peter York,” “Pell Grants: A Passion for Education”), Executive Director of the Rhode Island Film & Television Office, the man behind the state’s high profile within the industry, and filmmaking professionals who have successfully made careers within the industry: Panelists: Kevin McCarthy, (“Fury: The Tales of Ronin Pierce”), Christina Raia (“Summit”), Tommy Denucci (“Almost Mercy”) and Michele Meek (newenglandfilm.com) and Shawn Quirk, RIIFF’s Program Director. The RWU Film Production Collaborative will host the free event. 83 Park Street, Suite 5, Providence, RI 02903 United States · 401.861.4445 (f) 401.490.6735 E-mail: info@film-festival.org · Website: http://www.RIFilmFest.org
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Horror and Fantasy fans are in for a treat with two short film screenings starting off at 6:30 p.m. at the Bell Street Chapel Theatre geared for fans of the bizarre. A series of short films from across the globe that showcase the unexpected and the uncanny will be showcased that include “Hair Cut” an animated short directed by Virginia Mori from France, “Pale Blue Eyes” a thriller directed by Joe Henderson from Australia that is sure to make you question how things appear, “Chulyen” an animated short about a creature that is half man half crow directed by Agnes Patron from France, “Teeth,” directed by Tom Brown and Daniel Gray from the United Kingdom, and “The Morrigan” an Irish horror film directed by Colum Eastwood that will be sure to haunt you long after the night is over. At 9:00 p.m. the Bell continues with an even more frightening package of horror shorts that include the startling “A Vif,” directed by Guillaume Foresti (France); “Drink,” directed by Emily Moss Wilson (USA); “Larry Gone Demon,” directed by Matt Lawrence (USA); “Mrs. K,” directed by Dongneok Seo (South Korea); “La Ropavejra,” directed by Nacho Ruipérez (Spain); “The Bridge Partner” directed by Gabriel Olsen. FLICKERS’ DATE NIGHT AND COSTUME COMPETITION The Narragansett Theater at the Pier kicks off its VORTEX programming at Friday night at 7:00 p.m. with the feature film “Jackrabbit” directed by Carleton Ranney and the annual “Date Night of Horror.” All couples, (whatever the combination) will receive a special rate of $10.00 (or half off the normal ticket price) for the showing of "Jackrabbit." Additionally, those who come in costume will be eligible for a special drawing of tickets to the 2016 RIIFF 20th Anniversaty Opening Night Gala well as receive half-off the ticket price! (Note: no double-dipping for couples in costume!) The Tribeca Film Festival premiere “Jackrabbit” takes place in a dystopian future where the world’s technological infrastructure has been completely wiped out, and the only form of known civilization is the struggling and isolated City IV where technology is intentionally prevented from evolving by the powers that be. This imaginative and playful lo-fi take on an future gone awry will be preceded by the short film “Lost In Bloom” directed by Connecticut based filmmaker, Michael Messina. At 9:30 p.m. programming at the Narragansett Theater at the Pier continues with the feature film “Astraea” directed by Kristjan Thor. When disease wipes out the human race, a telepathic teenage girl named Astraea believes her visions confirm that survivors are living in Northern Canada. “Astraea” offers a refreshing take on the post-apocalyptic sub-genre of horror. This film is preceded by the short “Open 24 Hours” directed by Brown University student, Henry Chaisson. Tickets for both programs can be purchased online and at the door. VORTEX WEEKEND SCREENINGS DAY SIX: October 24th Saturday afternoon screenings kick off at the Bell Street Chapel at 3:00 p.m. with a program of memorable fantasy short films entitled “From the Land Beyond Beyond: A Fantasy Shorts Showcase.” The program includes the special effect epic “Tarim The Brave Versus 1000 Special Effects,” directed by Guillaume Rieu (France); “Dust” directed by Mike Grier (USA); “Edit/Undo,” directed by Daniel Clements (Canada); “Dive,” directed by Matthew Saville (New Zealand); “In Extremis” directed by Gregory Crosbie (United Kingdom); “Theme Song Rebel,” directed by Luc Patton (USA). FILMMAKER AWARDS CEREMONY & RECEPTION At 5:30 p.m. VORTEX will announce this year’s award winner at the Bell Street Chapel Theatre. All are welcome for this free event that includes a toast of the 16th Anniversary of the VORTEX Sci-Fi, Fantasy, and Horror Film Festival. 83 Park Street, Suite 5, Providence, RI 02903 United States · 401.861.4445 (f) 401.490.6735 E-mail: info@film-festival.org · Website: http://www.RIFilmFest.org
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The Awards ceremony will be followed by a reception with the filmmakers and attending audience members. WOMEN MAVERICKS TURNING THE TIDE ON HORROR Following the awards ceremony the programming for the evening will showcase work by female directors. In a genre predominantly directed by men, this special showcase highlights three women directors who intentionally subvert the all too common horror tropes that we all know inside and out. These films defy expectation and make us think about gender roles within the horror genre in a new light. At 6:30 p.m., Bell Street Chapel, Vortex screens the “Summit” a feature length slasher film directed by Christina Raia (USA). The film discovers that if there is anything that can go wrong with a ski trip, it will and does. Preceding the feature is “Scheherazade” directed by Mehmoush Aliaghael (Iran/USA) and “Night of the Slasher” directed by Shant Hamassian (USA). Following the “Women Mavericks Showcase”, an international showcase of sci-fi short films closes the evening at Bell. Beginning at 9:00 p.m. the film programming includes “Sumer” a dystopian animated short directed by Alvaro Garcia (United Kingdom); “Last Man” directed by Galvin Rother (United Kingdom) which shows what happens when one wakes up to find that they are the last living human being on earth; and “Future Perfect” a time travel movie directed by Nick Citton (USA) that takes place in the space somewhere between then and now. Tickets can be purchased online or at the door. Saturday’s programming at Narragansett Theatre at the Pier kicks off at 7:00 p.m. with the thriller/vigilante film “Julia” directed by Matthew A. Brown. The film is a neo-noir revenge tale centering on Julia Shames, who after suffering a brutal trauma falls prey to an unorthodox form of therapy to restore herself. Preceding the feature is “Mae Day,” a short film directed by Ryan Clark and shot in a Newport Mansion. The story concerns a heist that turns deadly when two thieves come face-to-face with a young woman who has no intention of backing down. VORTEX CLOSING NIGHT PRESENTATION Programming at Narragansett Theatre at the Pier concludes on Saturday evening at 9:30 pm. with the screening of “Subterranea” directed by Connecticut filmmaker, Matthew Miller. In this film, a man raised in complete isolation his entire life is released into society for the first time as an adult and must learn how to live. Along the way, he discovers that he’s part of a social experiment and sets off to find answers about his dark past. The film won the Grand Prize for Best Sci-Fi & Fantasy Film at the 2015 Rhode Island International Film Festival. Tickets for both screenings in Narragansett can be purchased online and at the door. DOUBLE THE LOVECRAFT: WALKING TOUR & FILM SCREENING This year, the popular annual H.P. Lovecraft Walking Tour hosted in collaboration with the RI Historical Society will be held on two consecutive dates: Saturday, October 24th at 12:00 NOON, and again on Sunday, October 25th, at 12:00 Noon. The life and work of Providence's best-known fantasy and horror author, Howard Phillips Lovecraft, provide the backdrop for this walking tour. Acknowledged genius of occult and horror fiction, Lovecraft's Providence Stories (written between 1924 and 1935) provide the basis for this walk. Lovecraft wrote eloquently, and in great detail, about such landmarks as Prospect Terrace, the First 83 Park Street, Suite 5, Providence, RI 02903 United States · 401.861.4445 (f) 401.490.6735 E-mail: info@film-festival.org · Website: http://www.RIFilmFest.org
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Baptist Church, and the historic homes of Benefit Street. See the site of his former home, as well as the sights mentioned in The Case of Charles Dexter Ward, The Haunter of the Dark, The Shunned House, and The Call of Cthulhu. Lovecraft's own words offer a most amazing literary, historical, and architectural walking tour. The tour will depart on both days from the John Brown House at 52 Power Street, Providence and lasts 90 minutes. LOVECRAFT-INSPIRED FILM SCREENINGS On Saturday, October 24th, the H.P. Lovecraft Walking Tour concludes with a screening of a short film collection inspired by H.P. Lovecraft. The location is the Bell Street Chapel Theatre, 5 Bell Street, and Providence with the screening to take place at 3:00 p.m. On Sunday, October 25th, the screening will take place at the Providence Public Library Theater, 150 Empire Street, Providence at 2:00 p.m. Tickets for the walking tour are $18 per person, can be purchased online at http://www.filmfestival.org/HPLovecraft15.php, and includes a ticket to the film screenings. The Walking Tour can also be purchased in advance by calling the RIIFF offices at 401.861.4445. The FLICKERS: Vortex Sci-Fi, Fantasy, and Horror Film Festival is sponsored by The Rhode Island Film & Television Office, Amtrak, RISCA, Cox on Demand, Diabolique Magazine, Eurochannel, The Harrington School of Communications and Media at the University of Rhode Island, The URI College of Arts & Sciences, The Film Media Program, and the URI Feinstein College of Continuing Education, Roger Williams University and the RWU Film Production Club. General Admission for screenings is $10.00 per person. The full schedule for this year’s Festival can be found here: http://www.rifilmfest.org and https://vortex2015.sched.org
ABOUT THE RHODE ISLAND INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL: The FLICKERS: Rhode Island International Film Festival (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. This confluence of art and commerce brought together world-class celebrities, award-winning filmmakers, new talent and audience members in record numbers last year. Ranked as one of the top 10 Festivals in the United States, RIIFF is a qualifying festival for both the Short Narrative and Documentary Short Film Academy Awards through its affiliation with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences and the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA). There are only 6 film festivals worldwide that share this distinction and RIIFF is the only festival in New England. The Festival takes place every August. For more information about the FLICKERS: Rhode Island International Film Festival, running August 9-14 2016 at The Providence Performing Arts Center (PPAC) and The Vets (formerly Veterans Memorial Auditorium), please visit our website at www.RIFilmFest.org or call 401.861.4445. ###
83 Park Street, Suite 5, Providence, RI 02903 United States · 401.861.4445 (f) 401.490.6735 July 11-15, 2016 • http://film-festival.org/kidseye.php E-mail: info@film-festival.org · Website: http://www.RIFilmFest.org
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