Celebrating 100 Years of a Screen Legend

“ANTHONY QUINN: A 100 YEAR LEGACY” is a year-long focus by the Flickers: Rhode Island International Film Festival (RIIFF) on the art, history and film of legendary actor, Anthony Quinn presented in collaboration with the RI Film and Television Office and the Anthony Quinn Foundation. Running through November 2015, this special program will include free screenings of his films at libraries across the state with a curated monthly series; scholarly monographs; panel discussions with film and history scholars; special breakout screenings of signature films, a student essay contest (high school and college) on the legacy of this seminal artist and a video competition geared for area college students to recreate a scene from one of five films that will be showcased: La Strada, Lust for Life, Requiem for a Heavyweight, Lawrence of Arabia, and The Guns of Navarone.

There have been a select few Latino actors who broke the barrier of language and stereotypes to make their way in the United States, paving the way for new generations of actors like Javier Bardem or Antonio Banderas. Perhaps the most notable was the magnificent Anthony Ruldolph Oaxaca Quinn, born on April 21, 1915, in Chihuahua, Mexico who became a Hispanic legend, managing to get from a humble beginning in Mexico to the most glittering reputation in Hollywood.

He was the son of Francisco Quinn, of half Irish and half Mexican origin, and Manuela Oaxaca, Mexican descendant of Nahua. At an early age, his family moved to Texas and Quinn had to start working. In 1936, Quinn made the leap into the acting profession. That year he had a role in the play Clean Beds with Mae West and appeared in the film Parole! This opened the door to other film roles, often playing the part of the bad guy.

Quinn did some of his finest film work in the 1950s and 1960s. He played Mexican revolutionary Emiliano Zapata in Viva Zapata (1952), a performance that won him the Academy Award for Actor in a Supporting Role. Quinn received that same honor again in 1956 for his portrayal of the painter Paul Gauguin in Lust for Life with Kirk Douglas. He was also nominated for Best Actor in 1957 for Wild Is the Wind and in 1964 for Zorba the Greek. Quinn achieved box-office success with starring roles in The Guns of Navarone (1961) with Gregory Peck and David Niven and Lawrence of Arabia (1962) with Peter O'Toole.

More than 35 films will be screened along with the Anthony Quinn Centenary being a focus at the upcoming Flickers’ produced Roving Eye International Film Festival, April 12-19; KidsEye Summer Filmmaking Camp, July 6-10th; the Rhode Island International Film Festival, August 4-9th; and the Vortex Sci-Fi, Fantasy and Horror Film Festival, October 19-25th.

Programming will begin March 19th and run through November 14th.

• Click here for the 2015 Film Programming Schedule •

Participating libraries include:

East Providence Public Library

41 Grove Ave, East Providence, RI 02914

401.434.2453 • www.eastprovidencelibrary.org

Jamestown Philomenian Library

26 North Road, Jamestown, RI

401-231-4980 • www.jamestownphilomenianlibrary.org

Newport Public Library

300 Spring Street, Newport, RI

401-847-8720 • www.newportlibraryri.org

Kingston Free Library

2605 Kingstown Road, Kingston, RI

401-783-8254 • http://www.skpl.org/node/164

Providence Public Library

150 Empire Street, Providence, RI

02903 401.455.8000 • http://www.provlib.org

Rochambeau Library

708 Hope Street, Providence, RI

401-272-3780 • http://www.provcomlib.org/locations/rochambeau

Tiverton Public Library

34 Roosevelt Drive, Tiverton, RI 02878

401.625.6796 • http://www.tivertonlibrary.org

Warwick Public Library
600 Sandy Lane, Warwick, RI
4017395440 • http:// www.warwicklibrary.org

The Flickers: Rhode Island International Film Festival (RIIFF) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit arts organization that supports and promotes the film arts in Rhode Island and throughout New England. Over the past two decades, the Rhode Island International Film Festival has screened 3,896 independent films and videos out of 42,935 entries, presented 905 World/North American premieres, featured over 700 entries that were locally produced, and hosted 3,358 filmmakers and crew. Since its inception, over 360,000 film lovers have enjoyed the Rhode Island International Film Festival, its film presentations and programming.

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 also a qualifying festival for the Short Film Academy Award through its affiliation with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences. There are 19 film festivals worldwide which 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 4-9, 2015 at the Providence Performing Arts Center (PPAC) and The Vets (formerly Veterans Memorial Auditorium), please call 401.861.4445.