Flickers' Japanese Film Festival
2017 Marks the 34th Annual Screening of this popular sidebar
THE BACKSTORY:
In 1984, a dedicated group of
civic and community leaders were drawn together to help
create an event that celebrated the arts, culture and
Rhode Island’s historical friendship with Japan.
One of the founding members of this group was Flickers—The
Newport Film Society, which participated by creating,
curating and presenting the Japanese Film Festival.
Now, 34 years later and as many years of screening this
festival, Flickers has evolved into the Flickers Arts
Collaborative and produces the Annual Rhode
Island International Film Festival (RIIFF)
which is now celebrating its 21st year.
This year, Flickers is proud announce the presentation of a fully-developed sidebar of Japanese films during the main Festival which runs August 8-13th. Along with a number of US Premieres, this mini-festival within the festival will
feature award-winning shorts, cutting-edge anime, and
several feature-length films. The Flickers' Japanese Film Festival will be programmed by a newly formed committee of community leaders and artists.
“We feel that this is a wonderful way for the general
public to discover how Japanese cinema has influenced
so many of the world’s leading filmmakers and
artists,” said RIIFF Executive Director, George
T. Marshall, founder of both Flickers and RIIFF.
“We began screening Japanese films in 1984 as part of the original programming for Flickers,” added Marshall. “Thanks
to the worldwide reputation of the Rhode Island International
Film Festival, we have access to major new work that
is submitted.
"This year alone, we expect over 6,000 entries, with many coming from filmmakers in Japan. RIIFF
is the only New England Film Festival that is a qualifying
festival for the Academy of Motion Pictures and Sciences,
(aka, the Oscars) in three categories, and that has had a major influence in the quality and volume of the work we receive."
More details will be announced in July.
The special film program being presented this year by
RIIFF will take place at locations in the capital city of Providence and throughout Rhode Island.
For more information about this program, please contact:
George T. Marshall, Executive Director
Flickers' Rhode Island International
Film Festival
P.O. Box 162
Newport, Rhode Island 02840 (United States)
Office: The Vets, 83 Park Street, Suite 5, Providence, RI 02903
Tel/Fax: (401) 861-4445 / 490-6735
georget@film-festival.org
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