Oscar Night® America Partners with the Rhode Island International Film Festival
Providence Oscar Night® America on Sunday, March 7th is one of only 51 official parties sanctioned by the Academy to host an official Oscar® telecast viewing party on Oscar Night.
TICKETS CAN BE PURCHASED AT THE DOOR . THE VMA BOX OFFICE OPENS AT 6:30 P.M.
Click to listen to the official Oscar Night® America radio spot. Thanks to Tim Boughton and Matt Beer at RWU!
• THIS JUST IN: Come to the Oscar Night® America Celebration and stay at the Providence Renaissance Hotel (next door to the VMA Arts & Cultural Center) for an amazing reduced rate of $85.Click here for the link to book your stay now!
(PROVIDENCE, RI) • Oscar Night® America is the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' grassroots program that enables not-for-profit charities to host glamorous parties while raising much needed funds. In 2010, the FLICKERS: Rhode Island International Film Festival (RIIFF) has been selected to host Rhode Island’s only officially sanctioned party, one of only 51 official parties throughout the country sanctioned by the Academy.
On Sunday, March 7, 2010, guests will experience the thrills, surprises and excitement of the 82nd Academy Awards® at Providence's Oscar Night® America party which will be held at the Veteran’s Memorial AuditoriumArts & Cultural Center, 1 Avenue of the Arts in Providence. The Honorary Chairs for the evening are Lincoln and Stephanie Chafee.
Members of the Oscar Night® America Committee include Eva Anderson; Lawrence J. Andrade; Ann Burke; Demetria Carr; Michael Drywa, Esq., RIIFF Board President; Amanda Heinsen; Ton Huiskes; Marcia Hutchinson; Michelle Lancellotti; George T. Marshall; Barry Martin; Duncan Putney; Deb Rich; Evelyn Sweeney; and Ron Tippe.
As Oscar co-hosts Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin take the stage in Los Angeles at Hollywood’s Kodak Theatre, Rhode Islanders will be able to join John Deluca and Allison Alexander of ABC6 for the creative black-tie event at the Veteran’s Memorial Auditorium& Cultural Center, that is set to benefit the Rhode Island International Film Festival (RIIFF). All attendees to the event will be treated like celebrities, walking into the theatre on a red carpet that would be found at world cinematic premieres. This grand entrance will be covered live by ABC 6; official sponsor for Providence Oscar Night® America.
“We could not be more honored and pleased that the Academy has selected FLICKERS: Rhode Island International Film Festival to host the 2010 Providence Oscar Night® America,” stated Michael Drywa, RIIFF’s Board President. “The prestigious nature of Oscar Night® America is a feather in the cap of our organization which prides itself on fostering an appreciation and respect for the world of film.
“RIIFF has had a long-term relationship with the Academy as New England’s only qualifying Festival in the short film division, so this new relationship could not be more appropriate,” he added.
The Festival will be honoring on March 7th some of the Stars in the Film Arts Community:
• Hon. David N. Cicilline, Mayor of Providence/Arts Advocate, was born in the South Side of Providence and then moved with his family to Narragansett, Rhode Island. He graduated Brown University magna cum laude and went on to earn a J.D. from the Georgetown University Law Center. He served as a public defender in Washington, D.C. before returning home to open a practice in criminal defense and civil rights law. Activity in Providence‘s 25 neighborhoods has reawakened under his mayorship. Mayor Cicilline‘s vision for a robust after-school system to rival those of wealthy suburban communities is on its way to becoming a reality. The two year-old Arts in the Park neighborhood program is already considered a national model.
• Chad Detwiller, production designer, has worked in production on movies such as Outside Providence, Hachiko: A Dog's Story, The Education of Charlie Banks and the TV shows Brotherhood and Providence.
• Steven Feinberg, attended UCLA and the USC Film School. He has sold screenplays and pitches to 20th Century Fox, Warner Brothers, Miramax, Village Roadshow, Columbia-Tri Star, Universal, and more. He co-produced and co-wrote FORTRESS (1993) and co-wrote the sequel’s story, FORTRESS 2. Since April, 2004, when he became the Director of the Rhode Island Film & Television Office, he has brought to the state $30 million worth of production, including the Showtime series BROTHERHOOD, creating 150 full-time jobs for local crew and hundreds more for actors and extras. www.rifilm.com
• Molly Maginnis, costume designer,was born in Washington, DC to a father who was a lawyer and a mother who was a concert pianist and teacher. She has been a Costume Designer since her first play in 1970. She has designed for stage, ballet, opera, film and television. She has designed over 40 films, most notably: BROADCAST NEWS, SISTER ACT, AS GOOD AS IT GETS, THE BUCKET LIST, LUCAS, MISS FIRECRACKER, COME SEE THE PARADISE, ROLE MODELS and most recently, THE LITTLE FOCKERS. She designed SHOWBOAT on Broadway and has designed in NYC and at regional theatres and opera houses throughout the country. She received her BFA from Washington University in St. Louis and her MFA at Carnegie-Mellon University. She has taught at Carnegie-Mellon UNiversity and University of California at San Diego.
• Anne Mulhall, casting for film, television, voice-overs, live performance and historic reenactments. Her long list of credits include "Hachiko: A Dog's Story" starring Richard Gere and Joan Allen, "27 Dresses" starring Kathryn Heigl, "Dan In Real Life" starring Steve Carell and Julliette Binoche, Walt Disney's "Underdog" starring Jim Belushi, and three seasons of the Peabody award-winning Showtime television series, "Brotherhood."
• Chris Sparling is a writer/director originally from Providence, RI. His company, Scarred Heel Productions, produced the NetFlix- and HBO-released feature film An Uzi at the Alamo, the award-winning dramatic short film Balance. He also wrote the screenplay for the upcoming feature film Buried, starring Ryan Reynolds, which is being produced by The Safran Company. It was just picked up for distribution by Lions Gate at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival. In addition to associate producing the feature-length documentary One Fast Move or I'm Gone: Kerouac's Big Sur, Chris has also produced and directed a number of television and commercial productions for clients including Pepsi, Starbucks, Snuggle, Kimberly Clark, Dannon, Dove, and Target. He has also served as an adjunct professor of screenwriting at Boston University, Emerson College, and Holyoke Community College.
• David Spear, composer, conductor and pianist, graduated from UCLA where he was awarded the Henry Mancini Scholarship. He began his career orchestrating many film scores for Elmer Bernstein including "Animal House," "Airplane," "Ghostbusters," and "Heavy Metal." After his Broadway debut as Music Director of "Merlin, the Magical Musical," Spear composed scores for three Academy Award Nominated Films: "Rainbow War," "The Courage to Care" and "Ballet Robotique." He also wrote the music for the Emmy Award winning documentary, "Surviving Everest" for National Geographic. He has led the London Symphony, the Royal Philharmonic, the Vancouver Symphony and the Munich Philharmonic in recordings of his own works. Last season he conducted the Indianapolis Symphony in the world premiere of "The Langston Hughes Project" featuring Ice-T and the Ron McCurdy Quartet. Professor Spear has served on the faculties of Berklee College of Music and the USC Thornton School of Music where he was awarded the Casden Institute Faculty Research Grant to re-score Samuel Goldwyn’s 1922 Classic Yiddish Silent Film "Hungry Hearts" in collaboration with his students. The new score and restored print premiered at the 2007 New York Jewish Film Festival at Lincoln Center. He is currently Music Associate Professor at New York University.
• Sprague Theobald, documentarian, has always had an affinity for the sea. From his 3 year stint on the America's Cup yacht Intrepid to his private voyages from Alaska through the Panama Canal and into the Caribbean, Sprague has over 40,000 deep water miles under his belt. He has produced a long list of award winning films and documentaries with a focus on education, history and maritime expedition including "Welcome to Nordhavn" "52 Harrison Lane" "The Lost Transports of 1778", "Searching For Steinbeck" and EMMY Award Winning, "The 25th Defense" a 48-minute documentary on The America's Cup Races. His most recent work, now in post production, is Braving the Northwest Passage.
The FLICKERS: Rhode Island International Film Festival (RIIFF), now in its 14th year, has secured its place in the global community as the portal for the best in international independent cinema; earning the respect of domestic and foreign filmmakers, filmgoers and trend watchers. This confluence of art and commerce brought together world-class celebrities, award-winning filmmakers, new talent and audience members in record numbers last year.
Funding generated by Providence Oscar Night® America will be used to not only underwrite the Festival’s 14th Season in August, it will support such community outreach and educational programs as the Rhode Island Film Forum; Cine ¡OLÉ!; the Golden Jasmine Chinese Film Festival; the Vortex Sci-Fi Film Festival; the New England Student Film Festival; the Providence GLBT Film Festival; the Providence Underground Film Festival; the Roving Eye Documentary Film Festival; the RIIFF Technology Forum; the 7 Day PSA Competition; the KidsEye™ Summer Filmmaking Camp; Documentary Tech; ScriptBiz™; the RI International Horror Film Festival; and the Flickers’ Japanese Film Festival.
“Many people do not realize that programming created and produced by the Rhode Island International Film Festival takes place throughout the year,” stated George T. Marshall, RIIFF Executive Director/CEO. “From specialized screening events to internships, RIIFF provides an ongoing opportunity to discover all the elements that compose the cinematic arts.”
Sponsors for the 2010 Providence Oscar Night® America hosted by the Rhode Island International Film Festival include PMA Industries, ABC6, Amtrak, Temple Restaurant, Glasswing Design, Harpoon Brewery, Newport Vineyards, Valet Connection, Barrington Printing, East Coast Lighting and Production Services, Ambient Sound, Renaissance Providence Hotel and the Veterans Memorial AuditoriumArts & Cultural Center.
Photography by Mary Hanley Photography and Jonathan Beller Photography.
For sponsorship opportunities or information, please contact Demetria Carr, Managing Director, at 401.861.4445 or demetriac@film-festival.org
ABOUT Oscar Night® America:
Since its inception in 1994, the program has generated nearly $24 million in funding for a wide spectrum of charitable organizations. The Oscar Night® America Party in Providence, Rhode Island will raise vital funds to enable the Rhode Island International Film Festival to further its educational and arts outreach efforts and underwrite RIIFF’s August 2010 season.
ABOUT FLICKERS: RHODE ISLAND INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL:
The mission of FLICKERS: Rhode Island International Film Festival is to discover and empower filmmakers. Held in Providence, and at locations throughout the state, RIIFF is one of only 65 film festivals worldwide that is a qualifying event for the Oscars. It is also New England’s largest film festival. Its innovative programming, cultivated industry ties, and loyal audiences have made the Festival a strategic and desirable platform for film premieres, drawing hundreds of independent filmmakers from around the globe. The next Festival will take place August 10-15, 2010. For more information about the festival, please visit www.rifilmfest.org.
For student rate, please call our office t at 401.861.4445
• Hon. David N. Cicilline, Mayor of Providence/Arts Advocate, was born in the South Side of Providence and then moved with his family to Narragansett, Rhode Island. He graduated Brown University magna cum laude and went on to earn a J.D. from the Georgetown University Law Center. He served as a public defender in Washington, D.C. before returning home to open a practice in criminal defense and civil rights law. Activity in Providence‘s 25 neighborhoods has reawakened under his mayorship. Mayor Cicilline‘s vision for a robust after-school system to rival those of wealthy suburban communities is on its way to becoming a reality. The two year-old Arts in the Park neighborhood program is already considered a national model. 
• Chad Detwiller, production designer, has worked in production on movies such as Outside Providence, Hachiko: A Dog's Story, The Education of Charlie Banks and the TV shows Brotherhood and Providence. 
• Steven Feinberg, attended UCLA and the USC Film School. He has sold screenplays and pitches to 20th Century Fox, Warner Brothers, Miramax, Village Roadshow, Columbia-Tri Star, Universal, and more. He co-produced and co-wrote FORTRESS (1993) and co-wrote the sequel’s story, FORTRESS 2. Since April, 2004, when he became the Director of the Rhode Island Film & Television Office, he has brought to the state $30 million worth of production, including the Showtime series BROTHERHOOD, creating 150 full-time jobs for local crew and hundreds more for actors and extras. 
• Molly Maginnis, costume designer,was born in Washington, DC to a father who was a lawyer and a mother who was a concert pianist and teacher. She has been a Costume Designer since her first play in 1970. She has designed for stage, ballet, opera, film and television. She has designed over 40 films, most notably: BROADCAST NEWS, SISTER ACT, AS GOOD AS IT GETS, THE BUCKET LIST, LUCAS, MISS FIRECRACKER, COME SEE THE PARADISE, ROLE MODELS and most recently, THE LITTLE FOCKERS. She designed SHOWBOAT on Broadway and has designed in NYC and at regional theatres and opera houses throughout the country. She received her BFA from Washington University in St. Louis and her MFA at Carnegie-Mellon University. She has taught at Carnegie-Mellon UNiversity and University of California at San Diego.
• Anne Mulhall, casting for film, television, voice-overs, live performance and historic reenactments. Her long list of credits include "Hachiko: A Dog's Story" starring Richard Gere and Joan Allen, "27 Dresses" starring Kathryn Heigl, "Dan In Real Life" starring Steve Carell and Julliette Binoche, Walt Disney's "Underdog" starring Jim Belushi, and three seasons of the Peabody award-winning Showtime television series, "Brotherhood."
• Chris Sparling is a writer/director originally from Providence, RI. His company, Scarred Heel Productions, produced the NetFlix- and HBO-released feature film An Uzi at the Alamo, the award-winning dramatic short film Balance. He also wrote the screenplay for the upcoming feature film Buried, starring Ryan Reynolds, which is being produced by The Safran Company. It was just picked up for distribution by Lions Gate at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival. In addition to associate producing the feature-length documentary One Fast Move or I'm Gone: Kerouac's Big Sur, Chris has also produced and directed a number of television and commercial productions for clients including Pepsi, Starbucks, Snuggle, Kimberly Clark, Dannon, Dove, and Target. He has also served as an adjunct professor of screenwriting at Boston University, Emerson College, and Holyoke Community College.
• David Spear, composer, conductor and pianist, graduated from UCLA where he was awarded the Henry Mancini Scholarship. He began his career orchestrating many film scores for Elmer Bernstein including "Animal House," "Airplane," "Ghostbusters," and "Heavy Metal." After his Broadway debut as Music Director of "Merlin, the Magical Musical," Spear composed scores for three Academy Award Nominated Films: "Rainbow War," "The Courage to Care" and "Ballet Robotique." He also wrote the music for the Emmy Award winning documentary, "Surviving Everest" for National Geographic. He has led the London Symphony, the Royal Philharmonic, the Vancouver Symphony and the Munich Philharmonic in recordings of his own works. Last season he conducted the Indianapolis Symphony in the world premiere of "The Langston Hughes Project" featuring Ice-T and the Ron McCurdy Quartet. Professor Spear has served on the faculties of Berklee College of Music and the USC Thornton School of Music where he was awarded the Casden Institute Faculty Research Grant to re-score Samuel Goldwyn’s 1922 Classic Yiddish Silent Film "Hungry Hearts" in collaboration with his students. The new score and restored print premiered at the 2007 New York Jewish Film Festival at Lincoln Center. He is currently Music Associate Professor at New York University.
• Sprague Theobald, documentarian, has always had an affinity for the sea. From his 3 year stint on the America's Cup yacht Intrepid to his private voyages from Alaska through the Panama Canal and into the Caribbean, Sprague has over 40,000 deep water miles under his belt. He has produced a long list of award winning films and documentaries with a focus on education, history and maritime expedition including "Welcome to Nordhavn" "52 Harrison Lane" "The Lost Transports of 1778", "Searching For Steinbeck" and EMMY Award Winning, "The 25th Defense" a 48-minute documentary on The America's Cup Races. His most recent work, now in post production, is Braving the Northwest Passage.
