This Year's Program Celebrates the Power of Art and Culture in Affecting Positive Change
13th Annual event takes place April 16-22nd in collaboration with Roger Williams University. Highlights include major international shorts and features, and documentaries and a celebration of the arts.
TO DOWNLOAD THE FULL SCHEDULE FOR 2018, CLICK HERE
• Program Subject to Change •
MONday, April 16 th:
3:30 p.m.
Location: Global Heritage Hall, 01
The Singularity of Imagination …
The program will be introduced by George T. Marshall, Executive Director, Flickers
Moderated by Angela Ferguson-Martins, RWU Student .
ABOUT TODAY'S GUESTS:
This program is presented by the RWU Hawk's Herald and is a free event.
5:00 p.m.
Location: Global Heritage Hall, 01
ON THE EDGE: ACADEMY NOMINATED SHORTS, Part 1
Award-winning Short Films
Moderated by Alice Cross, Film Scholar/Writer/Teacher and Shawn Quirk, Program Director of the Flickers’ Rhode Island International Film Festival
“The Eleven O’Clock” | Derin Seale, Director | 14 min. Australia, 2017
The delusional patient of a psychiatrist believes he is actually the psychiatrist. As they each attempt to treat each other the session gets out of control.
“Knife Skills” | Thomas Lennon, Director | 40 min. United States, 2017
A French restaurant is staffed by men and women who have recently been released from prison.
“Edith+Eddie” | Laura Checkoway, Director | 29 min. United States, 2017
Edith and Eddie, ages 96 and 95, are America's oldest interracial newlyweds. Their love story is disrupted by a feud over legal guardianship that threatens to tear the couple apart.
6:30 p.m.
Location: Global Heritage Hall, 01
ON THE EDGE: ACADEMY NOMINATED SHORTS, Part 2
Award-winning Short Films
Moderated by Alice Cross, Film Scholar/Writer/Teacher and Shawn Quirk, Program Director of the Flickers’ Rhode Island International Film Festival
“Garden Party” | Théophile Dufresne, Director | 7 min. France, 2016
The frogs are having a party.
“DeKalb Elementary” | Reed Van Dyk, Director | 20 min. USAA, 2016
Inspired by an actual 911 call placed during a school shooting incident in Atlanta, Georgia.
"Watu Wote/All of Us” | Katja Benrath, Director |22 min. Germany, 2017
For almost a decade Kenya has been targeted by terrorist attacks of the Al-Shabaab. An atmosphere of anxiety and mistrust between Muslims and Christians is growing. Until in December 2015, Muslim bus passengers showed that solidarity can prevail.
“The Silent Child” | Chris Overton, Director, and Rachel Shenton, writer | 20 min. United Kingdom, 2017
The Silent Child film centers around a profoundly deaf four year old girl named Libby, who is born into a middle class family and lives in a world of silence until a caring social worker teaches her the gift of communication.
• Plus a Sneak Peak of a world premiere short that may be a potential nominee for 2019!
TUESDAY, APRIL 17TH:
3:30 p.m.
Location: Feinstein College of Arts and Sciences, Room: CAS 157
GO WITH THE WIND: SHORT FILM BLOCK
“Riders” | Jesper V. Rasmussen, Director | 29 min. Denmark, 2017
Sickened with its deadly violence, Lars is determined to leave his outlaw motorcycle club after 8 years in prison.
“Night Call” | Amanda Renee Knox, Director | 18 min. USA, 2017
When a Black female cop living in and patrolling Inglewood gets called to a disturbance she is forced to make an unprecedented life altering decision.
“The Staying Kind” | Isaac Deitz, Director | 20 min. USA, 2017
The year is 1864 and Florence Albertine is a widow at 26 years old. Her husband, Charles, a soldier in the United States Confederate Army, left home ambitious and determined to resist invasion from the North and was killed in action by a Union cannon strike. Victor, their 7-year old son, understands why his father isn't coming home and cares for his mother through her own attempts to do the same.
Through her grieving, Florence copes with the circumstances surrounding the farm. Concerned for her son, worry takes root in Florence's heart as she fears she may be going mad. Victor senses his mother is somehow slipping away from reality.
Her delusions become her comfort until Florence is faced with a very difficult decision: leave the farm and everything she and Charles have built together to find solace in a new life or stay behind and risk everything for hope in a house that is no longer a home.
5:00 p.m.
Location: Feinstein College of Arts and Sciences, Room: CAS 157
THE SPRING 2018 FILM/SPEAKER SERIES ON THE JEWISH EXPERIENCE
STORIES FROM THE HEART: IMMUTABLE MEMORIES
Introduced by Adjunct Professor George T. Marshall and the Rev. Nancy Hamlin Soukup, University Multifaith Chaplain, RWU.
"Holiday Hostage" | D.W. Moffett, Director | 16 min. USA, 2017
You think your family is messed up? A comedic short film about a dysfunctional Jewish family held hostage on Thanksgiving. #FML
It’s Thanksgiving night and siblings Abby and David just want to quickly eat their turkey and ditch their overbearing “still has their umbilical cords” Jewish mother. Before they can make their getaway, Gary, a deranged ex-convict, breaks in and takes the family hostage.
Tensions are high, family secrets are revealed, and Gary’s getting so annoyed he’s starting to regret this. At least Grandma is here to calm the family down. Just kidding, she’s crazy. Can this dysfunctional family make peace with one another before they’re offed? Oy vey!
"Oma" | Bill Kirstein, Director | 16 min. Netherlands, USA, 2017
On the eve of her 100th birthday, Carmen's grandchildren discover a treasure trove of 8mm films from her life during and after WWII. An exploration of memory, secrets and living to be 100, 'Oma' asks us to reflect on our own lives and how we live today.
"Home" | Robert Schulzmann, Director | 35 min. Germany, 2017
A Russian-Jewish immigrant is searching for his Germaneness and wonders about
why his family is celebrating Christmas with a stolen Christmas tree. An autobiographical soul-searching through suburban Germany.
"Call Me Alvy" | Alexei Slater, Director | 11 min. United Kingdom, 2017
When Bar Mitzvah boy Brian Silver becomes obsessed with Woody Allen, his mother Judith goes to great lengths to make sure the big day goes smoothly.
"THE RABBI" | Uriya Hertz, Director | 20 min. Israel, 2017
Michael is a charismatic and much-admired Rabbi at a Jerusalem Yeshiva. When his favorite student, Gadi, shares with him his innermost secrets, Michael’s familiar, secure world comes into question.
Israel has a tradition of producing excellent LGBT+ cinema in the last 15 years, including Eytan Fox’s 2006 drama The Bubble and 2009’s Iris Prize winning short film Steam, directed by Eldar Rappaport. But while many aspects of life in Israel have been explored, including its politics, the country’s fraught relationship with its neighbours and military conscription, it isn’t often we see Judaism put front and centre in a gay drama.
The title character of The Rabbi is Michael, played by Gur Yaari, a married man teaching at a Jerusalem yeshiva, or religious college. When a favourite student admits to being confused about his sexuality, Michael finds that he must confront his own sublimated desires. This subtle, understated drama is more about those things that go unsaid than the soap opera pyrotechnics of full-blown arguments, and a frosty dinner scene, where Michael’s student joins the Rabbi’s family for supper, positively fizzes with pent-up energy and emotion.
7:00 p.m.
Location: Feinstein College of Arts and Sciences, Room: CAS 157
RWU PSA CONTEST VIEWING CEREMONY
One in 5 women and one in 16 men are sexually assaulted while in college. Rape is the most under-reported crime; 63% of sexual assaults are not reported to police. This competition not only raises awareness, but reminds survivors of this crime that they are not alone.
As part of a donor sponsored event, PRSSA, the Title IX Office, and the Roving Eye International Film Festival invites you join us watching the student-made Public Service Announcements (PSAs) for this competition.
Help RWU support survivors everywhere by attending this event: "Not on our campus!" First, second, and third place winners will be announced.
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 18th:
2:30 p.m.
Location: Mary Tefft White Cultural Center, RWU Library
LIVING OUR LIVES: DOCUMENTARY DISCOVERY PORTAL 1
“Marsha Hunt’s Sweet Adversity” | Roger C. Memos, Director | 101 min. USA, 2015
In 1935, 17-year-old aspiring actress Marsha Hunt was discovered in Hollywood. She signed with Paramount Pictures and went on to a flourishing career at MGM.
She made 54 films in 17 years before a series of unfortunate events led to her being unfairly blacklisted. After the blacklist, she championed humanitarian causes, forging a career as one of Hollywood's first celebrity activists. She was the FIRST Angelina Jolie. As far back as 1955, Eleanor Roosevelt was a mentor of hers as they both worked tirelessly to support the work that the United Nations Association was accomplishing in this country. At age 96, Marsha continues to fight for causes she believes in. This film is a call to action for activists of all ages.
6:00 p.m.
Location: Global Heritage Hall, 01
LIVES IN CONFLICT: DOCUMENTARY DISCOVERY PORTAL 2
Tribal Justice | Directed by: Anne Makepeace | 97 min. USA, 2017
Tribal Justice is a feature documentary about the work of the chief judges in the two largest tribes in California, the Yurok on the northwest coast and the Quechan in southern desert. These women are looking back to traditional forms of justice to create new court systems in order to heal rather than punish offenders, prevent children from being taken from their tribes, and stop the school-to-prison pipeline that plagues their young people. The documentary is about Indian people taking their destiny in their own hands and turning the tide of history.
Abby Abinanti is the Chief Judge of the Yurok Tribe, the largest tribe in California, located at the mouth of the Klamath River in redwood country. She is a fierce, lean, white-haired elder who has dedicated her life to humane justice. Claudette White is the Chief Judge of the second largest California tribe, the Quechan, located on the Colorado River near Yuma, Arizona. She represents a new generation of Native American lawyers who are revisioning tribal court systems.
Vérité footage of these judges’ ongoing lives and work form the backbone of the documentary, while the heart of the film follows several cases in and out of their courtrooms. Taos Proctor, a Yurok man facing a third strike conviction when we began filming him in 2013, has become a landmark case in Abby’s court. He spent most of his young life locked up, most recently in San Quentin. While on parole, he was arrested with methamphetamine, a third felony. Abby convinced the state court judge to delay sentencing and transfer his case to her court. During our eighteen months of filming with Taos, Abby and her staff have helped him complete court programs, find work and a home, and rebuild his relationship with his family and community.
A thousand miles south, Claudette invokes the Indian Child Welfare Act to reunite a nine-year-old boy with his family. Meanwhile her teenage nephew, Isaac, is facing two felony burglary charges. Because his case is in state court rather than tribal court, he becomes a classic case of the school-to-prison pipeline.
Tribal Justice challenges the entrenched cultural narrative of Native Americans as hopeless dependents unable to better their own circumstances. Through dramatic, intimate stories of cases in their courts, Tribal Justice shows our featured judges asserting tribal sovereignty and invoking their own traditions to heal their people and raise them out of poverty and inequality.
6:30 p.m.
Location: Feinstein College of Arts and Sciences, Room: CAS 157
INCLUSION MATTERS: RACE/IDENTITY SHORT FILM BLOCK
“Game” | Jeannie Donohoe, Director | 15 min. USA, 2017
A new kid shows up at the high school boys' basketball tryouts and instantly makes an impression. Will talent and drive be enough to make the team?
“Prom” | Imran J. Khan, Director | 12 min. USA, 2016
'Prom' is a moment-by-moment drama about an Indian American teenager whose attempt at taking a girl to prom is thwarted by discrimination when he least expects it.
“Face New York” | Erin Sanger, Director | 13 min. USA, 2017
New Yorkers experiencing homelessness tell their stories to a group of international artists as part of a groundbreaking art exhibition.
“The First of Many” | Elizabeth Guest & Pamela Guest, Directors | 13 min. USA, 2017
Based on true events and partially recorded on an old-fashioned arriflex camera, an unsuspecting young actress is manipulated first into taking off her clothes at an 'audition' and is then sexually assaulted by the 'director.' She is never the same again. As the card at the end reveal she learns the identity of her rapist 40 years later. The ensuing lawsuit and its settlement granted her the right to tell her story unimpeded.
“Counter Act” | Heath Affolter, Thomas Affolter, Nathan Affolter, Jon Affolter, Directors | 16 min. Canada, 2016
When Alice, a naive young woman having lunch in a diner circa 1960, joins Mary and Ray in their sit-in protest, the ire of the racist patrons boils over and Alice learns what it truly takes to stand up for what you believe in.
“The Prince” | Kyra Zagorsky, Director | 12 min. Canada, 2017
Olivia, a young tap dancer and her uncle, Amir, an actor, struggle with what it means to be Middle-Eastern-American and artists in today's racially divided world.
7:00 p.m.
Location: Global Heritage Hall Atrium
TRASH FASHION SHOW
RWU’s Eco Reps present a special challenge: Use any “would-be” trash or recycled materials to make an article of clothing. Model that article of clothing and walk it down the runway.
A panel of judges will choose the most creative and most environmentally friendly articles to win prizes.
Register in advance by email, Sunday, April 15th.
7:30 p.m.
Location: Global Heritage Hall 01
LIVE IN THE MOMENT: SHORT FILM BLOCK
“It’s Complicated” | Grant De Sousa, Director | 17 min. South Africa, 2017
When lonely Andy invites a girl whom he met online to his apartment, he falls head-over-heels for her despite his flatmate Nigel's repeated attempts to point out her seemingly obvious flaw.
“Sur Le Fil” | Loic Tanson & Thierry Besseling, Directors | 15 min. Luxembourg, 2017
In the Bogaerts circus, Chal, 15, has to give up his dream of becoming a tightrope walker to take care of his father, a lion tamer who cannot run the show anymore. Chal will have to face Sara, a lioness with an erratic behaviour.
“Baby Boy” | Jackson Mullane, Director | 12 min. Australia. 2015
In the gritty world of Rugby League, Bronson struggles to survive both on and off the field. His repression is pushed to its limits as he juggles his sporting dreams under the strain of living with his drug-dependent mother.
“Woman Child” | Emily Bloom, Director | 12 min. USA, 2017
When a school teacher at a Christian High School
becomes pregnant out of wedlock, the institution forces her to decide if she will get married or lose her teaching job.
"Poles Apart" | Paloma Baeza, Director | 12 min. | UK.
Poles Apart tells the story of an unlikely meeting between Nanuk, a tough female polar bear, and Aklak, an enthusiastic male grizzly bear, brought together by their changing habitats. Hopeful and eager Aklak crashes into Nanuk's world. She has to decide if the naïve grizzly bear is her food or her friend.
» 2018 BAFTA Award Winner –Best Animated Short – World Premiere at RIIFF
“SWIFF” | Alexis Agliata, DIrector | 7 min. France, 2016
An alien spaceship breaks down and crashes on earth in the countryside. Its pilot, an alien who hates dirt goes through this terra incognita looking for his fuel, constantly disturbed by an hyperactive little boy…
“Downunder” | Fernando González Gómez, Director | 19 min. Spain, 2017
Daniel, a parent goes to the Tenant population, is the year 81 in the American Southwest, the sun is beating down and passes the old familiar chevi bill. Daniel gets thrown roadside of a sea shore. In this place there are very few cars, it is not advisable to travel alone if those ditches talk...
THURSDAY, APRIL 19th:
3:30 p.m.
Location: Global Heritage Hall, 01
THE CREATIVE PROCESS IN 90 MINUTES:
WRITER, DIRECTOR, ACTOR, PRODUCER: MAKING A LIVING IN THE FILM INDUSTRY
Moderated by George T. Marshall, Executive Director, Flickers featuring Steven Feinberg, Executive Director of the Rhode Island Film & Television Office
The afternoon program features Steven Feinberg, Executive Director of the Rhode Island Film & Television Office. Along with his work with the Film Office, Steven is an accomplished writer, director and television host. For this special program, he shares a behind-the-scenes look at a recent interviews with actress, Karen Allen; special effects guru, Douglas Trumbull; and director, Kevin Lima (Disney’s “Enchanted”) for the PBS series, "doubleFEATURE."
Steven Feinberg is a life-long filmmaker and a proud Rhode Island native who spent 22 years as a Hollywood writer, director and producer. He sold original screenplays to the major studios including 20th Century Fox, Universal, Warner Brothers, Dimension and Sony and had international success with the sci-fi features FORTRESS and its sequel FORTRESS 2. In 2004, Steven brought his considerable talent, energy and wealth of industry contacts home to assume the new position of Executive Director of the Rhode Island Film & Television Office. Over a span of one decade, Mr. Feinberg aggressively promoted Rhode Island as a “film-friendly” location. He initiated ground-breaking tax incentive legislation, which became law in June 2005, developed infrastructure for film and television production, supports media education from the elementary level to college graduates, as well as co-sponsors local film festivals and has launched the comprehensive Film Office’s website, www.film.ri.gov
Most recently, Steven has lured highly prestigious projects such as the upcoming thriller, THE DISCOVERY; with Robert Redford and Rooney Mara, the Martin Scorsese’ production BLEED FOR THIS, Jack Black in THE POLKA KING and many other outstanding films including Wes Anderson’s MOONRISE KINGDOM; Woody Allen’s IRRATIONAL MAN and the Golden Gobe nominated INFINITELY POLAR BEAR starring Mark Ruffalo. He just facilitated crime thriller, “The Vault” shot in Providence.
To date, Steven Feinberg has brought well over $400 million of film and television production into Rhode Island’s economy and provided $700 million of overall activity into Rhode Island’s economy as well as thousands of jobs for local talent and crew. This success in Rhode Island has reverberated across New England, and now the Ocean State’s neighbors are also prospering in the film/television industry. He has also created several promotional films for the State of Rhode Island Film & TV Office and wrote-directed-produced the award-winning documentary, PELL. www.rifilm.com.
This program is presented by the RWU Film Production Collaborative and is a free event.
4:00 p.m.
Location: Mary Tefft White Cultural Center, RWU Library
AN ARMY OF DRAMA: SHORT FILM BLOCK
“Eye Contact” | Stuart Mannion, Director | 9 min. Australia, 2017
How do we find connection when we can’t disconnect?
“London Tomorrow” | Nimer Rashed, Director | 15 min. United Kingdom, 2017
A 10-year-old refugee living in the 'Jungle' refugee camp of Calais seizes the opportunity to escape to a better life - whatever the cost.
“The Language of the Ball” | Ramon Rodriguez, Director | 9 min. USA, 2017
A lonely teenager, new to the city, is forced out of his comfort zone one morning on the basketball court.
“POLA” | Edyta Rembala, Director | 20 min. Poland, 2017
Eleven-year-old Pola, can not accept her mother’s decision about leaving home for work abroad. Girl does anything to keep her mother with them at home. When woman leaves, Pola decides to run away. She takes sick, younger sister with her.
“This Is Not An Animation” | Federico Kempke, Director | 5 min. Canada, Mexico, 2016
A group of pretentious animators are followed through the process of creating the “ultimate animated film”. But do they really have the skills to backup their claims?
“Birthday Night” | Omid Shams, Director | 23 min. Iran, 2017
Ahmad and Ali are friends and job partners. On their birthday night they are on their way from a job outside of the city to Ahmad's house where their wives are waiting for them. But on the road outside of the city, an accident is waiting for them that causes them to know more about each other.
5:00 p.m.
Location: Global Heritage Hall, Atrium
SPRING 2018 JEWISH EXPERIENCE SERIES
MEMORIES NEVER DIE
Introduced by the Rev. Nancy Hamlin Soukup, University Multifaith Chaplain, RWU.
“Searching for Sugihara” | Adam Gross, Director | 21 min. USA, Japan, 2017
Searching for Sugihara is a personal and historical journey about the Japanese diplomat Sugihara Chiune, who saved the lives of over 6,000 Jews who were fleeing WWII Europe.
"Twice Orphaned: Holocaust Survivors' Last Battle" | Talila Frank, Director | 57 min. Israel, 2016
217 aged Holocaust orphans sue the State of Israel, which they founded. Confronting their “official guardian” revives their pain of orphanhood. During their struggle, they find consolation in their closeness.
Avraham, Ziggy, Schreiber and Robinson form the uncrowned governing council of the “Teheran Children.” The four represent 217 Holocaust orphans who are now bringing legal action against the State of Israel for monies received from Germany for their rehabilitation.
In their old age, they have set out to battle the State of Israel, the state of which they dreamed and established through their own hard work. The confrontation with the State, their “official guardian,” once again floods them with the pain of orphanhood. The dozen stormy years of struggle have transformed them into a group with love, a shared fate, and consolation.
“Life Will Smile” | Drey Kleanthous, Director | 40 min. Greece, Israel, United Kingdom, 2017
Narrated by Haim Konstantini this is not only his story of the dramatic events during WWII, but also the story of every single one of the 275 Jews that evaded the Nazi's on the island of Zakynthos.
6:00 p.m.
Location: Mary Tefft White Cultural Center, RWU Library
TOO MANY QUIRKS: A COMEDIC SHORT FILM BLOCK
“Leo Johnson” | Evan Bluestein, Director | 20 min. USA, 2016
Ben and Donna are an LA couple whose relationship has drifted into neutral. When their charismatic old friend, Leo, reappears in their lives with a desperate plan to steal an engagement ring from his ex-fiancée, Donna jumps at the chance for an adventure. Ben reluctantly agrees, but as the plan gets complicated, will Ben and Donna be able to pull off the heist and save their relationship?
“I Love New York” | Christian Vogeler, Director | 11 min. USA, 2016
In a city where everyone's got an angle, how does one survive? After a NY first timer befriends a savvy street girl on the train, she takes him on a fantastical ride through all the cities pitfalls. But nothing's free in this town, so tighten up your hustle or you might just get hustled yourself.
“The Greenberry Method” | Baptiste Bertheuil, Director | 16 min. France, 2016
When Sophie goes to a job interview at Spencer and Jacobs, she does not suspect the weird recruitment method used by the company: the candidate has to overcome the recruiter at a game chosen at random. This is the Greenberry Method.
“Strawberries” | Donggyun Han, Director | 7 min. USA, 2017
A shy girl and her best friend accidentally gift a condom instead of candy and must retrieve it before her crush discovers their embarrassing mistake.
“Ascent” | Directed by: Sorrel Brae | 9 min. USA, 2017
A young woman returns to a centuries-old redwood grove -- the site of a long-ago environmental protest -- to face her past, 250 feet in the air.
7:00 p.m.
Location: Global Heritage Hall, G01
PROGRAM SIXTEEN:
A DANGEROUS WORLD: SHORT FILM BLOCK
“The Sound of Concrete,” | Istvan Kovacs, Director | 30 min. Hungary, 2015
Dia is a young female kickboxer who lives in the suburbs of Budapest with her mom and younger brother. Her dream is to compete in Germany where she can earn good money. All she has to do is to win her upcoming championship.
Two weeks prior to that Dia finds out that she is pregnant from her lover, who also happens to be her coach. Now she must face not only her competition, but time and the thought of abortion as well.
“Tabib,” | Carlo D'ursi, Director | 8 min. Spain, 2017
April 27, 2016-
Aleppo (Syria). The Al Quds Hospital is bombed by the allied air force.During the attack, the last pediatrician left in the city dies. This is the story of the last minutes of his life.
“Luis and I,” | Dani Resines, Roger Gómez, Directors | 21 min. Spain, 2016
A love tale between a human cannonball man and a young typist woman, who spent their lives together on the roads of circassian way of life. A story told through the eyes of wisdom and tenderness.
“An Act of Worship,” | Nausheen Dadabhoy, Sofian Khan, Directors | 9 min. USA, 2017
A unique portrait of the Council on American Islamic Relation (CAIR) in the first days of the Trump administration.
“Jessica,” | Jessica Kingdon, Director | 11 min. USA, 2107
'JESSICA' is about two women who share a name and appearances and meet when one hires the other to clean her home through an app.
“Crossing the Threshold,” | Sergio Hernández, Director | 14 min. Spain, 2016
One morning, without saying anything, Laura's husband leaves their house and he never comes back. Laura and her daughter are alone now and she goes to the therapist to get over the trauma. From here, Laura will start her travel to recovering.
FRIDAY, APRIL 20th:
11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Location: D’Angelo Common (on the quad in front of the RWU Library)
THIS IS A FREE EVENT
EARTH FEST 2018
The University celebrates Earth Day each year as Earth Fest. Get your hands dirty at a tree planting demonstration by Zipcar and Bon Appétit, shop eco-friendly jewelry and canned goods made by students and staff, and sample the oyster bar, local honey and other goodies while listening to tunes from the RWU Musicians Guild or checking out the Engineering Club Student Art Dancers.
For educational activities, the RWU Eco-Reps will offer a water taste test and water pledge while National Grid will present energy-conservation tips. Any students interested in becoming more involved in conservation efforts on campus can learn about the RWU Food Recovery Network – whose mission is to collect uneaten food from the Dining Commons and bring it those in need – and the Eco-Reps’ sustainability initiatives throughout the year.
2:00 p.m.
Location: Mary Tefft White Cultural Center, RWU Library
WHAT’S GOING ON? SHORT FILM BLOCK
“Outline” | Ellie Rogers, Director |16 min. United Kingdom, 2017
A teenage girl, Sarah, returns to her father’s apartment earlier than expected, only to come face-to-face with his hired escort. In the moments that follow, distrust and prejudice give way to understanding, and maybe even friendship.
“L’aviatrice” | Jacques Leyreloup, Director |6 min. France, 2016
1953
Jacqueline Auriol, a French pilot, is about to go down in history along with her jet aircraft.
“Animal” | Bahram Ark, Director | 15 min. Iran, 2017
A man who wants to pass the border, disguises himself as a ram.
“Dreams of Giverny” | Alice Pennefather, Director |7 min. United Kingdom, France, 2016
Dreams of Giverny is a modern day ghost story told through the poetic use of classical ballet, set in the gardens and around the water lily pond of Claude Monet's home in Giverny, France.
“Fugazi” | Laurent Michelet, Director |29 min. Belgium, France, 2017
2039:
ADELE has been working for more than 3 years on ORBIT DEFENCE, a space station in charge of Earth security using drone pilots. Today, is her last routine mission, before she returns home to meet her family, especially her daughter. Without taking Murphy’s Law into account.
“No Drowning” | Mélanie Laleu, Director |17 min. France, 2016
Humans are following the Voice. Inserted coins into dispensers raise the beat. Loneliness thinks she is pretty and rules people life. Then two dreamers cross each other road. When a striper mermaid meet a thief diver, the world around them had better watch out.
4:00 p.m.
Location: CAS 157
SPRING 2018 JEWISH EXPERIENCE SERIES
FIRST ANNUAL YOM HASHOAH SPEAKER SERIES
Guest Speaker: Sami Steigmann
Sami Steigmann as been many things. He has been a victim of the Holocaust. When he was liberated, he became a survivor. Now, he is a motivational speaker.
Sami's life story is remarkable. He was born on December 21, 1939 in Czernovitz, Bukovina, part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire belonging to Romania. Later, it became part of former Soviet Union and today it is in Ukraine. From 1941 through 1944, he was with his parents in the Ukraine at Mogilev-Podolsky, a labor camp in an area called Transnistria. The camp was liberated by the Red Army and his family was deported by the Romanians, not by the Germans. He grew up in Transylvania, in a small town called Reghin. He did not know the language. In 1961, the whole family (his sister was born in 1946) emigrated to Israel. He served in the Israeli Air Force, not as a pilot. In 1968, without knowing the language and no money, alone, Sami came to the United States. He lived in Milwaukee, Wisconsin where he married, divorced and eventually, in 1983 returned to Israel. However, in 1988, he returned to the United States, choosing New York City as his final home.
6:00 p.m.
Location: Global Heritage Hall, 01
LIVES ON CAMERA: FEATURE FILM PRESENTATION
“Life Hack” | Sloan Copeland, Director | 90 min. USA, 2017
Cover your webcam. A humorous cautionary tale about cyber threats in America.
Charlie (Derek Wilson, Preacher) finds out that his best friend Bobby, (Dylan Pinter) is being digitally blackmailed by the infamously unidentifiable Moraler, a glorified cyber bully who many believe is the mastermind behind the rampant anti-establishment hacks. After friend of a friend Carolyn (Jessica Copeland) comes to him for help with her own hacked life’s savings, Charlie and his friend Jack (Mike Giese) embark on a tense yet amusing search for the twistedly righteous Moraler before he releases Bobby’s graphic video to social media. The suspense and wit keep you captivated and laughing with cameos from Sean Kleier (Odd Mom Out) and Devin Ratray (Nebraska/Blue Ruin). This is an incredibly relevant ensemble comedic cautionary tale about our digital privacy… or complete lack thereof.
7:30 p.m.
Location: RWU Performing Arts Center
SPRING AWAKENING
Book and Lyrics by Steven Sater; Music by Duncan Sheik
Directed by Lori Lee Wallace, with musical direction by Nancy Rosenberg.
Based on the play, “Spring Awakening: A Children’s Tragedy” (1891), by Frank Wedekind, this Tony and Grammy Award winning rock musical centers around a group of teenagers who are discovering the anxiety and confusion that adolescence brings. Raised and educated by parents and teachers who are either too embarrassed or too ashamed to have an honest conversation about sex, the children must navigate an uncomprehending world by relying on one another.
Put your film expertise to the test by competing in teams of 3-4 to win a Grand Prize of a Movie Set walk-on in Rhode island courtesy of the Rhode Island Film and Television Office!
There will be candy, popcorn, and fancy tater tots.
Sponsored by the Roger Williams Film Production Collaborative and NRHH.
SATURDAY, APRIL 21st:
2:00 p.m.
Location: Global Heritage Hall, 01
KIDSEYE MATINEE SCREENING Animated Shorts
First Bloom | Tingting Liu, Director | 5 min. | China, USA, 5 min.
This is one animated story happened thousands of years ago in China.
He is a servant in the royal palace. She is the emperor's daughter. Growing up together, they become friends and soul mates. Naturally their budding feelings for each other are forbidden in this feudalistic kingdom, but they strive for the freedom to love and to bloom.
Rouff | Markus Eschrich, Benjamin Brand, Johannes Lumer, Julius Rosen, Directors | 7 min. | Germany, 2017.
Rouff is sad: He only has three legs and is alone. Then he folds Pete from the paper he is drawn on. This is not only the beginning of a wonderful friendship, but also the meeting of to kinds of animated film – 2D and 3D. Rouff and Pete’s quest for the fourth leg is an adventurous story, not only for children.
SWIFF | Alexis Agliata, Director | 7 min. | France, 2016.
An alien spaceship breaks down and crashes on earth in the countryside. Its pilot, an alien who hates dirt goes through this terra incognita looking for his fuel, constantly disturbed by an hyperactive little boy…
Big Boom | Marat Narimanov, Director | 4 min. | Russia, 2016.
The history of humanity and of our planet in four minutes. An eco-friendly statement developed in a single shot that has it all: humor, action and tragedy.
The Adventure of the Afternoon | Vance Yang, Director | 8 min. | Taiwan, 2016.
In a beautiful afternoon, a little boy meets an unexpected friend, with whom he starts an adventure journey.
DAM! The Story of Kit the Beaver | Kjell Boersma, Director | 12 min. | Canada, 2017.
Kit, the eager beaver, embarks on an odyssey through four seasons in a Canadian forest where she learns about compassion, failure, survival and community. DAM! features an original orchestral score, performed live by the Toronto Symphony Orchestra.
Way of Giants | Alois Di Leo, Director | 12 min. | Brazil, 2016.
In a forest of gigantic trees, Oquirá a six year old indigenous girl, will challenge her destiny and learn to understand the cycle of life.
Kitten Witch | James Cunningham, Director | 9 min. | New Zealand, 2016.
A precocious kitten wants to be a witch’s familiar and must pass a test or she will forever be just simple cat, but the witch sees something in the kitten she does not expect.
Coin Operated | Nicholas Arioli, Director | 5 min. | USA, 2017.
Coin Operated is a 5-minute short animation that spans 70 years in the life of one naive explorer. This film was proudly made by independent artists.
4:00 p.m.
Location: Global Heritage Hall, 01
PROGRAM TWENTY-FOUR
NEW PERSPECTIVES: FEATURE DOCUMENTARY
The Last Pig | Allison Argo, Director | 54 min. | USA.
THE LAST PIG is a lyrical meditation on what it means to be a sentient creature with the power to kill. Immersive, experiential, with sparse inner reflections, the film follows a pig farmer through his final season of slaughtering pigs.
» Full Frame Film Festival, Official Selection, Durham, USA, April 2017
» DC Environmental Film Festival, Official Selection, Washington, DC, USA, March 2017
7:30 p.m.
Location: RWU Performing Arts Center
SPRING AWAKENING
Book and Lyrics by Steven Sater; Music by Duncan Sheik
Directed by Lori Lee Wallace, with musical direction by Nancy Rosenberg.
Based on the play, “Spring Awakening: A Children’s Tragedy” (1891), by Frank Wedekind, this Tony and Grammy Award winning rock musical centers around a group of teenagers who are discovering the anxiety and confusion that adolescence brings. Raised and educated by parents and teachers who are either too embarrassed or too ashamed to have an honest conversation about sex, the children must navigate an uncomprehending world by relying on one another.
Book and Lyrics by Steven Sater; Music by Duncan Sheik
Directed by Lori Lee Wallace, with musical direction by Nancy Rosenberg.
Based on the play, “Spring Awakening: A Children’s Tragedy” (1891), by Frank Wedekind, this Tony and Grammy Award winning rock musical centers around a group of teenagers who are discovering the anxiety and confusion that adolescence brings. Raised and educated by parents and teachers who are either too embarrassed or too ashamed to have an honest conversation about sex, the children must navigate an uncomprehending world by relying on one another.
THE SPRING 2018 FILM/SPEAKER SERIES ON THE JEWISH EXPERIENCE
Annual April programming that focuses on the Jewish experience through short films, documentary, media and a guest speaker.
THE STORIES WE TELL
Documentary and Short Film Screening
Hosted by the Rev. Nancy Soukup, RWU Multifaith Chaplain
“Triptych” | Katia Lom, Director | 8 min. United Kingdom, 2018
'Triptych' is a short film reflecting on the nature of time and memory as a daughter empties her late father’s home. Based on the true story of the director’s mother escaping Czechoslovakia in 1951 at the age of four with her parents through the woods at night, the narrative blurs the line between fiction and documentary. The film deploys a non-linear structure to express the consequences of war on civilians throughout their lives through the prism of the Stalinist show trials erupting in Prague as a direct result of the events of WWII. By using real vintage artefacts from Czechoslovakia and photographs from a variety of archives, 'Triptych' highlights the significance that objects hold in bearing witness to the past and connecting future generations to that history. With millions of people displaced as a direct consequence of armed and political conflict at this present day, the film attempts to bring to light both a personal and global experience.
Starring Lisa Diveney and Simon Stephens, Triptych was captured on 16mm for the live action sequences with all of its animation scenes created in-camera with a combination of replacement, stop motion, hand-drawn and pixilation animation.
“Chasing Portraits” | Elizabeth Rynecki, Director | 77 min. Canada, Israel, Poland, USA, 2018
One man's art. One woman's unexpected path to healing.
Moshe Rynecki’s body of work reached close to eight hundred paintings and sculptures before his life came to a tragic end. Decades later, his great-granddaughter Elizabeth sought to rediscover his legacy, setting out on a journey to find what had been lost but never forgotten…
Spanning three decades of Elizabeth’s life and three generations of her family, this compelling documentary is a deeply moving narrative of the richness of one man’s art, the devastation of war, and one woman’s unexpected path to healing.
A Reception Sponsored by RWU Spiritual Life Office will take place during the intermission.
4:15 p.m.
Location: Global Heritage Hall, 01
TRANSCENDING BOUNDARIES
Film Screenings and Discussion
Introduced by the Rev. Nancy Hamlin Soukup, University Multifaith Chaplain with Guest Speaker Chris Sparling.
“One for the Road” | Fernanda Faya, Director | 12 min. Brazil, USA, 2016
As she moves from Brazil to NY, the filmmaker looks back at her grandma's migration as a way to find traces of her own identity.
“SECRET CINEMA” Special Preview Screening
We cannot tell you the film’s name -- it’s a secret. But we can tell you that you will discover a major new film before it premieres at RIIFF in August. We can tell you that it is a documentary and that an award-winning screenwriter/director, Chris Sparling will be on hand to lead a discussion about the film.
ABOUT OUR GUEST SPEAKER:
Chris Sparling wrote the 2010 film BURIED starring Ryan Reynolds, for which he won "Best Original Screenplay" from the National Board of Review of Motion Pictures. His Black List script, ATM, was produced by Gold Circle Films and released by IFC Films in 2012. His feature directing debut, the supernatural thriller THE ATTICUS INSTITUTE, was released in early 2015 by Universal Pictures. THE SEA OF TREES, which he wrote and produced -- starring Matthew McConaughey, Namoi Watts, and directed by Gus Van Sant -- was nominated for the Palm d'Or at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival and contributed to his selection to Variety's annual list of "10 Screenwriters to Watch." After adapting the novel DOWN A DARK HALL for Temple Hill and Lionsgate Films, he is now adapting LAND OF THE LIVING for Broad Green Pictures. His latest film MERCY, which he wrote and directed for Netflix, was released in 2016, and he will produce the film, BED REST for MGM.
CLOSING NIGHT AWARDS CEREMONY
Follows Immediately
Join as we conclude our celebration of the 13th Anniversary of the Roving Eye International Film Festival, a unique collaboration between Roger Williams University and Flickers' Rhode Island International Film Festival, and we announce the winners of this year’s Roving Eye Awards.
Location: Global Heritage Hall, Atrium
All programming for the Festival has been produced by students in the Curation and Film Production Class that includes: TBA
For more information, contact the Spiritual Life Program at Roger Williams University, email nsoukup@rwu.edu. Directions to Roger Williams University can be found at www.rwu.edu
ABOUT ROGER WILLIAMS UNIVERSITY:
Roger Williams University located in Bristol, R.I. is a leading independent, coeducational university with programs in the liberal arts and the professions, where students become community- and globally-minded citizens. With 42 academic majors, an array of co-curricular activities and study abroad opportunities on six continents, RWU is an opencommunity dedicated to the success of students, commitment to a set of corevalues and providing a world-class education above all else. In the last decade, the University has achieved unprecedented successes including recognition as one of the best colleges in the nation by Forbes, a College of Distinction by Student Horizons, Inc. and as both a best college in the Northeast and one of the nation’s greenest universities by The Princeton Review. For more information, go to: www.rwu.edu.
ABOUT FLICKERS' 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. Ranked as one of the top 10 Festivals in the United States, RIIFF is a qualifying festival for the Live Action, Documentary and Animation Short Academy Awards through its affiliation with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, the Canadian Screen Awards, and the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA). There are only 10 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 Aug. 6-11, 2019 at the Providence Performing Arts Center (PPAC) and The Vets (formerly Veterans Memorial Auditorium), please visit call 401.861.4445.
RWU PARKING INFORMATION:From Providence: Take Routes 136 South or 114 S passing campus on the left. Take a left at the traffic light just before the Mount Hope Bridge, onto Old Ferry Road. Enter the campus via the front gate passing Campus Security.
From Newport: Take 114N over the Mount Hope Bridge and take the first right off the bridge onto Old Ferry Road. Enter the campus via the front gate passing Campus Security.
Guests should enter through the main entrance at the fountain. they will be able to obtain a guest parking pass. Lot 24a will be blocked off for guests of the festival. Proceed through the main entrance through to the lot 24a on left. Events will take place in the Feinstein College of Arts and Sciences Bldg, CAS 157; Global Heritage Hall and the Mary Tefft White Cultural Center.
Look for signage noting "Event Parking."
Our Collaborative Partners:
The 2018 Roving Eye International Film Festival is sponsored by The RI Film & the Television Office; Flickers’ Rhode Island International Film Festival; WSBE Rhode Island PBS; Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia, Edge Media Network, the Edwin S. Soforenko Foundation; Roger Williams University Office of the Provost; the RWU Department of Communication, Graphic Design and Web Development, Dean Jeffrey L. Meriwether, RWU School of Humanities, Arts and Education, Dr. Roberta Adams, the RWU Film Production Collaborative, the RWU Screenwriter’s Guild, RWU Hillel, and the Spiritual Life Office.
