Closing Night Gala In Providence

More than 300 Celebrities and dignitaries were present including arts advocate, Elaine Lorillard who receives the RIIFF Artistic Vision Award.

The envelop please! The 2000 Brooks Pharmacy Providence/Rhode Island International Film Festival (RIIFF) announced this year's winners in its film and screenwriting competition at its annual Closing Gala Celebration held at the Rhode Island School of Design Auditorium in Providence on Sunday, August 13, 2000.

This year, RIIFF received 544 entries in competition and 75 titles out of competition. Films came from 35 countries and 32 states plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Of those selected for exhibition, 15 were World Premieres and 33 were United States Premieres. 170 titles were chosen as finalists for this year's RIIFF.

"This was a critical year for us," said Michel Coutu, CEO of Brooks Pharmacy and RIIFF/Chairman. "Our full programming palette was introduced and thanks to a dedicated staff and over 200 volunteers, it came off without a hitch. Using 21 different locations in Providence and throughout Rhode Island, the Festival provided a diversified yet balanced mix of film-related programming."

According to George T. Marshall, Festival Executive Director, "RIIFF 2000 was an ambitious event that included three educational courses that sold out, a morning panel discussion series, a joint fund-raiser with the acclaimed outdoor art exhibit "Waterfire," several special screenings, a festival-within-a-festival saluting homegrown talent, presentation of a Lifetime Achievement Award, and an Artistic Vision Award."

"What was really exciting to us was that more than 225 filmmakers, producers and cast members were on hand throughout the Festival to see their films and support one another. People flew in from Canada, Mexico, Italy, India, Belgium, France, England and from throughout the United States to participate in the Festival," said Betty N. Galligan, Managing Director of the Film Festival.

Screenings took place primarily in the capitol city at the Avon Cinema, the Columbus Theatre and Cinématheque, the Cable Car Cinema, the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) Auditorium, and List Auditorium at Brown University. Satellite venues were established at the New England Institute of Technology, the Courthouse Center for the Arts in Kingston; the Museum of Work and Culture in Woonsocket; the Warwick Public Library and the Cranston Public Library.

"Thanks to the strong support of our sponsors like Brooks Pharmacy, Tourisme Quebec, the Rhode Island Film & Television Office, NBC 10, Barnes & Noble of Warwick, Indigo Design Group, Filmfestivals.com in Paris, the United States Postal Service, and Oop! Juice, the Festival was able to take a quantum leap this year as a major player in the film festival circuit," said Marshall. "What really surprised us was the buzz surrounding the Festival and it came our way from overseas and US film centers like California and New York," added Galligan. "Thanks to a strong presence on the internet, our Festival is well known and has a growing reputation as a filmmaker-friendly event." The Award presentation for RIIFF 2000 was held at the Rhode Island School of Design Auditorium in downtown Providence.

The Awards program started off with a bang with a screening of the humorous short The Runner, directed by Dennis Gubbins that dealt with the hectic life of a film production assistant. This was followed by a special short documentary created by students at Rhode Island College's Communications Department on legendary arts advocate, Elaine Lorillard. Directed by Paul Reece, the video chronicled the early days of the Newport Jazz Festival, a creation of Ms. Lorillard. Ms. Lorillard was then presented with the RIIFF 2000 Vision Award.

"There is no question that the life of Ms. Lorillard would make great Hollywood fare." said George Marshall. "Not only did she use family money to create and foster the first US outdoor jazz festival, but she found and hired its long-term producer, George Wein."

According to Marshall, she was the inspiration for the Grace Kelly character in the film High Society.

"Elaine has known the famous and the soon-to-be-famous. She helped open doors to racial desegregation. She gave legitimacy to music that had hitherto been relegated to bars and segregated communities. She had access to a fortune, and used it to help mainstream American jazz and spotlight jazz talent."

"Up until the Newport Jazz Festival in 1954, jazz was not openly celebrated by the mainstream," said Betty Galligan. "The Newport Festival made it legitimate, made it public property and prodded cultural assimilation."

"It was without doubt Elaine's vision that was an inspiration for artists throughout the region," said Marshall. "She was ahead of everyone else seeing the importance of the arts, particularly music and film, as a means to bring people together and spark social change and dialogue. It is that vision we celebrate!"

Following a standing ovation, Ms. Lorillard said of her selection for the first ever Vision Award, "I am deeply touched, honored and humbled. To see that one's dreams can become reality is one of the greatest gifts you can achieve in life. My sincere thanks to the Board of Flickers and the Rhode Island Film Festival for sharing my vision!"

The next award presented was the Brooks Pharmacy Positive Lifestyle Award which is presented annually to the film or video that best exemplifies a positive perspective on health and lifestyle issues through critical examination and assessment.

According to Michel Coutu, "We are honored to be able to recognize excellence in film production that addresses important health and life issues. This year, the competition was very intense and the judging proved to be very difficult due to the excellence of the film work."

The Grand Prize winner was the documentary Amargosa directed by Todd Robinson. The film addresses the courage necessary to forge one's artistic path, something that has rarely been more passionately explored. The film was produced by Sidney Sherman, and Kenneth A. Carlson. It is narrated by Mary McDonnell. Amargosa is the definitive film portrait of dancer-choreographer-painter Marta Becket, whose escape from New York art scene hubbub to ultra-remote Death Valley Junction in the 1960s has become a living chapter in California's rich cultural lore. Robinson's supremely crafted and textured account places her achievement in proper context as the great adventure of an artist who has remained true to her muse. One of a dozen Oscar documentary finalists this year, the picture is a true source of inspiration.

The First Prize winner was The Gospel According to Mr. Allen. Directed by Edward Rosenstein, the film is a startlingly compassionate journey through Harlem's most inspirational rehabilitation center with several addicts, all trying to free themselves of drugs to reach their dreams. Paced and structured like a traditional feature film, the characters in this documentary stick in the viewers mind - begging the viewer to root for them while at the same time fearing for their lives. RIIFF presented the East Coast Premiere of this powerful film.

Awards and their Winners

The Rhode Island International Film Festival took place August 9-13, 2000 in locations throughout Providence and the state of Rhode Island. RIIFF is a juried competition and showcase for independent filmmakers from all over the world.

RIIFF 2000 Vision Award
Elaine Lorillard
Founder of the Newport Jazz Festival and the Newport International Film & Television Festival

RIIFF Screenplay Competition Award
(Final Draft Awards)
Grand Prize:
Night Of Light
Jonny Kurzman, London, England
First Prize:
The Offering
Diane Hanks of Swansea, MA

Brother To Brother
Rodney Evans of Brooklyn NY
The Farmer's Son
Phillip Pletcher of Monterey, CA
Hallowell
Eric Devlin Taylor of Los Angeles, CA
Ditto
Royce Scott Buckingham of Bellingham, WA
Gloucester Girl
Brian Heffron of Los Angeles, CA
What You See Is What You Get
Michelle Molhan-Zang of Guilford, CT.

Best Animation
Grand Prize:
Rick & Steve: The Happiest Gay Couple In The World
Director: Allan Brocka
United States

First Prize:
Dog's Job, A
Writer/Director: Dan Hughes
Vancouver Film School
Canada

Best Experimental Short
Grand Prize:
Czar Of Make Believe, The
Director: Daniel Alegi
United States

First Prize:
Purgatory
Writer/Director: M. Frank
Makovision Productions
Australia

Tourisme Quebec Best Foreign Language Film
Grand Prize:
Promise, The
La Promesse
Producer/Director: Patricia Chica
Flirt Films
Québec, Canada

First Prize:
Pretend You Love Me
Fais semblant que tu m'aimes
Writer/Director: Jeannine Gagné
Amazone Film
Québec, Canada

Brooks Pharmacy Positive Lifestyle Award
Grand Prize:
Amargosa
Writer/Director: Todd Robinson
A Triple Play Pictures Presentation
United States

First Prize:
The Gospel According To Mr. Allen
Director: Edward Rosenstein
Eyepop Productions/Gabriel Films
United States

RIIFF Discovery Award (New Talent)
Grand Prize:
The Accountant
Director/Writer/Editor: Glenn Gers
One Wheel Panther Productions
United States

First Prize:
The Chromium Hook
Director: James Stanger
Channel Z Productions
United States

Best Short Film Editing
Grand Prize:
The Midnight Sun
Writer/Director: Larry McLaughlin
Grace Films
United States

First Prize:
Sporting Dog
Writer/Director: Peter Kelley
Moushel Productions
United States

Best Short Film
Grand Prize:
Shadows
Director: Mitchell Levine,
United States

First Prize:
The Midnight Sun
Writer/Director: Larry McLaughlin
Grace Films
United States

Best Documentary
Grand Prize:
Good Kurds, Bad Kurds
Director: Kevin McKiernan
Cinematography: Haskell Wexler
United States

First Prize:
Evgueni Khaldei, Photographer Under Stalin
Russian with English subtitles
Writer/Director: Marc-Henri Wajnberg
Wajnbrosse Production
Belgium

The Providence Film Festival "HomeGrown" Award, Best Feature
Grand Prize:
Carlo's Wake
Director: Mike Valerio
Triple Axel Productions
United States

First Prize:
Gentleman Bandit
Directed and photographed by Jordan Alan
Produced by Fred Joyal
United States

Best Director
Grand Prize:
The Last Late Night
Directors: Scott Barlow
United States

First Prize:
Seven Girlfriends
Director: Paul Lazarus
Seven Girlfriends, LLC
United States

Best Feature Editing
Grand Prize:
Captive Audience
Directors: Mike Gioscia and Kurt St. Thomas
Corporate Sucker Pictures
United States

First Prize:
East Of A
Director: Amy Goldstein
SPAN Productions
United States

Best Feature: (Eastman Kodak Award)
21
Director: Eli Frankel
Ragnarok Productions, Inc.
United States