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Independent cinema has existed since as long as the 1900s, and events like the Rhode Island International Film Festival have supported it. It's currently ongoing at the Providence Performing Arts Center, with around 1,500 attendees. The festival's Executive Director, Shawn Quirk, was there and explained what they really try to do, as The Hollywood Reporter reported.
He said,
"We’ve always been known as a discovery festival, with all of our films done through submissions. We don’t solicit. We don’t chase titles. We are always trying to highlight new voices that haven’t been seen or celebrated elsewhere. But I feel like we are at an interesting crossroads in the industry as it realizes how much the future lies with our independent voices."
Some high-profile screenings on the opening night include A Trip to the Moon, Roaring Games, Highway to the Moon, My Kind of People, and more.
Head of Sony's Post Production on indie filmmakers at the Rhode Island International Film Festival
Being an indie filmmaker isn't quite easy, as one has to work harder than mainstream filmmakers who have established themselves. Some indie filmmakers have shaken the world with their direction. One of them is, of course, Quentin Tarantino, who began his career with independent cinema.
Head of Sony's Post Production, BJ Maier, was at the Rhode Island International Film Festival and talked about the difficulties of being an indie filmmaker. According to The Hollywood Reporter, he said,
"I’ve got friends on TV shows and movies that are still out of work two years [after the strikes]. So it feels like it’s the independent filmmakers who are going to take their careers into their own hands and make something of this moment, if we put the ladder down, wherever these people are at in their careers."
Donna Morong, a Rhode Island International Film Festival panelist, says that the greatest strength of this event is to have more "room for people" and have "more intimate conversations."
When did the Rhode Island International Film Festival begin?
The Rhode Island International Film Festival began in 1997 and has been qualifying for the Academy Awards since 2002.
It hosted the premiere of the 1998 blockbuster There's Something About Mary, starring Cameron Diaz, Ben Stiller, Matt Dillon, and more. It was a critical and commercial success and holds an impressive 84% score at Rotten Tomatoes. Commercially, it made $370 million at the global box office against a $23 million budget.
In 2001, the creator of the popular Pink Panther film series was given a lifetime achievement award by the festival. Other than the Pink Panther films, his credits as a director include Breakfast at Tiffany's, What Did You Do in the War, Daddy?, Switch, and more.
Nobody Dies Here, a French documentary short film, won the First Jury Prize for Best Documentary at the festival's 20th edition in 2016.
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Some awardees in the latest edition include The Truck (Best Screenplay), I've Seen All I Need to See, Parting the Waters, and more.
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