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FLICKERS’ VORTEX SCI-FI, FANTASY & HORROR FILM FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES AWARDS FOR 16TH SEASON
80 films from 15 countries vied for adjudicated genre awards

PROVIDENCE, RI – A phantasmagoric symphony of international genre films were given there due with the wrap of the 16th Annual Flickers’ Vortex Sci-Fi, Fantasy, and Horror Film Festival through adjudicated awards. The Festival celebrated and showcased imagination and creativity in filmmaking and will include a bevy of World and U.S. Premieres. In all, 80 films were selected from over 5,000 submissions, representing 15 countries. Many of the filmmakers were in attendance, allowing audience members to meet, ask questions, and network with the next generation of genre filmmakers.

The 2015 festival screened 80 titles, featured three forums and included screenings in Providence at the Bell Street Chapel Theatre, the PAFF Theatre at the University of Rhode Island Providence Feinstein Campus, and the Providence Public Library, the Rhode Island Historical Society, along with satellite programming at the University of Rhode Island in Kingston, the Museum of Work & Culture in Woonsocket, the Narragansett Theater at the Pier, the Jamestown Art Center, the Tiverton Public Library and Roger Williams University in Bristol, RI.

“This year’s event allowed us to reach new goals and set benchmarks for next year,” said Shawn Quirk, Program Director of the Rhode Island International Film Festival, which produces the Vortex sidebar. “We made a concerted effort this year to expand our programming to include a dynamic mix of the Horror, Fantasy, and Sci-Fi genres.

“These films represent the vanguard of genre filmmaking from across the globe, and showcase a rising generation of filmmakers, who are redefining genre films for the next generation of cinephiles. These filmmakers are leaders of tomorrow’s entertainment industry, and it’s our mission to empower them and help them move forward in their respective careers through showcasing their work.”

“From expanded free screenings of youth-friendly sci-fi/fantasy programs, ongoing educational outreach with area colleges and universities, to a master class on narrative documentary filmmaking, to a Forum on film production, this year’s Vortex Film Festival empowered genre filmmaking at large and inspired our future planning,” noted Quirk. “We are proud to see that this sidebar to RIIFF has become an important cultural event for the State.”

“The Singularity Of Imagination: A Conversation with…” featured documentary filmmaker, Reshad Kulenovic, a writer/director based in Boston, New York, and Sarajevo. His short film Snovi played 20 international film festivals and was nominated for a 2011 Student Academy Award. Snovi was produced by the Centre Andre Malraux Sarajevo, which also produced Jean-Luc Godard’s Notre Musique. Kulenovic became one of the first artists to be funded by the Heinrich Boll Foundation. His documentary 100 Million Dollar House, set in the West Bank, premiered at the 2015 Rhode Island International Film Festival and was acquired for distribution by Al Jazeera. He graduated with an MFA in Film Production from Boston University. During an in-depth conversation, Kulenovic spoke about his professional journey and shared insights into what it takes to succeed in the film industry and the fine line between truth and fiction.

Behind The Camera Lens: On the Nature of Genre Filmmaking, showcased Steven Feinberg (Fortress, Peter York, Pell Grants: A Passion for Education), Executive Director of the Rhode Island Film & Television Office, the man behind the state’s high profile within the industry, and filmmaking professionals who have successfully made careers within the industry: Panelists were Christina Raia (Summit), Tommy Denucci (Almost Mercy) and Shawn Quirk, RIIFF’s Program Director.

Please visit website for the winners at the 2015 festival