FLICKERS’ VORTEX SCI-FI, FANTASY, AND HORROR FILM FESTIVAL LAUNCHES ITS 20TH GENRE-FILLED YEAR

• PHOTOS AVAILABLE ON REQUEST OR DOWNLOAD: http://www.film-festival.org/Photos.php

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (October 8, 2019) — A phantasmagoric symphony of international films blasts its way across the big screen as the Flickers’ Rhode Island International Film Festival launches its 20^th Annual Flickers’ Vortex Sci-Fi, Fantasy, and Horror Film Festival (VORTEX), October 19-27^th. In addition to its traditional spooky film fare, Vortex will showcase a wide-array of Sci-Fi and Fantasy cinema. Highlights at this year’s Festival include a return of its popular “H.P. Lovecraft Walking Tour” over a four-day period presented in collaboration with the RI Historical Society and the Brown University Film Forum (BUFF), a Free Screening of the silent classic, “Nosferatu” with live accompaniment, free in-school programs, an expanded Campus Connections series that brings free Festival programming to area Colleges and Universities, five free Forums that look behind-the-scenes at creating genre films in the Ocean State, special programming in the RI PBS series, “doubleFEATURE,” and the “Gods & Goddesses” Halloween Wrap Party at the Rooftop at the Providence G.

The full schedule for this year’s Festival can be found here: http://www.rifilmfest.org

The 2019 festival will include screenings in Providence at the new Acoustic Java Café & Microcinema, Providence College, Johnson and Wales University at two locations, Brown University, Roger Williams University in Bristol, RI, the Rhode Island Historical Society, the Museum of Work and Culture in Woonsocket, RI, the Tiverton Public Library, the North Kingstown Free Public Library, the Warwick Public Library, Lincoln Public Library, West Warwick Public Library, North Scituate Public Library, Greenville Public Library, and the Rooftop of the Providence G. A special episode of the Flickers’ series “doubleFEATURE” will air on RI PBS.

Special screenings, not open to the general public, will take place at the Beacon Charter School in Woonsocket, Westerly High School, and the Jacqueline M. Walsh School for the Performing Arts in Pawtucket.

This year’s programming has been curated by Shawn Drywa, who created the Vortex Festival 20 years ago while a student at Rhode Island College and a Flickers’ intern. He has partnered with Shawn Quirk, RIIFF’s Program Director for the main Festival in August in creating this year’s event.

“We have a wonderfully diverse list of entries and events for this year’s festival. Everything from traditional horror and horror comedy to thought provoking science fiction and animation. This year also marks the return of a staple from the first year’s Festival – a silent film with live accompaniment. The original score by the Dave Tessier Band to F. W. Murnau’s “Nosferatu,” will be long-remembered from this year’s Vortex.

“And, thanks to underwriting by our sponsors, this will be a free event for the general public.

“Plus, we have some great panelists and a very fun closing night party. We truly have something for everyone,” noted Shawn Drywa, Vortex Program Director.

The Flickers’ Vortex Sci-Fi, Fantasy, and Horror Film Festival celebrates and showcases imagination and creativity in filmmaking and will include a bevy of World and U.S. Premieres. In all, 65 films have been selected from over 3,000 genre submissions. They represent 15 countries including the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Germany, China, Spain, France, Croatia, Switzerland, Portugal, Austria, and the United States. Many of the filmmakers will be in attendance, so audience members will have a chance to meet, ask questions, and even network with the next generation of genre filmmakers.

All events are free to the general public except the HP Lovecraft Walking Tour, screenings at the Museum of Work and Culture, and special programming on Friday, Saturday and Sunday (October 25-27). General Admission for paid screenings is $10.00 per person

Festival 5-packs available at $40 (good year round and at any RIIFF film event) can be purchased online: http://www.film-festival.org/FivePack17.php.

Group Discounts can be arranged in advance by calling the Festival office at 401.861.4445.

For the past 12 years, Providence native and cult horror writer H.P. Lovecraft has been the subject of a popular annual walking tour and film series conducted by the RI Historical Society presented as part of the Flickers’ Vortex Sci-Fi, Fantasy Horror Film Festival (Vortex).

The life and work of Providence’s best-known fantasy and horror author, Howard Phillips Lovecraft, will provide the backdrop for the tour, which will be led by the Rhode Island Historical Society. Lovecraft’s “Providence stories” (written between 1924 and 1935) are the inspiration behind the walk. Lovecraft wrote eloquently, and in great detail, about such landmarks as Prospect Terrace, the First Baptist Church, and Benefit Street houses.  Participants will see the site of his former home, as well as locales mentioned in The Case of Charles Dexter Ward, The Haunter of the Dark, The Shunned House, and The Call of Cthulhu.

Following the tour, which lasts for approximately 90 minutes, participants will be treated to a ticket to see premiere films inspired by Lovecraft.

Time:  The Tour Starts at 12:00 p.m.

Location: John Brown House, 52 Power Street, Providence, RI 02906

Screening Location: Friedman Hall, Room 102, Brown University in partnership with the Brown University Film Forum (BUFF).

Admission: Tickets for the walking tour are $22 per person, can be purchased online at http://www.film-festival.org/HPLovecraft.php, and includes a ticket to the film screenings. The Walking Tour can also be purchased in advance by calling the RIIFF offices at 401.861.4445 or the RI Historical Society at 401.331.8575.

Tom DeNucci, Actor/Writer/Director, is the recipient of the 2013 Rhode Island International Film Festival Robert Burgess Aldrich Award, named for the heralded director of the 1967 war masterpiece “The Dirty Dozen.” Like Mr. Aldrich, DeNucci also hails from Cranston, Rhode Island, USA. If DeNucci’s career thus far is any indication, the young Director and Actor will be a worthy successor to Mr. Aldrich’s legacy and a prominent voice for his own generation. For DeNucci’s “Almost Mercy”(2015), Scott Hallam of dreadcentral.com proclaims: “DeNucci holds nothing back on this one. Almost Mercy confronts major social issues and does so in a way that’s delicate, but also quite powerful, and deals them into a revenge-thriller that’s actually empowering for the viewer.” DeNucci plays a member of boxer Vinny Pazienza’s entourage in “Bleed for This” (2016), which stars Miles Teller (Whiplash) as Pazienza and Aaron Eckheart (Erin Brokovich) as “Paz’s” trainer. Directed by Ben Younger and executive produced by Martin Scorsese. As versatile as he is prolific, DeNucci’s resume also includes forays into family films. As Director, his “Arlo the Burping Pig” (2016) tells the story of a lonely, young girl and the adorable teacup pig she adopts as a pet. Tom lends his acting talents to “Christmas All Over Again” (2016) as Francisco, a wild wedding planner. Ringing in 2017 Tommy directed “The Santa Files” (2017) telling the story of a group of kids from Norpole, Maine and their search for Santa Clause. Recently completed and released in 2019, “Vault,” follows the story of a famous Providence heist in the 1970’s.

Time: 2:00 p.m.

Location: Roger Williams University, One Old Ferry Road, Bristol, RI

Global Heritage Hall, Room 01

THIS IS A FREE EVENT & OPEN TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC

Eric Scott Latek graduated with a BS in Film Concentration, Visual and Media Arts & Mass Communication from Emerson College in 1998. Latek’s commercial work has landed him several Telly Awards, a Stevie Award and over a half dozen Emmy awards and nominations. Some of his commercial efforts were in directing/producing promotional spots for major companies like IBM, Cox, IGT and Metlife. Eric has been working on a feature documentary called “Tiger” which he has been filming for 14 years thus far. His most recent documentary short, “Anna”, has won “Best Short Documentary Film” in several film festivals around the world, as well as “Grand Jury Prize”.

Time: 3:30 p.m.

Location: Roger Williams University, One Old Ferry Road, Bristol, RI

Global Heritage Hall, Room 01

THIS IS A FREE EVENT & OPEN TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC

Cheryl has spent the last 30 years raising millions of dollars for philanthropic projects helping organizations and programs within the USA and globally. She is a board member on the Leadership Advisory Board, Johns Hopkins Medicine, Division of Rheumatology and a Partner with Partners In Discovery. Cheryl’s diverse background and experience has allowed her to apply her talents to film production.

Cheryl and her husband Leo are founders of Orama Filmworks. Their goal is to bring the works of talented writers and directors to an audience with their producing skills and knowledge. Cheryl is also a co-founder of The Global Film Fund. GFF is a non-profit organization whose mission is to support the production and distribution of films that educate the public and raise awareness about important world or domestic health, cultural, historic and social issues. GFF’s mission is to benefit mankind by having a positive and measureable impact around the world through these films and other communication vehicles.

• EVERYDAY HORROR: A STUDENT CURATED SHORT FILM SHOWCASE

For the third year in a row Johnson and Wales University students will have the unique opportunity to curate and present a special showcase of short films as part of this year’s Vortex. All films considered for this screening are official submissions to the festival and represent a dynamic collection of cinematic works from across the globe.  This special screening will highlight international genre cinema and serve as a source of inspiration for those studying the art of filmmaking. The screening will be moderated by Johnson and Wales University students.

Time: 7:00 p.m.

Location: Johnson and Wales University, 261 Pine Street, Providence, RI 02903

Schneider Auditorium (Xavier Complex)

THIS IS A FREE EVENT & OPEN TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC

• doubleFEATURE (Flickers’ weekly TV anthology series)

This week on doubleFEATURE, celebrate the world of the fantastical and the macabre as told through three short films that include “The Body” directed by Paul Davis from the United Kingdom; “ON/Off” by French director, Thierry Lorenzi; and from Austria and Chile, Dominik Hartl’s, “Vienna Waits For You,” a cautionary tale that reminds you there is no such thing as a free lunch, unless, of course, you are the lunch.

doubleFEATURE on WSBE – RI PBS, Broadcast: Channel 36
• Cox 08 / 1008HD
• Verizon FiOS (RI) 08 / 508HD / (MA) 18 / 518 HD
• Full Channel 08 Comcast in Southern MA *Various / 819 HD,
• DirecTV 36 | DISH Network 36

Each week, “doubleFEATURE,” the 60-minutes series on RI PBS, presents award-winning short films that have premiered at the Flickers’ Rhode Island International Film Festival (RIIFF) over the past 20 years along with topical industry interviews.

Ranked as one of the top 10 Festivals in the United States, RIIFF is also a qualifying festival for the Live Action, Documentary and Animation Short Film Academy Awards through its affiliation with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences. It is also a BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television Arts) and Canadian Screen Awards (Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television)-qualifying Festival. There are only 10 film festivals worldwide that share this distinction.

Executive Produced by Flickers, the program is co-produced with the Rhode Island Film and Television Office and RI PBS. George T. Marshall, Executive Director of Flickers is the host of the program. Steven Feinberg, Executive Director of the Film Office, and an accomplished writer/director, interviews filmmakers who work in front of and behind the camera lens.

Duncan Putney is an accomplished actor, as well as an award winning screenwriter and producer. A graduate of the University of Massachusetts at Amherst where he studied both business and theatre, Duncan works as a professional actor in film, television, stage, and television commercials and can be seen in such films as “The Judge,” “Mystic River,” “R.I.P.D.,” “The Town,” and “Brilliant Mistakes,” as well as TV commercials for Papa Gino’s, Budweiser, and others.

Time: 2:00 p.m.

Location: Roger Williams University, One Old Ferry Road, Bristol, RI

Global Heritage Hall, Room 01

THIS IS A FREE EVENT & OPEN TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC

Robert Capron began his acting career when he was eight years old by enrolling in an after school drama program sponsored by Trinity Repertory Company in Providence, RI. Later that year he landed a role as Turkey Boy in Trinity’s production of “A Christmas Carol.” Since that time Robert has performed a variety of roles on stage and film. Robert’s first principal role was in “Bride Wars.” Robert’s role as Rowley in Fox’s three-movie franchise “Diary of A Wimpy Kid” (2010, 2011) helped solidify his career. In 2015, Robert played Jake alongside Bailey Madison in the Indie feature “Annabelle Hooper and The Ghosts of Nantucket.” In 2016, Robert landed the role of Jack Black’s son Dave in the feature film “The Polka King.” In addition to theater, and film, Robert currently is a returning guest star on CBS’s “Elementary,” where he plays the role of one of Sherlock’s “irregulars” known as Mason. He has also appeared on television as a guest star on ABC’s “The Middle,” and as the lead on two episodes of The Hub Network’s “The Haunting Hour.”

Time: 3:30 p.m.

Location: Roger Williams University, One Old Ferry Road, Bristol, RI

Global Heritage Hall, Room 01

THIS IS A FREE EVENT & OPEN TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC

• PREMIER FILM SCREENINGS RETURN TO ONE OF PROVIDENCE’S FAVORITE FILM VENUES

This year’s Vortex will feature festival screenings at the new Acoustic Java Cafe and Micro Cinema at 204 South Main Street.  Screenings will take place Friday and Saturday (October 25 and October 26).  Check the full schedule for details.

Featuring Live Accompaniment and an Original Score by the Dave Tessier Band.

ABOUT THE FILM: An unauthorized adaptation of Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Nosferatu is the quintessential silent vampire film, crafted by legendary German director F. W. Murnau (Sunrise, Faust, The Last Laugh).

Rather than depicting Dracula as a shape-shifting monster or debonair gentleman, Murnau’s Graf Orlok (as portrayed by Max Schreck) is a nightmarish, spidery creature of bulbous head and taloned claws — perhaps the most genuinely disturbing incarnation of vampirism yet envisioned.

Nosferatu was an atypical expressionist film in that much of it was shot on location. While directors such as Lang and Lubitsch built vast forests and entire towns within the studio, Nosferatu‘s landscapes, villages and castle were actual locations in the Carpathian mountains. Murnau was thus able to infuse the story with the subtle tones of nature: both pure and fresh as well as twisted and sinister.

ABOUT THE MUSIC: David Tessier is a critically acclaimed actor/composer from RI, active in the RI arts community for the last 3 decades. He is the Music Director for King Richard’s Faire and is the founder & leader of the “All-Star Band of All-Star Stars,” a musical collective created to perform pieces and works from Jesus Christ Superstar to the Monkees. featuring Jon Brennan (vocals/keys), Paul Sousa (bass), Nate Goncalo (drums/vocals) and Justin Grankewicz (vocals/percussion). David is a recording artist for the 75orless label with whom he has released “The Taurus EP” (2011) and “Dreams In Hyperspace EP” (2018).

Time: 7:00 p.m.

Location: Johnson and Wales University, 261 Pine Street, Providence, RI 02903

Schneider Auditorium (Xavier Complex)

THIS IS A FREE EVENT & OPEN TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC

Additionally, a collection of genre-bending short film screenings will take place at downtown Providence venues Friday and Saturday.

Come dressed in your best themed costume for this wild Costume Contest with cash prizes and celebrate the wrap of the 20^th Annual Vortex.

Time: 9:00 p.m. to 12:00 midnight

Location: Rooftop at the Providence G, Providence,

THIS IS A FREE EVENT, 21+, no cover

Registration Required: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/gods-goddesses-halloween-party-at-the-rooftop-tickets-72405939113