Fest facts

THE FOURTH ANNUAL Rhode Island International Film Festival will screen more than 200 films, including 42 features. Among the highlights: the world premiere of For the Love of May, with Patricia Neal and Michael Learned; Seven Girlfriends, starring Providence resident Tim Daly; Mr. Rice, a kids' film starring David Bowie; Growing Down in Brooklyn, directed by Robert Santoli; Crystal Ball, a tribute to the late guitarist Mick Ronson; Carlo's Wake, by Rhode Island College grad and former PMMagazine producer Mike Valerio; The Pork Chop Lounge, a documentary of AS220's house performance troupe; and the East Coast premiere of Poor White Trash, with Sean Young, and William DeVane.

* The RIIFF received 544 entries in competition and 75 out of competition, from 35 countries and 32 of the United States. One hundred and 70 titles will vie for awards.

* Screenings will take place at the Columbus Cinema, the RISDAuditorium, New England Tech, the Cable Car Cinema, and the Avon Cinema.

* Script Biz, a seminar that delves into the business of screenwriting, will be held on Saturday, August 12 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Courtyard Marriott Hotel in Providence. Scheduled speakers include Stephen Geller, who wrote adaptations of Slaughterhouse Five and The Valachi Papers; Richard Krevolin, a professor of screenwriting at USC; and literary agents Garret Maynard and Ralph Valentino. Walk-ins are welcome; the fee is $95, with additional charges for the advanced screenwriting developmental workshop ($75) and script consultations ($75). Call 861-4445.

* This year's RIIFF Artistic Vision Award will be presented to Elaine Lorillard, the founder of the Newport Jazz Festival and the Newport International Film &Television Festival. The ceremony, featuring a video tribute to her accomplishments, will be held on Sunday, August 13 at 5:30 p.m. at the RISDAuditorium. "There is no question that the life of Ms. Lorillard would make great Hollywood fare," said George T. Marshall, the artistic director of the RIIFF. "Not only did she use family money to create and foster the first U.S. outdoor jazz festival, but she found and hired its long-term producer, George Wein." It is said that Lorillard was the inspiration for the Grace Kelly character in the film High Society.

The Newport International Film &Television Festival was the precursor of the Flickers Arts Collaborative, which emerged in 1982 (first known as the Newport Film Society) and produces the RIIFF.

* The RIIFF is hosting KidsEye, a four-day filmmaking camp for kids ages 8 to 16. Participants will attend workshops led by movie pros on screenwriting, acting, directing, make-up, costuming, special effects and how to use a camera. A script by Newport author and vampire scholar Christopher Rondina will be shot at Fort Adams.

* "Between Takes," a series of morning panel discussions at the Courtyard Marriott, will feature filmmakers and industry reps. Friday's topics are "Surviving the Festival Circuit: Marketing Do's and Dont's," "The Ins/Outs, Ups/Downs of Making an Independent Feature." On Saturday, the technical side is addressed in "Editing:Shaping the Artistic Vision," and the financial side offers "How To Take a Meeting, aka How to Pitch to Hollywood." And on Sunday, the brainstorming ends with "The Commercialization of Independent Films." All sessions begin at 9 a.m.

* "Cinema Cafe" will screen some choice edgy works on Thursday, August 10 at 9 p.m. at the Atomic Grill (99 Chestnut Street, Providence).

* On Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., filmmakers can scout future shooting locations on a statewide tour of the Ocean State.

* New technologies and digital vistas will be presented and discussed Thursday through Saturday from 2 to 7 p.m. at the New England Institute of Technology. It's a chance to experience tomorrow's breakthroughs today.

* For those who can't get enough film in their system, "Late Night Cinema" will screen some grown-up fare at the Columbus, including Lloyd Kaufman's Terror Firmer, which adroitly mixes two distinct genres.

* "Reel Images" will honor the lives and works of acclaimed filmmakers. The program focuses on Key Largo and Bryan Cranston's Last Chance, a fave from last year's fest, on Thursday and Friday, August 10 and 11 at 7 p.m. at the Cable Car. And there will be a gala event on Saturday, August 12 at 6 p.m. at the Assembly Theatre in Harrisville, which features dinner and a surprise final film. (Buses will be available from Conway Tours and RIPTA.)

* For complete info on screenings, programs, and much more, go to www.film-festival.org, or call the RIIFF at (401) 861-4445.
-- Peter Novarese

---

Back to 'Ruthie B'

---