Rhode Island International Film Festival 2011 Includes Terry Gilliam, Colin Firth, Anna Paquin

by Sophia Savage (Updated 13 hours, 21 minutes ago)

A scene from "Montana Amazon - The Adventures of the Dunderheads."

FLICKERS: Rhode Island International Film Festival (RIIFF), August 9-14, announced the lineup for its 15th annual fest. This is the only Academy Awards-qualifying festival in New England.
This year’s 195 films include 18 world and 21 North American premieres. The fest will kick off with an opening-night ceremony and screening of the following short films: “Henry,” directed by Yan England; “Sailcloth” directed by Elfar Adalsteins; “Tooty’s Wedding” directed by Frederic Casella; “The Wholly Family” directed by Terry Gilliam; “Brot [Bread]” directed by Ahmet Tas; and “Cataplexy John Salcido; and La Historia de Siempre (The Same Old Story)” directed by Jose Luis Montesinos.
Short films have been broken into “packages,” including: Cinéma Ooh La La (a collection of French films); Cine ¡OLÉ! (Spanish-language films); Reel Love Shorts (romantic comedies); Road to Hollywood (short films with big star power); Comedy Showcase; and Student Academy Award nominees.
Among the shorts are “The Carrier” (starring Rita Wilson, Chad Michael Murray and Anna Paquin, USA), “Sailcloth” (starring John Hurt, UK), “The Sea is ALL I Know” (starring Melissa Leo and Peter Gerety, USA) and “Steve” (starring Keira Knightley and Colin Firth, UK).

Documentary features include “A Balloon for Allah,” directed by Nefise Özkal Lorentzen (world premiere), Gemma Atwal’s “Marathon Boy,” directed by Gemma Atwal, Bryan Storkel’s “Holy Rollers: The True Story of Card-Counting Christians,” and the North American premiere of Esther Anderson’s “Bob Marley: The Making of a Legend.”
Feature film selections include the world premiere of John Daschbach’s “Brief Reunion,” D.G. Brock’s “Montana Amazon: The Adventures of Dunderheads” starring Olympia Dukakis, Haley Joel Osment and Allison Brie (pictured), Matthew Meutwyler’s “Answers to Nothing,” starring Dane Cook and directed by Matthew Leutwyler, and starring Dane Cook, and Penelope Buitenhuis’ “A Wake,” starring Wendie Malick.
RIIFF’s sidebar fest, the Providence Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Film Festival, is in its 12th year and will include J.T. Tepnapa’s “Judas Kiss,” Steven Williford’s “The Green,” Tommy Stovall’s “Sedona” and Joey Sylvester’s “Walk a Mile in My Pradas.”
Paul Sorvino (“Goodfellas,” “Romeo and Juliet ,” “The Cooler”) will receive the fest’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
For more information and the complete lineup, workshops and parties check out the fest site.