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Director Michael Corrente
and Anka Theroux hang out at the Imagine party
at Davio's. Photo by Bob Zampini.
Jesus Nebot and Chelsea
Rendon in NO TURNING BACK, Winner of Best Foreign
Film at RIIFF.
Julie Andrews, who accepted
the RIIFF's Lifetime Achievement Award on behalf
of husband Blake Edwards, enjoys opening night
with RIFF Executive Director George Marshall
and Managing Director Betty Galligan. Photo
by Christine Keene.
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"We
were blessed this year with a plethora of high quality
films. We are thrilled with the level of response...receiving
the entries feels like Christmas, you never know what
you're going to unwrap." RIIFF Executive Director
George Marshall
Named a "Best Kept Secret" by the
Ultimate Film Festival Survival Guide 2000, the RIIFF
delivered a program of over 200 films, including 42
world premieres and 20 U.S. premieres. The festival
was a celebration of diversity, drawing filmmakers
from all over the world, including Sweden, the Netherlands,
Germany, Italy, Brazil, India, and Australia.
While earning the reputation in
the film community as "one of the most exciting new
festivals to come along", (Chris Gore's Ultimate Film
Festival Survival Guide), the buzz among filmmakers
was that the RIIFF is a rare, high-impact festival
that remains dedicated to nurturing and facilitating
true independent filmmakers and young talent. "This
festival is recognized by filmmakers the world over
as an event that never lost touch with its grass roots,"
says Melinda Roenisch, director of THE SECRET, which
took Best Feature in the festival.
"We want to be known as a festival
that aggressively supports its filmmakers," says RIIFF
Managing Director Betty Galligan, "our mission is
to hold onto the essence of the independent film festival,
which is about providing a forum which enables a level
of positive interaction, not just competition."
And Then There Was Julie Andrews
Legendary star Julie Andrews was
an amazing presence during opening night, where she
received the RIIFF'S Lifetime Achievement Award on
behalf of her husband, director Blake Edwards: "Julie
was beautiful, gracious, just a delight," says George
Marshall, "it was truly an honor to have her here
with us."
The Awards
The RIIFF 2001 Awards reflected
the range and diversity of the program.
Best Feature went to THE SECRET, directed by Melinda
Roenisch, a New England Premiere. Best Director was
Cambridge native Mark Wilkinson, for DISCHORD, a RI
Premiere; Best Documentary awarded to Camilla Calamandrei
for PRISONERS IN PARADISE (Grand Prize), and tied
for 1st Place were documentaries IN CANE FOR LIFE,
directed by Brazilian Jorge Wolney Attalla, and Canada's
A TIME FOR LOVE AND WAR, directed by Sabrina Mathews,
a U.S. Premiere.
Rounding out the global nature of
the awards was Best Experimental to THE SEA THAT THINKS,
directed by Gert de Graaff of the Netherlands; and
what many consider to be the 'breakout film', Jesus
Nebot's NO TURNING BACK, from Spain, which took Best
Foreign Film.
The New England Connection
Ziad Hamzeh's SHADOW GLORIES took
the Best Editing Grand Prize. Ziad reports that his
award-winning film will be theatrically released in
September. And WORKING STIFF, directed by Greg Joyce,
received the Grand Prize for Best Screenplay. (See
in-depth profiles of these two films in Imagine's
August issue archived online at www.imaginenews.com).
The Imagine Party at Davio's
Celebrates the Filmmakers
Imagine hosted a party at Davio's
wonderful restaurant for RIIFF filmmakers, staff,
and area businesses. It was a great opportunity to
just kick back, relax, and network. Providence Mayor
Vincent A. Cianci Jr. was in attendance, and was greeted
enthusiastically by a crowd that clearly appreciated
Providence as a host city. In fact, many filmmakers
requested location tours of the area. Director Michael
Corrente stopped by and lent his support. Thank you
Davio's, and congratulations to all of the filmmakers
and to the RIIFF for a wonderful experience.
'No Turning Back' Explores the
Beauty, and Sacrifice, of Love
"I am interested in making films
that are socially relevant; I feel passionate about
the concepts of tolerance and compassion, and of not
rushing to judgements about people." Jesus Nebot
'No Turning Back', winner of Best
Foreign Film at the RIIFF (Audience Award in June
at The Malaga Film Festival, Spain's most prestigious
National Competition), is Jesus Nebot's directorial
debut, and it is a stunning achievement. Nebot acted
in the lead role, co-wrote the script, and produced
the film, and the result is a lyrical, compelling
story, combined with an impassioned yet subtle performance.
'No Turning Back'is the true story
of an illegal immigrant who finds himself in an impossibly
agonizing set of circumstances. Pablo, a Honduran
English literature professor, illegally enters southern
California with his 6- year old daughter after his
wife is killed in Hurricane Mitch. Several months
after establishing their new life, Pablo accidentally
kills a girl with his car and flees the scene, knowing
that facing the consequences would mean losing his
daughter.
"It's very easy to condemn him as a criminal...he
has no credibility because he's an illegal immigrant,"
says Nebot. Or "sometimes people make poor decisions
based on their circumstances. It's not about condoning
people's actions. It's about developing a greater
understanding," he added.
Nebot , through tight direction
and succinct dialogue, creates an atmosphere of mounting
tension as the story progresses to its tragic conclusion.
And via an amazingly subtle and engaging performance,
draws the audience into the dilemma of this tortured
father whose actions are governed by his love for
his daughter.
Nebot's Smoldering Screen Presence
Jesus Nebot possesses a rare gift:
an ability to captivate an audience on screen without
saying a word. Able to convey a wide range of human
emotion, Nebot delivers a layered performance, expressing
the turmoil, anguish, and above all, the unconditional
love Pablo had for his young daughter. This compelling
presence is one reason for the general consensus that
Nebot will be the next breakout star. In July, Kevin
Thomas of the Los Angeles Times raved, "Jesus Nebot
gives a focused, passionate portrayal, holding the
film together and giving it impact and meaning
Jesus Nebot graduated from the Royal
Academy of Dramatic Arts in Madrid, and moved to NYC
to study acting at the Lee Strasburg Theatre. He founded
Zokalo Entertainment (based in Santa Monica, CA) in
1999, an independent production company specializing
in the development of character-driven feature films,
appealing to an international market. For more info,
see www.noturningback.com.
In Next Month's Issue
RIIFF Follow-Up Report: Films/Filmmakers
to Watch, with a special focus on women filmmakers.
October is Imagine's womens' issue.
Anka
Theroux is a filmmaker and writer who attended film
school in NYC. She has worked on several film festivals
in New York and Istanbul, Turkey, and was Executive
Director of Providence's Renaissance City Film Festival
in October 2000. She also serves as a media consultant
to various corporate and non-profit clients. Contact
Anka at ankafilmgirl@yahoo.com
