Tuesday,
August 21, 2007
"Italian Americans and Federal
Hill" Awarded
The
ANNOTICO Report
Out
of 2,491 entries submitted and 320 films screened during this year's festival,
The 11th Annual Rhode Island International Film Festival (RIIFF) has
named "Italian
Americans and Federal Hill" the 1st Place, Audience
Choice Award winner for Best Documentary.
It
is encouraging to see Films like this and "They Came to Chicago" among many
other films that are not only examine, but Document the LOCAL Italian
American Experience , which in their entirety will show the rich Mosaic of the
National Italian American Experience, which is Not as homogenized as we are
accustomed to believing.
"Italian
Americans and Federal Hill" is Big Surprise of Film Festival
The Open
Press
August
21st, 2007
Produced and directed by Jonathan Raben, the film
premiered late last year, and received a four star rating from Providence
Journal film critic, Michael Janusonis, a five star
rating from Frances Syner (Federal Hill Gazette),
"thumbs up" from the National Italian American Foundation (NIAF News)
and was heralded as far away as Italy by the Newsitalia
Press. Radiotelevisione Italiana
(RAI)
With so much prior exposure and the DVD already available, festival officials
and workers did not expect a large turnout. Even RIIFF's
own award ceremony p resentations conflicted with the
screening. However lines formed early for the film and Columbus Theater owner
Jon Berberian, festival workers and officials
expressed great surprise when "Italian Americans and Federal Hill"
had hundreds more in attendance than expected with the biggest crowd of all
films shown during the festival.
The film relates the history, traditions, challenges and successes of Italian
immigrants throughout the
The Audience Choice Award to be presented is named for the late Viola M.
Marshall, an arts supporter and a founding member of the Flickers Arts
Collaborative which created and produces the RIIFF.
"Italian Americans and Federal Hill" is the first film made entirely
in
The News Reporter's Site for the recent festival is at www.digitalgurune.com/riiff
and the News site for select international films is at www.digitalgurune.com/riiff/filmlang
Contact:
Bob Cooper
prguynow@yahoo.com
Tel: 00-1-401-447-6474 Days/Evenings
The
ANNOTICO Reports Can be Viewed (and are Archived) on:
Italia
Italia
Mia: http://www.ItaliaMia.com (3 years)
Annotico
Email: annotico@earthlink.net