Michael Richardson and his two business partners who own and operate Anchor Bend Glassworks LLC in Newport and North Kingstown – Justin Tarducci and Timothy Underwood – have more reason than usual to look forward to the state’s biggest film festival this year.
Demetria Carr, managing director of the R.I. International Film Festival, chose them to create one of the most important awards to be presented at the festival Aug. 9-14, the trophy for best short film. The winner will qualify for Oscar consideration in 2012.
“We’re really happy to have such a great film presence in Rhode Island,” Richardson said of the film festival. “We are big fans of all the arts. Not only are we pleased to see such a big fan base [for the film festival], but the influx of interest and people in town who want to be part of it will definitely help our business.”
Anchor Bend is one of numerous local businesses, including retail shops, hotels and restaurants, that stand to benefit this year from the film festival, now in its 15th year.
George T. Marshall, executive director and CEO of FLICKERS, parent of RIIFF, said the festival’s subtle but far-ranging “ripple effect” on local business extends from soda bottlers in Bristol to eateries on Providence’s East Side. Adding to the event’s appeal this year is a full WaterFire scheduled for Aug. 13.
“The city’s going to be jam-packed that weekend,” he predicted.
Anchor Bend, where every piece is hand-blown, has been in business at its Newport gallery since 2003, opening a North Kingstown production studio at Shady Lea Mill about three years ago. Started by three glass artisans who went to Rogers High School together, the business specializes in custom-made trophies and, among others, has created the awards for Boat of the Year for Cruising World and Sailing World magazines.
This is the first year Anchor Bend has created a trophy for the film festival and, well aware that the winner is not likely to be a Rhode Islander, Richardson said Anchor Bend drew inspiration for its wave design from the Ocean State itself, so the winner will have a permanent memento of the state. “It was designed and produced with pride in the Ocean State,” Richardson said.
The local festival is the only one in New England that can qualify a short film for Oscar consideration. Over the years, organizers say, 21 short films that debuted at the festival were later nominated for Academy Awards, with six winning.
Now in the third year of supporting the film festival, the Renaissance provides various services for the film crowd, including accommodations, meeting rooms and Sunday brunch, but not necessarily for free.
Aware that most artists are on tight budgets, Mike Barrett, director of sales and marketing said, “We try to accommodate them [financially] as much as possible. We give them the best consideration we can when we quote pricing,” he said. “This is a good source of revenue for us. August is not necessarily one of our busiest months, so it’s a good time for us to work with the film festival.”
For competitive reasons, Barrett would not reveal the prices he offers filmgoers, nor would he say the number of rooms set aside for them, but he made it clear that this kind of sponsorship is something the hotel believes in as a way to both boost business and give back to the community.
“We cater to the arts, the visual arts, the performing arts,” Barrett said of the Renaissance. “Our look and our feel are arts-inspired, we’ve not very corporate.” Festival-goers make ample use of the hotel’s cellar tavern, the Temple, and Barrett said they regularly ask the hotel’s concierges for directions to such places as Providence Place and the best restaurants.
According to Marshall, more than 20,000 people are expected at this year’s six-day festival, when 190 films from 34 countries will be shown at nine venues in the state. The films include 15 world premieres and 15 national premieres, Marshall said. About 4,500 films were submitted.
Seven festival venues are in Providence, including the VMA, the Renaissance hotel, the Metcalf Auditorium at the Rhode Island School of Design Museum of Art, Pot au Feu restaurant, Bravo Brasserie, Roots Café, Sidebar Bistro and the theater of the Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce.
A highlight of this year’s event is the world premiere of the documentary, “Family Band: The Cowsills’ Story,” about the Newport musical family considered prototypes for “The Partridge Family” television series. Popular during the late 1960s and early 1970s, the band had hits with “Hair,” “Indian Lake” and “The Rain, the Park and Other Things.” The group disbanded in the early 1970s, but the family never left the music business and has regrouped through the years.
“This is a real Rhode Island story,” Marshall said, noting that the Cowsills were a military family that settled in Newport. Marshall said he expects “a large house” for this event, with about 100 tickets already sold.
Another highlight is the world premiere Aug. 13 of the feature-length documentary “Code Name: Blast Off” about Hasbro’s successful reintroduction of G.I. Joe in the 1980s. The film was created by Tristan Rudat, a local filmmaker and son of Hasbro designer Ron Rudat, and tells the story of the rebranding effort through interviews with artists, writers, designers and Alan Hassenfeld, former head of the Pawtucket-based, international toy and game developer. The film will be shown at 5 p.m. at the VMA.
Actor Paul Sorvino, who has appeared in such productions as television’s Law & Order series, Martin Scorsese’s 1990 film “Goodfellas” and the 1995 film “Nixon,” where he portrayed Henry Kissinger, will receive RIIFF’s Lifetime Achievement Award Aug. 11.
In addition, the festival will present a host of movies featuring well-known actors and filmmakers, such as John Hurt, Ed Asner, Colin Firth (who won the Oscar for best actor in “The King’s Speech” this year), Keira Knightley, Terry Gilliam, Anthony LaPaglia, Fionnula Flanagan (from “The Brotherhood”) and Melissa Leo (who won the Oscar for supporting actress in “The Fighter” this year).
Names like that on the marquee and RIIFF’s solid reputation make the event easy to market, Marshall said. He pointed out that most sponsors have supported it for years. “We’ve never had anybody say ‘no’ and people come to us to be sponsors,” Marshall said, citing MGM-HD based in New York City as an example of the latter.
“Businesses understand that if you bring in a Paul Sorvino, you’re going to get a lot of people coming in to see him,” he said. •
