This year’s RIIFF ran August 4-9th and showcased 235 cinematic works submitted from over 57 countries and 31 states in the United States. The 2009 RIIFF presented 38 World Premieres and 21 US/North American Premieres. Festival films were selected from over 3,400 international submissions.

The RIIFF Awards 2009:

Best Short
Grand: Celestial Avenue, Directed by Cameron Cairnes and Colin Cairnes (2009, Australia)
First: Oscar & Jim, Directed by Iain Weatherby (2009, United Kingdom/France)
Tied with: Looking at Animals, Directed by Marc Turtletaub (2009, U S A)
Second: Magellan, Directed by Sebastian Davis (2009, U S A)

Best Feature:
Grand: ISSIZ ADAM (ALONE), Directed by Cagan Irmak (2008, Turkey)
First: Fifty Dead Men Walking, Directed by Kari Skogland (2008, United Kingdom)
Tied with: Not Dead Yet, Directed by: Sam Hull (2008, U S A)

Best Feature Documentary:
Grand: No.4 Street of Our Lady, Directed by Barbara Bird, Judy Maltz, Richie Sherman
(2009, U S A / Israel, U S A, Ukraine)
First: The Good Mother, Directed by Sarah Klein, (2009, France)
Second: Sweet Crude, Directed by Sandy Cioffi, (2008, Nigeria/U S A)

Best Documentary Short
Grand: Team Taliban, Directed by Benjamin Kegan (2008, U S A)
First: AMERIKA IDOL, Directed by Barry Avrich (2008, Serbia/Montenegro/Canada)
Second: TIRA BAKAL (striking metal), Directed by: Scott Wurth (2009, Australia / Philippines)

RIIFF International Ambassador Award
Víctor Bárcena, director of Las manos de Abel from Spain
Directorial Discovery Award:
Grand: Who Killed Chea Vichea? Directed by Bradley Cox (2009, Thailand/U S A)
First: HOME IS WHERE YOU FIND IT, Directed by Alcides Soares (2009, U S A)
Tied With: HouseQuake Directed by Karen Price (2009, U S A)

International Discovery Award:
Grand: Danse Macabre, Directed by Pedro Pires (2009, Canada)
First: Echo, Directed by Magnus von Horn (2009, Poland)
Second: An Unfinished Romance, Directed by Alison Heather (2009, Australia)

Best Cinematography
Grand: Out of the Blue, Directed by Michael Lavelle, (2009, Ireland)
First: The Taxidermist, Directed by Bert & Bertie, Cinematographer/DP: Lynda Hall (2009, United Kingdom)
Second: Garbage Dreams, Directed by Mai Iskander (2009, Egypt/U S A)

RIIFF Director’s Choice Award
Underwear, Directed by Tomer Gendler (2009, U S A
“Helping Hand” International Humanitarian Award
Given annually to a film or filmmaker that inspires social change, community outreach and a better understanding of the world in which we live
FEAT: 63 Marathons in 63 Days, Directed by Deborah Carr (2009, U S A)

Providence Film Festival
Grand: Home Across Lands, Directed by John Lavall (2008, Ethiopia, U S A)
First: The Impact of Your Choice: Breast Health Awareness-When Is Too Young!
Directed by Deborah A. Hoch, Megastar Productions (2009, U S A)
Second: Shooting Beauty, Directed by George Kachadorian (2008, U S A)

Editing:
Grand: School Play, Directed by Eddie Rosenstein, Rick Velleu, Edited by Tom Griffin (2008, USA)
First: War Against The Weak, Directed and edited by Justin Strawhand, (2008, Germany, Poland, U S A)
Tied with: My Son the Pornographer, Directed by Peter Campbell, Edited by Zsolt Sandor
(2009, Canada / Canada, Czech Republic)

Screenplay:
Grand: ROAR, Directed by Adam Wimpenny, Written by J.S. Hill, (2009, United Kingdom)
First: The Stars Don't Twinkle In Outer Space, Directed by Peter Thwaites, Written by Hank Isaac (2008, United Kingdom/Hungary)
Second: The Butler's In Love, Directed by David Arquette, Written by Curtis Reynolds, (2008, USA)

Best Experimental:
Grand: LoopLoop, Directed by Patrick Bergeron, (2008, Viet Nam/Canada)
First: Jelly Fishers, Directed by Steven Subotnick, (2009, U S A)
Second: Schizofredric, Directed by Andy Poyiadgi, (2009, United Kingdom)

Alternative Spirit:
Grand: Claiming the Title: Gay Olympics On Trial, Directed by Jonathan Joiner and Robert Martin (2009, U S A)
First: The Single Mother, Directed by Ryan Logan (2009, U S A)
Tied with: Out in the Silence, Directed by Dean Hamer and Joe Wilson (2009, U S A)

Best Soundtrack:
Rock Prophecies, Directed by John Chester (2009, U S A, United Kingdom)
Best Original Musical Composition (Score):
Grand: Another Harvest Moon, Directed by: Greg Swartz
Music Composed by Rick Garcia and William V. Malpede (2009, U S A)
First: Conrad the Wise, Directed by Alan Miller, Original Music/Composer: Adam Fulton
(2009, Canada)

KIDSEYE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
KidsEye (Films Made for Kids):
Grand: Leonardo, Directed by Jim Capobianco (2009, U S A)
First: The Curiosity of Penny Parker, Directed by Ryan Hanson (2009, Canada)
KidsEye (Films Made by Kids):
Grand: Thunder & Lightning, Directed by Susan and Katherine Procopio (2009, Canada)
Tied with: My Crisis, Directed by Joseph Procopio (2009, Canada)

Best Comedy Short:
Grand: I Can Speak Swedish! Directed by Charlene Loh (2009, Australia)
First: The Enchanted Island, Directed by Noel Kearns (2009, Ireland)
Second: Our Neck of the Woods, Directed by Rob Connolly (2008, U S A)

Best Animation:
Grand: LOST AND FOUND, Directed by Philip Hunt (2008, United Kingdom)
First: Pigeon: Impossible, Directed by Lucas Martell (2009, U S A)
Tied with: Lightheaded, Directed by Mike Dacko, (2009, U S A)

Best Acting:
Love, Directed by Cristian Solimeno
Featuring Amanda Ray-King and Brett Allen
(2008, United Kingdom)

Vortex Sci-Fi & Fantasy:
Hector Corp., Directed by Gary Lee (2009, U S A)

BEST SHORT:
SPONSORED BY TOON BOOM STORYBOARD SOFTWARE
Grand Prize: “Tanghi Argenti”
Directed by: Guys Thys (BELGIUM)

First Place: “Moi”
Directed by: Yan England (CANADA)

Second Place: “Partus”
Directed by: Mikkel Munch-Fals (DENMARK)

DIRECTORIAL DISCOVERY AWARD: “Matters of Life and Death” Directed by: Joseph Mazzello (USA)

BEST ACTING AWARD
Bodil Jørgensen for “Partus”
Directed by: Mikkel Munch-Fals (DENMARK)

INTERNATIONAL DISCOVERY AWARD
Alicia Vikander for “Darkness of Truth”
Directed by: Kristian A Söderström (SWEDEN)

BEST FEATURE

Grand Prize: “Just Like the Son”
Directed by: Morgan J. Freeman (USA)

First Place: “The Man from Earth”
Directed by: Richard Schenkman (USA)

Second Place: “Last Stop for Paul”
Directed by: Neill Mandt, Director (USA)

BEST ANIMATION
SPONSORED BY TOON BOOM STUDIO
Grand Prize: “For the Love of God”
Directed by: Joe Tucker (UNITED KINGDOM)

First Place: “Everything Will Be OK”
Directed by: Don Hertzfeldt (USA)

Second Place:(TIE)
“Mirage”
Directed by: Youngwoong Jang (USA)

“Voodoo Bayou”
Directed by: Javier Gutierrez (MEXICO)

BEST COMEDY SHORT
Grand Prize: “The Happiest Day of His Life”
Directed by: Ursula Burton (USA)

First Place: “Shrinks”
Directed by: Gregg Brown (USA)

Second Place: “The Blacksmith and the Carpenter”
Directed by: Chris Redish (USA)

BEST EDITING

Grand Prize: Stephen Green for “The Union: The Business Behind Getting High”
Directed by: Brett Harvey (CANADA)

First Place: Philippe Gagnon for “Moi”
Directed by: Yan England (CANADA)

Second Place: (TIE)
Leo King for “Wednesday”
Directed by: Rob Sorrenti (UNITED KINGDOM)

John Farbrother for “The 5:22”
Directed by: Bernadette Demisay (USA)

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

Grand Prize: Milton Kam for “Vanaja”
Directed by: Rajnesh Domalpalli (INDIA)

First Place: Roger Singh for “Pismo” (The Letter)
Directed by: Matvei Zhivov (RUSSIA)

Second Place:
Bogdan George Apetri for “Last Day of December”
Directed by: Bogdan George Apetri (ROMANIA)

BEST DOCUMENTARY

Grand Prize: “Soldiers of Conscience”
Directed by: Gary Weimberg & Catherine Ryan (USA)

First Place: “Been Down that Muddy Road”
Directed by: Carol Carimi Acutt (USA)

Second Place: (TIE)
“The Wonder of It All”
Directed by: Jeffrey Roth (USA)

“The Dhamma Brothers”
Directed by: Andrew Kukura, Jenny Phillips & Anne Marie Stein (USA)

RIIFF ENVIRONMENTAL FOCUS AWARD
Grand Prize: “Escape from Suburbia”
Directed by: Gregory Greene (CANADA)

BEST EXPERIMENTAL

Grand Prize: “Twee Dromen”
Directed by: Arend Steenbergen (NETHERLANDS)

First Place: “Happily Ever After”
Directed by: Lidia Sheinin, Director (USA)

Second Place: (TIE)
“Arthur’s Paradise”
Directed by: Luc Beauchamp (CANADA)

“Arrivals”
Directed by: Naomi Jaye (CANADA)

BEST SCORE
Grand Prize:
“Half-Life: A Journey to Chernobyl” (Dmitri Tchamovouf, Composer; David Bickerstaff, Sound Design; David Bickerstaff and Phil Grabsky, Directors; Phil Grabsky, Seventh Art Productions, Producer) UNITED KINGDOM

First Place:
“Voodoo Bayou” (Rodrigo Barbera, Composer; Javier Gutierrez, Director; Susana Jacques, Producer) MEXICO
Second Place:
“Secondhand” (Pepe) (Luke Fischbeck, Composer; Hanna Shell & Vanessa Bertozzi Directors; Hanna Shell, Producer) CANADA

ALTERNATIVE SPIRIT

Grand Prize: “Back Soon”
Directed by: Rob Williams (USA)

First Place: "Gódir Gestir" (Family Reunion)
Directed by: Isold Uggadottir (ICELAND)

Second Place: “Red Without Blue”
Directed by: Benita Sills, Brooke Sebold, Todd Sills (USA)

BEST SCREENPLAY (Top Prize winner receives Final Draft Software)
Grand Prize: “Man from Earth”
Written By: Jerome Bixby
Directed by: Richard Schenkman (USA)

First Place: “Personal Spectator”
Written by: Carol Frechette & Emmanuel Jespers
Directed by: Emannuel Jespers (BELGIUM)

Second Place: “One Last Drink Before Morning”
Written by: Paolo Giuseppe Cabrielli & David McDonagh
Directed by: JD Kelleher (UNITED KINGDOM)

KIDSEYE™ INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL [Films Made BY Kids]

(TIE)
SPONSORED BY TOON BOOM STUDIO
Grand Prize: “Project Kick Talk”
Directed by: Aaron Kohn (USA)

“Western Spaghetti”
Directed by: Joe Procopio (CANADA)

KIDSEYE™ INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL [Films Made FOR Kids]

Grand Prize: “Mondmann (Moonman)”
Directed by: Fritz Bohm (GERMANY)

First Place: “Her Best Move”
Directed by: Norm Hunter (USA)

Second Place: “Chinese Dumplings”
Directed by: Michelle Hung (USA)

New England Student Competition
Grand Prize: “Brandon”
Directed by: Rachel Israel (USA)

First Place: “Tuesday Morning”
Directed by: Brian Singele (USA)

Second Place: “Little White Flowers”
Directed by: Christopher Messing (USA)

PROVIDENCE FILM FESTIVAL (for local filmmakers of Rhode Island)

Grand Prize: “Strongest Ever”
Produced by: Jacqueline Willemsen, Christopher Lavigne, Ben Crane

First Place: “The Times Were Never So Bad: The Life of Andre Dubus” Directed and Produced by: Edward J. Delaney

Second Place:
“The Strange Case of Marie France”
Directed by: Till Newmann

Viola M. Marshall Audience Choice Awards

Best Documentary

Grand Prize: "From the 50 Yard Line"
Directed by: Doug Lantz

1st Place: "Italian Americans and Federal Hill"
Directed by: Jon Raben

Best Feature

Grand Prize: "Body/Antibody"
Directed by: Kerry Douglas Dye and Jordan Hoffman

First Place: “Her Best Move”
Directed by: Norm Hunter

Best Short

Grand Prize: "Driftwood"
Directed by: Michelle Steffes (USA)

1st Place: “The Strange Case of Marie France”
Directed by: Till Newmann (USA)