Arlington International Film Festival

Arlington International Film Festival (AIFF) is an annual nonprofit film festival ^[1] dedicated to promoting and increasing multicultural awareness and showcases world cinema and independent films in their original language with English subtitles. Independent film producers, directors and actors within the US and abroad are invited to participate in engaging panel discussions and Q&A sessions after the screenings. The Arlington International Film Festival also includes a year-round events such as poster contest competitions, pre-festival screenings and art exhibitions with local artists and performances by musicians, singers and dancers.

History

The Arlington International Film Festival was founded in 2010 by April Ranck and Alberto Guzman, in the aim of exploring and promoting the cultural diversity through the lens of independent films in a wide range of topics and areas. Jumping from 53 submissions the first year to over 142 the following year, the festival has been a significant success and attracts many enthusiast moviegoers. The festival was held during four consecutive years at the historic Regent Theatre in Arlington, Massachusetts. However, with the increase of the number of films submissions, and a strong participation of filmmakers as well as a growing audienceIn 2015, the festival decided to move to a more central location in Kendall Square in Cambridge, Massachusetts, at the Kendall Square Cinema.^[2]

Highlights

In 2014, the "Martin Luther King Community" awarded AIFF for spreading diversity and awareness of African-American culture,^[3] In 2012, the AIFF received the Year Award from the Arlington Chamber of Commerce,^[4] and in 2013, the McClennen Community Arts Award from Arlington Center for the Arts ^[5][6] in recognition for building community, as well as the Gold Star Award from the Massachusetts Cultural Council ^[7] for its 2013 poster contest. Last January, in conjunction with the Visual Art Department of the Arlington High School, AIFF brought artist Winfred Rembert ^[8][9] for a 5-day residency. AIFF has also partnered with the Boston Environmental Film Festival, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and Boston Irish Film Festival. In addition, AIFF worked with the filmmaker Alice Rotchild, of documentary Voices Across the Divide, which co-won the Boston Palestine Film Festival's ‘2013 Audience Award for Best Film. Two films: Botso:The Teacher from Tbilisi and Elena that were showcased at the Arlington International Festival in 2014 are among the 134 features nominated in the 'Documentary Feature' category for the 87th Academy Awards^[10]

Categories

The screenings include feature length and short films in narrative, documentary and animation categories. Showings emphasize multiculturalism. The Arlington International Film Festival is a juried festival. High school work is also included.

Festival Awards

2015 Festival Awards

Best of Festival:

• Gabo: The Creation of Garcia Marquez,^[11] produced by Justin Webster. France

Best Narrative Feature:

• How Not To Disappear Completely,^[12] Produced by Stuart J. Parkins, Director. U.K. U.S. PREMIERE.

Best Documentary' Short Film:

• A Chance To Dress,^[13] Produced by Alice Dungan Bouvrie. USA
• Tashi & The Monk,^[14] produced by Andrew Hinton & Johnny Burke, Directors. MA, USA.

Best Fiction Short Film'':

• Kresnik:The Lore of Fire,^[15] produced by David SIPOŠ, Slovenia.

Best Animated Short Film':

• Bendito Machine,^[16] produced by Jossie MALIS, Director. Spain, New England Premiere.

COLLEGE AWARD 'Best of Festival:

• Adagio, Kevin Wolf, Director. CA.

HIGH SCHOOL DIVISION AWARD Best of Festival HS:

• Jordan, Katie Russel, Director. Raw Art Works, MA

Best HS Experimental:

• Inhibited, Alexia Salingaros, Director, TX

Best HS Animation:

• Luminosity, Alexia Salingaros, Director, TX

Best HS Documentary:

• Picking up the Pieces, Joshua Tebeau, Director, Poland

Best HS Narrative:

• Queen, Arvonne Patterson, Director, MA

2014 Festival Awards

Best of Festival:

• Elena ^[17][18] directed by Petra Costa and produced by Busca Vida Filmes.

Best Documentary:

• Botso:^[19][20] The Teacher from Tbilisi, directed by Tom Walters.

Best Narrative:

• The Forgotten Kingdom, directed by Andrew Mudge.

Best Narrative Short:

• The Man Who Fed His Shadow, directed by Mario Garefo.

Best Documentary Short:

• Not Anymore, directed by Matthew VanDyke.

2013 Festival Awards

Best Documentary:

• The Iran Job ^[21] directed by Till Schauder.

Best Narrative:

• Clandestine Childhood directed by Benjamín Ávila.

Best Short:

• Baghdad Messi, directed by Shahim Omar Kalifa.

Best Documentary - High School Division Awards:

• La Lucha, directed by Tessa Tracy and Sophia Santos.

Best Narrative - High School Division Award:

• The Shingles, directed by Malcolm DC.

2012 Festival Awards

Best of Festival:

• All Me: The Life and Time of Winfred Rembert ^[22] directed by Vivian Ducat.^[23]

Best Documentary:

• Racing the Rez, directed by Brian Truglio.

Best Narrative:

• Consent, directed by Ron Farrar Brown.

Best of Festival & Best Documentary -High School Division Awards:

• La joie de vivre, directed by Jeremy Vassiliou.

Best Narrative - High School Division Award:

• Molineux, directed by Jacob Sussman.

High School Division Awards Best Animation - High School Division Awards:

• In Your Heart, directed by Raymond Caplin.

Best Experimental - High School Division Award:

• The Crown of life directed by Real Junior Leblanc.

2011 Festival Awards

Best of Festival:

• Zero Percent, directed by Tim Skousen.

Best Documentary:

• We still live here ^[24] directed by Anne Makepeace.

Best Narrative:

• Fuerteventura, directed by Mattias Sandström.

Best Short Film - High School Division Award:

• Nowhere Now Here, directed by Gaby Bruce.

References

1. ↑ New England Journal- AIFF pre festival event
2. ↑ Kendall Square Cinema
3. ↑ Martin Luther King Community award
4. ↑ Arlington, Ma, Chamber of Commerce: Congratulations to the 2012 Member Recognition Honorees
5. ↑ AIFF Celebrates its Partnership with Arlington Center for the Arts
6. ↑ AIFF Celebrates its Partnership with Medford Arts Center
7. ↑ Massachusetts Cultural council Gold star
8. ↑ Public News-Winfred Rembert- Celebrating Black History Month
9. ↑ Arlington Education Foundation. Winfred Rembert Artist-in-Residency
10. ↑ Academy Awards
11. ↑ Gabo: The Creation of Garcia Marquez
12. ↑ How Not To Disappear Completely - Interview with writer director Stuart J. Parkins
13. ↑ Boston Globe: The MIT professor's journey
14. ↑ Tashi & The Monk website
15. ↑ vimeo Kresnik:The Lore of Fire
16. ↑ vimeo Bendito Machine
17. ↑ The Boston Globe: Documentary, Elena
18. ↑ The New York Times- ‘Elena,’ a Documentary About a Brazilian Actress
19. ↑ The New York Times: ‘Botso,’ Healing Through His Students, by Anita Gates.
20. ↑ The Boston Globe: Documentary, Botso
21. ↑ Critics At Large. Detente: The Iran Job and Zaytoun
22. ↑ ACMI TV segment. Producer Peter Bermudes speaks with Winfred Rembert
23. ↑ Interview with Vivian Ducat at The Hamptons International Film Festival.
24. ↑ We Still Live here. Santa Barbara Independent- Filmmaker interviews-

External links

• Official Festival Website
• New England Film
• MA Film Office
• Boston Arts/Film Festivals

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