Newport, Rhode Island: Newport International Film Festival Features Free Open Air Movie

Newport International Film Festival opens Wednesday with вЂIn the Loop'

Late last October the Newport International Film Festival was on the ropes and needed a $100,000 infusion to stay alive. At that time Alan Weiss, chairman of the film festival board, announced that the 2008 festival ended with $60,000 in debt and that it would take $40,000 more to get the 2009 festival up and running. Weiss threatened to pull the plug if they couldn't raise $100,000 to cover the debts by the next board meeting on Nov. 11. On Wednesday the Newport International Film Festival will open its 12th season. During its five-day run there will be some 90 films screened in three locations, a free outdoor screening in Ballard Park, visits by filmmakers and unprecedented showings of classic films taken from the vault of New York’s Museum of Modern Art especially for the occasion. There is a new executive director, a new artistic director and a new film programmer. And Alan Weiss is all smiles. So what happened? Reached by phone on the Acela Express just as it was about to descend into a tunnel near New York’s Penn Station, Weiss said that thanks to news reports of the festival’s possible demise last fall in The Providence Journal and elsewhere, the board raised $50,000. Then an anonymous donor came along and kicked in $90,000 more. I also threw three people off the board who didn’t want to contribute, and with that we went from famine to feast. Now we’re one of the few arts organizations that are doing well. The festival’s new executive director, Jennifer Maizel, grew up in East Greenwich and for several years had worked as managing director of the 10-day Sarasota Film Festival, which has a full-time staff of eight and attracts 45,000 filmgoers. At the five-day Newport festival she is, in effect, the only full-time paid staffer. Tickets for most films are $10: $20 for the opening and closing night films. Tickets may be purchased at Empire Tea & Coffee, 22 Broadway, Newport, and at newportfilmfestival.com. By Michael Janusonis, Journal Arts Writer Source: http://www.projo.com/movies/content/artsun_newport_film_festival_05-31-09_PPEEATG_v27.1b6555c.html