Sixth Annual Roving Eye International Film Festival Returning to Roger Williams University

Four-day event will showcase nearly 50 films and feature discussion with acclaimed documentary filmmaker Frederick Wiseman

BRISTOL, RI (04/07/2011)(readMedia)-- The sixth annual Roving Eye International Film Festival™ will return to Roger Williams University from April 14 to 17, 2011. Presented in collaboration with FLICKERS: The Rhode Island International Film Festival, the four-day festival will showcase nearly 50 films and feature a number of special events. All film screenings are free and open to the public.

The festival will premier on Thursday, April 14, at 6 p.m. with the "You Be the Judge" night, where audience members will help select films to be screened at the 2011 FLICKERS Rhode Island International Film Festival to be held in Providence in August.

Among the weekend's other highlights will be an appearance by documentary film legend Frederick Wiseman on Friday, April 15, at 6 p.m. One of the world's most celebrated documentarians, Wiseman will discuss his 1973 film "Juvenile Court" alongside a panel of industry experts. "Juvenile Court" will be available in back-to-back screenings earlier in the day at 1 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.

On Saturday, April 16, at 8:30 p.m., the festival will host a special benefit screening of Mike Ott's award-winning indie hit "Littlerock," which explores the intimate complexities of cross-cultural interaction. The film has achieved great success on the festival circuit, winning a coveted Gotham Award as well as the Acura Someone to Watch Award at this year's Independent Spirit Awards. This special screening will benefit the Japanese Disaster Relief Fund-Boston. Roger Williams University will offer a dollar-to-dollar match for all donations made during the event.

On Sunday, April 17, attendees can explore Jewish identity and culture with a series of films funded by the Edwin S. Soforenko Foundation and RWU's Hillel chapter. Highlights from the day include a panel discussion titled "Hollywood and the Jewish Experience" at 2 p.m.

That evening, the new Legacy Series: Movies, Magic and Performance – a special event celebrating the career of two-time Academy Award winner and former Bristol, R.I., resident Anthony Quinn – will close the film festival with a special screening of "Zorba the Greek" at 6 p.m. Members of the Anthony Quinn Foundation, an organization that strives to raise awareness of the need for art in society, will be present at the screening and available for discussion afterward.

The festival will take place on Roger Williams University's Bristol Campus at One Old Ferry Road in Bristol. For a full listing of this year's programming, including specific locations for each of the individual programs, visit www.film-festival.org.

The 2011 Roving Eye International Film Festival is sponsored by the Rhode Island Council for the Humanities, an independent affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities; the Roger Williams University Office of the Provost; the RWU Office of the Dean of Arts and Sciences; RWU School of Law; RWU School of Criminal Studies; RWU Department of Communications; RWU Hillel; and RWU Department of Psychology.

About RWU: Roger Williams University is a leading independent, coeducational liberal arts university at which students live and learn to be global citizens. With 41 academic programs and an array of co-curricular activities on its Bristol, R.I., campus, RWU is committed to its mantra of learning to bridge the world. In the last decade, the University has achieved unprecedented academic and financial successes and continues to be recognized by U.S. News & World Report as one of the top ten educational institutions in its class.

About FLICKERS: Rhode Island International Film Festival (RIIFF) discovers and empowers filmmakers. Held in Providence and locations throughout the state of Rhode Island, RIIFF is one of only a handful of festivals worldwide that is a qualifying event for the Academy Awards (i.e. "Oscars"). RIIFF incorporates gala celebrations, premiere screenings, VIP guests, industry seminars, educational programs, and award ceremonies into a weeklong extravaganza. Cited as one of the "Best International and Short Film Festivals in the United States," RIIFF is New England's largest film festival, screening a record 175 films. Its innovative programming, cultivated industry ties, and loyal audiences have made the Festival a strategic and desirable platform for film premieres, drawing hundreds of independent filmmakers from around the globe.