SHU Provides Support for Ridgefield Film Fest

FAIRFIELD, Conn.—Sacred Heart University’s School of Communication, Media & the Arts (SCMA), home to Connecticut’s only film and television master of fine arts program, is underwriting support, awards, prizes and a documentary premiere in partnership with the Ridgefield Independent Film Festival (RIFF) Oct. 18-21.

The third annual festival will open with Wildlife, the directorial debut of actor Paul Dano (12 Years a SlaveLove & Mercy). Dano, a 2002 graduate of Wilton High School, wrote the adapted screenplay from Richard Ford’s American classic. Wildlife, starring Carey Mulligan and Jake Gyllenhaal, is the story of a teenage boy who witnesses the decay of his parent’s marriage after their move to Montana.

This year’s opening night also will pay tribute to Connecticut filmmaker Joe Consentino, who died earlier this year, by establishing the “Joe Consentino Emerging Filmmaker Award.” Six films—four narratives and two documentaries by first-time feature filmmakers—are competing for the $1,000 inaugural award.

In addition, there will be a $2,500 prize for a woman deemed the most promising female filmmaker, as part of RIFF’s gender equity and inclusivity initiative. Moreover, Sacred Heart’s MFA program will underwrite awards and cash prizes in two of the festival categories, Best Student Film and Best Documentary Short.

The SCMA also will underwrite the Connecticut premiere of the powerful social-justice documentary, Say Her Name: The Life of Sandra Bland, screening Saturday, Oct. 20, at 2 p.m. in the historic Ridgefield Playhouse. Produced by the Oscar-nominated Connecticut production team of the documentary The Cheshire Murders, the film examines the circumstances of Bland’s death in a Texas jail cell following a routine traffic stop. Sacred Heart’s support enables RIFF to fly members of the Bland family to the festival to participate in a moderated Q&A following the screening.

Sacred Heart University also has committed to providing technical support, student volunteers, interns and faculty advisors as part of a strategic alignment with RIFF, which provides screening events, parties and mentorship opportunities for filmmakers throughout the year. 

About the Ridgefield International Film Festival

The festival was established in Ridgefield in 2016. This year, film submissions came from 49 countries, and RIFF will present more than 100 films, including narrative, documentary, student, animation, comedy, sci-fi, shorts and experimental cinema at various Ridgefield venues, including special screenings with filmmaker Q&A’s, community events and parties. 

Ridgefield International Film Festival is an independent, nonprofit subsidiary of TownVibe Fund, a 501(c)(3) entity supporting cultural arts.

The 2018 Sponsors

This year’s underwriting sponsors are: PepsiCo, TownVibe Media, Ed & Catherine Romer, the Connecticut Film Office and Sacred Heart University.

Partner sponsors are: Abbey Tent & Party Rentals, Ancona’s Wines & Liquors, Good Morning Wilton, Hamlet Hub, IMG Digital + Inbound, Nicholson Events, Ridgefield Storage Center, Rodier Flowers and University Archives.

Patron Sponsors are: Nick & Anita Donofrio, Woodson & Christina Duncan, Steven & Liz Goldstone and Jon & Allison Stockel.

Screening venue partners are: Ridgefield Playhouse for Movies and Performing Arts, Ridgefield Library, Ridgefield Theater Barn, Ridgefield Conservatory of Dance, Keeler Tavern Museum and the Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum.

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About Sacred Heart University

As the second-largest independent Catholic university in New England, and one of the fastest-growing in the U.S., Sacred Heart University is a national leader in shaping higher education for the 21st century. SHU offers more than 80 undergraduate, graduate, doctoral and certificate programs on its Fairfield, Conn., campus, which is located about an hour from Manhattan and 2.5 hours from Boston. Sacred Heart also has satellites in Connecticut, Luxembourg and Ireland. More than 8,500 students attend the University’s eight colleges and schools: Arts & Sciences; Communication, Media & the Arts; Computer Science & Engineering; Health Professions; the Isabelle Farrington College of Education; the Jack Welch College of Business; Nursing; and St. Vincent’s College. Sacred Heart is rooted in the rich Catholic intellectual tradition and the liberal arts, yet at the same time develops students to be forward thinkers who enact change—in their own lives and professions and in their communities. A spirit of service, entrepreneurship and social justice is the essence of who we are and can be seen inside and outside the classroom as students learn how to make a difference far beyond Fairfield. The Princeton Review includes SHU in its Best 384 Colleges–2019 Edition, “Best in the Northeast” and Best 267 Business Schools–2018 Edition. It also placed SHU on its lists for “Happiest Students” and “Most Engaged in Community Service,” each of which comprises only 20 U.S. schools. Sacred Heart has a Division I athletics program. www.sacredheart.edu

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Submitted by Fairfield, CT

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