Shawn Quirk: From Filmmaker to Festival Director

Rhode Island International Film Festival

Shawn Quirk, executive director of the 2025 Rhode Island International Film Festival, joins us to discuss missions of the festival, as well as what the festival has to offer. Now in its 28th year, the FLICKERS' RHODE ISLAND INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL celebrates the independent spirit in film and has become a haven for independent filmmakers from throughout the world. In 2024, the Festival presented 350 films representing works that were shot and produced in 106 countries. There were 94 World Premieres and US/North American Premieres. Expanding the Festival to its pre-covid presence was the goal of the 2024 event, which maximized its in-person screening offerings, expanded its industry panel events, and hosted numerous receptions, galas, and industry mixers throughout the week. This, along with expanded outdoor screening options (both on the coast and within Providence) allowed the festival to raise the bar yet again in its industry presence and ever growing audience following both home and abroad.

FLICKERS is a 501(c)(3) non-profit arts organization that supports and promotes the film arts in Rhode Island and throughout New England. Over the past two decades, its production, the Rhode Island International Film Festival, has screened 6,720 independent films and videos out of 87,532 entries, presented 1,621 World/North American premieres, featured over 1,350 entries that were locally produced, and hosted 4,582 filmmakers and crew. Since its inception, over 595,000 film lovers, in-person and online, have enjoyed the Rhode Island International Film Festival and its programming, not including those in New England watching its weekly broadcast and cable programming series, doubleFEATURE, now in its ninth season.

ABOUT SHAWN QUIRK

Shawn Quirk is the executive director of the Rhode Island International Film Festival. He previously worked as the lead programmer, where he scheduled events and organized different areas of the festival. Before taking these positions, Shawn was an independent filmmaker, artist, and scholar who has directed a number of short films and short documentaries. His film “Ouroboros” won the Audience Choice Award at the Spokane International Film Festival in 2008 and his film “The Coast” premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in 2010. After receiving his Bachelor of Science in Film Production from Boston University, he worked for two years as an English assistant in France for l’Éducation nationale. During his time abroad he became involved with a number of film productions in both Belgium and France, which included camera work for the two-time Palme d'or winning Dardennes Brothers on their film “Le gamin au vélo” (The Kid with the Bike).

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