Greenwich International Film Festival facts for kids
| Location | Greenwich, Connecticut |
|---|---|
| Festival date | April 30-May 3, 2020 |
| Language | International |
The Greenwich International Film Festival (or GIFF) is a special event in Greenwich, Connecticut. It's a non-profit group, which means it uses its money to help good causes, not to make a profit. Every June, GIFF hosts a big film festival. They also have smaller events throughout the year.
The festival takes place in downtown Greenwich. It shows many different films, including new ones for the first time. There are also parties, talks with filmmakers, and an awards ceremony. GIFF focuses on "socially conscious" films. These are movies that highlight important issues and work with other non-profit groups to make a difference.
The main festival lasts four days. It features over 60 films from around the world. You can also attend educational talks and workshops. The very first festival happened from June 4 to 7, 2015. Before that, GIFF held smaller events, like a party for the 86th Academy Awards in March 2014. GIFF also shows socially conscious films all year long.
| Top - 0-9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z |
About the Festival
How GIFF Started
The Greenwich International Film Festival was a dream of three friends: Wendy Stapleton Reyes, Carina Crain, and Colleen deVeer. They lived in Greenwich and were already involved in helping non-profit groups. They started planning the festival in early 2013. They wanted plenty of time to get everything ready for the first festival.
GIFF's first official event was a party to watch the Oscars in March 2014. Later, in June 2014, they showed the film Lucky Them in Stamford, Connecticut. This was special because the film's producer, Emily Wachtel, was from there. In October 2014, GIFF showed The Good Lie. This film was about children who were orphaned during a war. GIFF worked with U.S. Fund for UNICEF for this event, helping to raise money for a good cause.
The First Festival in 2015
The first Greenwich International Film Festival was held from June 4 to 7, 2015. GIFF wanted to help others. So, they gave some of the money they earned to the U.S. Fund for UNICEF. This money helped a project called OneminutesJr. This project gives young filmmakers tools to make short, one-minute films. It also helps show their amazing work.
More than 7,500 people came to the festival. These included famous people, filmmakers, reporters, and movie fans. They watched 31 films from different countries. There were also free educational talks and a workshop for kids who wanted to try acting. People could ask filmmakers questions and attend fun parties.
At the festival, Harry Belafonte and Mia Farrow were honored. They received the first-ever "Changemakers in Film" awards. This special event happened at a restaurant in Greenwich. Famous TV hosts Kathie Lee Gifford and Regis Philbin presented the awards.
Later Festivals in 2016 and 2017
Before the second festival in 2016, GIFF showed films like Spotlight and The Revenant. They also showed The Big Short. After this film, some of the real people who inspired the movie's characters talked about it.
In early 2016, GIFF showed the first episode of the TV series Billions. After the show, the creators and actors talked about it. The 2016 festival was held from June 9 to 12. In 2017, the festival happened for the third time. By then, Jenna Bush Hager was part of GIFF's board.
Making a Difference
The Greenwich International Film Festival gives some of its money to non-profit groups. In 2014, they announced a partnership with UNICEF. They worked together on the OneminutesJr campaign. This project helps young filmmakers get the tools they need to create one-minute short films. It also helps show their work to others. GIFF chose UNICEF to help connect filmmakers with a charity that everyone believed in.
GIFF also gives out awards and cash prizes. One important award is for the "Best Social Impact Film." This award shows how much the festival cares about movies that make a difference. Winners can receive $10,000 for Best Social Impact Film, Best Narrative Feature, and Best Documentary Feature. There are also $2,500 prizes for Best Narrative Short and Best Documentary Short films.
Films Shown at GIFF
GIFF mainly shows feature films and short films. These can be either narrative (story-based) or documentary (real-life stories). Some of the films shown at GIFF include:
- Entourage
- All Things Must Pass
- Jane Wants A Boyfriend (shown for the first time anywhere)
- I Smile Back
- The Keeping Room
- The Overnight
- Time Out of Mind
- Victoria
- WildLike
- The Russian Woodpecker
- Tiger Tiger
- Vaclav Havel: Living in Freedom (shown for the first time in the U.S.)
- The Summer of Sangailé
- Grounded
People Behind GIFF
Many people help make the Greenwich International Film Festival a success. Here are some of the people who have been on the Board of Directors and Executive Board:
- Carina Crain
- Colleen deVeer
- Wendy Stapleton Reyes
- Mark Teixeira
- Jenna Bush Hager
- David Duchovny
- Kathie Lee Gifford
- Colin Hanks
- Michael Imperioli
- Chazz Palminteri
- Emily Wachtel
