Paul Haggis is the new artistic director of the RIFF Awards. The RIFF Cultural Association is pleased and honored to announce this nomination ahead of the 24th edition of the festival, which will be held next November in Rome, Italy.
“I am honored to be joining founder Fabrizio Ferrari in their 24th edition. RIFF has steadily become one of the most important festivals worldwide dedicated to Independant filmmaking. Italy has a great and long history of supporting fiercely independent voices in film, and Rome has always been its heart. Like everywhere in the world, the health of our industry is threatened by the consolidation of buyers and distributors. Not long ago a brave filmmaker could find a financier who would see his or her vision and trust their instincts. Today it is rare to find any producer who doesn’t rely upon the judgement of streamers, and rarer still to find buyers who don’t put their trust in their algorithms. It would be a great shame to lose today’s independent voices, as those are the voices that will thrill us. For 24 years Fabrizio and his colleagues have given them a safe haven in Roma and heralded their bravery. I’m humbled to contribute in that effort any way I can”.
Paul Edward Haggis is a Canadian screenwriter, film producer, and director of film and television. He is best known as screenwriter and producer for consecutive Best Picture Oscar winners Million Dollar Baby (2004) and Crash (2005), the latter of which he also directed. Haggis also co-wrote the war film Flags of Our Fathers (2006) and the James Bond films Casino Royale (2006) and Quantum of Solace (2008). He is the creator of the television series Due South (1994–1999) and co-creator of Walker, Texas Ranger (1993–2001), among others. Haggis is a two-time Academy Award winner, two-time Emmy Award winner, and seven-time Gemini Award winner. He also assisted in the making of “We Are the World 25 for Haiti”.
