Adam Short became involved with the Rhode Island International Film Festival (RIFF) in 2004 as a volunteer at the annual August event. “I became enamored with the festival,” he said in his 40 Under Forty application. “I was excited by what I saw – an event with limitless potential.”
Short began working to realize that potential in May 2005 when he was hired as executive assistant to George T. Marshall, RIFF executive director and founder. “I needed to hit the ground running,” he said. “At that point in our history, the festival had hit its nadir.” There was no year-round programming, little off-season visibility and scarce consistency in procedures.
Working closely with Marshall, he devised a bookkeeping system to track finances, created short- and long-term marketing strategies, and focused on branding RIFF. “Many people did not realize they had an Academy Award qualifying festival (the only one in New England with this designation) in their own back yard,” he said, referring to RIFF’s role in helping to choose Oscar nominees for documentary short films.
He developed a series of free screenings called “You Be the Judge Nights,” held at community locations around the state, where local viewers judge films for inclusion in the next festival. In 2006, after he was promoted to producing director, he managed daily operations and a staff that included more than 70 seasonal volunteers.
“My goal from the beginning has been to introduce at least one new program per year,” he said. He has developed and implemented four new annual events, including forums to air documentary films, Chinese films, Spanish cinematic trends and the latest film technology. The RIFF budget grew from $150,000 in 2006 to more than $450,000 in 2008, with revenue coming from grants, corporate sponsorships, strategic partnerships with the city and state and film submission fees. •
