The Festival has become a leading juried competition showcase for international independent filmmakers and their work. In 2011 , Flickers screened 204 cinematic works in six days to large and appreciative crowds.
The films screened came from 60 countries, and 34 states in the United States. There were 18 World Premieres and 21 US/North American Premieres. A total of 21 Narrative Features, 45 Feature Documentaries and 141 Short Films were screened. Following months of adjudication and review, Festival films were selected from over 4,537 submissions.
What sets Flickers apart is that the Festival is one of only a handful of broadly focused, independent festivals in New England accepting works of any type (dramatic, documentary, experimental, animation), on any subject matter, and in any genre. In 2002, Flickers was notified by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) that it had elected to recognize the Rhode Island International Film Festival a s a qualifying festival for the Short Films category for the Annual Academy Awards. With more than 7,000 film festivals worldwide, only 65 have this recognition.