Sunshine and Stars at the Opening Party of the Corona Fastnet Short Film Festival
(London Filmmakers Peter Contadi and Dani Kontour)
The Corona Fastnet Short Film Festival, Schull now in its fourth year, which is taking place in Schull,West Cork this weekend was launched last night Thursday 24th May at the Courtyard, Schull. Speakers at the event were Festival Chairman Maurice Seezer and Chairman of the British Film Institute Greg Dyke. Also in attendance to celebrate the festival’s opening were Carmel Winters, Ken Wardrop, Chris O’Dell and John Kelleher.
The launch event saw an unprecedented number of filmmakers who have submitted films into the competition in attendance. On the first day of the event ticket sales have surpassed the entire box-office takings of last year. ‘The goodwill we are experiencing from the entire community is overwhelming. There is no more beautiful place to be than Schull when the sun shines, you could be forgiven for thinking you were at the Cannes Film Festival.’
One of the more exciting interviews at this year’s festival will be the open discussion with Mike Leigh. His most notable works are arguably Naked for which he won the Best Director Award at Cannes and the BAFTA-winning (and Oscar-nominated) Palme d’Or winner Secrets & Lies. Other participants at the festival will include filmmakers Ken Wardrop, Carmel Winters, Lenny Abrahamson and Jack Gold, who will be on the scene in Schull for the duration of the festival.
Despite the fact that the town has no cinema, organisers have come up with innovative methods to showcase almost 200 films all over the town by encouraging filmmakers, tourists and locals to access the submitted competition films locally, on their laptops, iPads and smart phones, simply by logging on. For four days at the end of May, Schull village itself becomes a cinema with screenings in 9 venues in town. There will be special guests, gala screenings, workshops and round table discussions, Gavin Harte’s amazing Cycling Cinema Tent where the projector and sound runs on pedal power, Horror Horse Box, children’s activity tent with puppetry, storytelling, drama and children’s movies, BBQ, music and market stalls.
This has all been possible thanks to the generous support of Corona, Barry & Fitzwilliam, Failte Ireland, West Cork Development Partnership, Cork County Council, Culture Ireland, Irish Film Board, Bill & Judy Bollinger, The Bodega, Ulli Crespo & Michael Satke, Ronan Daly Jermyn, Roberts Nathan, Subaru Ireland, Denis & Mary Ryan, Digital Forge, Canon, Cavs, IOMEGA, Schull Intitiative and all of the business and personal friends of the festival.
www.fastnetshortfilmfestival.com
Facebook.com/fastnetshortfilmfestival
