Gemma | Film Ireland

May 21, 2019

Four Films Selected for the Next Stage of POV

Screen Ireland has announced that four films have been selected to go forward into production from the POV scheme. You Are Not My Mother, Knowl, It Is In Us All and Sunlight will be entering their next phase of production under this programme.

About POV

The aim of POV is to enable distinct Irish female voices with a passion to tell stories on the big screen through the development and production of feature films. Entries were open to live action fiction feature films that will be produced at the required budget level of €400,000.

Six projects were selected for an intensive development process which included mentorship, workshopping and story development. In this next phase, four projects, instead of the original three, have been selected for production.

The four POV projects are:

Knowl: written by Elisabeth Gooch (Nightbird, Finalist 2015 NYWIFT Writer’s Lab), directed by Lisa Mulcahy (‘The Legend of Longwood’), and produced by Ruth Carter (‘Damo and Ivor: The Movie’) for Blue Ink Films. Based on Sheridan Le Fanu’s Gothic thriller, Uncle Silas, Knowl is a period adaptation with a modern twist. Forced to fight her guardian for her inheritances — and her life — an orphaned heiress must embrace her family’s dark legacy to survive.
It Is In Us All: written and directed by Antonia Campbell-Hughes (‘Q4L (quest for love)’ – Screen Ireland Short Story) and produced by Conor Barry (‘Pilgrimage’) for Savage Productions. Hamish is a fast-living, successful media type from London. He has it all, yet he is deeply unsatisfied. After a near-fatal car crash, he is unable to shake off the mysterious pull of the boy racer who almost took his life.
Sunlight: written by Ailbhe Keogan (‘Take Me Swimming’ – Screen Ireland Focus Short), directed by Claire Dix (‘Take Me Swimming’) and produced by Roisín Geraghty (GAZE Film Festival) for Blinder Films. In this compassionate comedy, Leon, a recovering addict cares for Iver, his terminally ill sponsor with a bonded devotion. Leon interrupts Iver self-euthanizing with an exit-guide, Maria, in attendance. A betrayed Leon refuses to let his hero die until Iver sees the tribute show Leon has created in his honour.
You Are Not My Mother: written and directed by Kate Dolan (‘Catcalls’ – Screen Ireland Focus Short) and produced by Deirdre Levins (‘Nails’) for Fantastic Films. In a North Dublin house estate, Char’s mother goes missing. When she returns, Char is convinced something or someone has replaced her.

May 21, 2019May 21, 2019

Ireland & Luxembourg Launch Women-Focused Development Fund

Film Fund Luxembourg and Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland have just announced a new Co-Development Fund for Female Filmmakers at the Cannes International Film Festival.

The signature of this new Fund will also be marked by the presentation of the Luxembourg “Order of the Oak Crown” badge by Luxembourg Prime Minister Xavier Bettel, to James Hickey, Chief Executive of Screen Ireland, for his efforts to foster cultural and audiovisual relations between the Irish and Luxembourgish film industry.

This dedicated Co-Development Fund aims to co-develop a range of new feature film projects written and/or directed by women. The fund will support the careers of female writers and directors during the crucial development stage of a project. It aims to reduce gender disparity in the film industry and marketplace and improve female representation in the screen industry. The fund is also intended to encourage further co-production opportunities between Ireland and Luxembourg.

Commenting on the new fund James Hickey, Chief Executive, Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland said “This new development partnership with Luxembourg is part of a wide range of programmes that reflect our commitment to addressing the issue of gender inequality in Irish filmmaking and screen content, in particular the roles of writers and directors. Luxembourg is a long term co-production partner of Ireland and we are very excited to be launching a new co-development fund with them.”

“It is no secret that women in the film industry are underrepresented, also in Luxembourg. This incentive is specifically designed to tackle this issue. I am looking forward to this collaboration with our Irish friends and to seeing exciting projects from our two countries”, said Guy Daleiden, CEO of Film Fund Luxembourg.

This new co-development fund will contribute €40.000 per project. The total value of the funding available is €120.000 for the pilot year (to be continued for two years if both parties agree) and will be allocated on a 50-50 basis from both funding bodies.

Projects must have producers attached from Ireland and Luxembourg to allow them to access development funding in both countries.

The first call of projects will be launched in May 2019. A selection committee composed of representatives of Film Fund Luxembourg and Screen Ireland, who may consult international experts, will assess the submitted projects.

Successful co-productions between Ireland and Luxembourg include the recent hit Black ’47, and the academy award nominated films The Breadwinner and Song of the Sea to name a few.

For more information on how to apply visit: www.screenireland.ie and http://www.filmfund.lu/

May 14, 2019

8 Irish Film Festivals Sign Pledge for Gender Parity and Inclusion

Women in Film and Television Ireland (wft.ie) a chapter of Women in Film and Television International, has announced that to date 8 Irish Film festivals have accepted their invitation to sign up to the 5050×2020 Gender Parity and Inclusion Pledge which was launched by Cannes Festival chiefs at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival.

These are: Animation Dingle, Cork Film Festival, Dublin Feminist Film Festival, Galway Film Fleadh, GAZE LGBT Film Festival, Kerry Film Festival, Still Voices Short Film Festival and Virgin Media Dublin International Film Festival.
Founded in 2003, the Dublin International Film Festival sets the agenda of the year with its programme of outstanding Irish and international film.

The official Irish festival signing was held yesterday at The Lighthouse Cinema with John Rice (Co-Founder & Director Animation Dingle), Aoife O’Toole (Director Dublin Feminist Film Festival), Fiona Clark (Producer & CEO Cork Film Festival), Ronan O’ Toole (Director Still Voices Short Film Festival) and Gráinne Humphreys (Festival Director Dublin International Film Festival) in attendance alongside Dr. Susan Liddy, (Chair of Women in Film & Television Ireland).

Dr Susan Liddy Chair of Women in Film and Television Ireland, Fiona Clark Producer & CEO Cork Film Festival, Aoife O’ Toole Director Dublin Feminist Film Festival, Grainne Humphreys Festival Director Dublin International Film Festival, John Rice Founder Animation Dingle and Ronan O Toole Director Still Voices Short Film Festival. Photo: Leon Farrell/Photocall Ireland.

It’s heartening that so many Irish film festivals have joined forces with us to formally commit to the principle of gender parity and inclusion in festivals. We warmly welcome their enthusiasm and solidarity and we hope this initiative will mark the beginning of a supportive partnership between us. We need more women in the film industry at every level. While girls’ and women’s voices are not heard and their stories are not told, our culture is the poorer for it. Film festivals are a hugely important part of any conversation about equality. They are an important link in the journey of a film and filmmaker. This is why we need greater transparency about what films are submitted, what films are selected and who is making the decisions. As with anything, information must be the starting point and we commend these festivals for agreeing to track that. This is an initiative that WFT Ireland will be building on over the coming months and we call on other festivals to join with us and embrace the challenge.
Dr. Susan Liddy, Chair – Women in Film & Television Ireland

Initiated by the 5050 Pour 2020 Collective, a charter was signed in 2018 by Cannes’ festival chiefs to work towards gender parity and inclusion.

The charter invites film festivals across the world to make the following commitment to gender parity and inclusion:

To compile statistics of gender of the directors of all the films submitted to selection (and when possible, to also compile statistics of the cast and crew when mentioned in the registration process).
To make public the gender of the members of selection committees, programmers and programming consultants.
To make public the gender of executive boards and/or boards of directors and/or to commit to a schedule to achieve parity in these bodies.
All Irish festival signatories have committed to giving a full update to Women in Film & Television Ireland, who will make public their progress during their respective 2020 festivals.
Women in Film & Television Ireland will also update the 5050 Pour 2020 Collective about the new signatories in time for the 2019 Cannes Film Festival.

As Ireland’s first and largest film festival, Cork Film Festival (CFF) is pleased to join WFTV in partnering with the 5050×2020 Cannes Collective to pledge our commitment to the 5050×2020 Charter, alongside the first Irish signatories. CFF supports increased transparency and gender-focused change across the Irish film landscape. CFF actively advocates for equality and inclusion in our industry by creating opportunities for meaningful public and sector dialogue as part of the Festival and by monitoring gender parity across our programme, submissions, jurors, panelists, programmers, staff, Board and volunteers.

The 63rd edition of the Festival in 2018 demonstrated that the Festival is actively making steps towards achieving its gender parity commitment. For example, 42% of our Shorts Programme was directed, co-directed and/or produced by women and 72% of our award-winning films were directed, co-directed and/or produced by women, with 47% female awards jurors. While this demonstrates CFF’s commitment to achieving greater representation for women in our programme, we recognise the need to focus our collective energy on advocating for gender equality in the sector. We welcome the opportunity to participate in the 5050×2020 Cannes Collective to strive for equal representation for women’s voices in film.
Fiona Clark, Producer & CEO – Cork Film Festival

Virgin Media Dublin International Film Festival is proud to be part of the first group of signatories to the 5050×2020 Charter. The festival puts the films and filmmakers at its heart and understands the importance of nurturing new and experienced talent alike.

In 2019, of the over 100 feature length films screened at the festival, we are glad to say that 59% had women producers and 30% were produced by people of colour. However, the Festival is not complacent about its progress to date, and recognises that there is more work to be done to achieve diversity in all of its activities.

This partnership between the festival, WIFT and Cannes is another important step in proactively changing the power dynamics and creative output of the Irish film industry for the better.
Gráinne Humphreys, Festival Director – Dublin International Film Festival

March 27, 2019March 27, 2019

Doc Fest Ireland 2019 to Kick Off this June

Doc Fest Ireland – a new industry focussed, all-Ireland documentary film festival.

Belfast Film Festival has recently announced a brand new annual festival, ‘Doc Fest Ireland’ which will take place in Belfast from Wednesday 12^th June – Sunday 16^th June this year. Doc Fest Ireland will showcase only documentary films, presenting new Irish and international feature length and short documentaries.

The festival will provide a platform to showcase the Irish documentary filmmaking industry, promoting a dynamic programme of events that are both entertaining and provocative.

The last five years have seen a surge in feature-length documentaries from the island of Ireland, with many securing theatrical releases.

Hard-hitting post-conflict legacy films such as Sinead O’Shea’s A Mother Brings Her Son To Be Shot, and Belfast-based Sean Murray’s Unquiet Graves are making waves in the industry. Belfast based Fine Point Films filmography includes Emmy-nominated Elián, Alex Gibney’s No Stone Unturned and Bobby Sands: 66 Days, which is currently streaming on Netflix.

The success of Belfast Film Festival’s sold-out pilot Irish Documentary Festival in 2018 highlights the strong interest in documentary film and the need for film festivals on the island of Ireland that focus on this type of film.

Doc Fest Ireland will also host a series of industry events and master classes, pitching sessions and information sessions for new and emerging filmmakers including the BFI/Doc Society New and Emerging Talent Day.

The festival is now seeking submissions for Doc Market (deadline Friday 19^th April), an opportunity for filmmakers to meet with industry professionals including international funders, broadcasters, distributors and exhibitors from across the UK, ROI, US and EU.

Decision Makers in attendance at Doc Market to date, will include:

Doc Market will be a hub for funding, sales and distribution of Irish and international documentaries and a place where local talent can continue to thrive. Find out more about Doc Market here.

Chair of Doc Fest Ireland, internationally renowned documentary filmmaker Mark Cousins, said:

“Belfast is one of the most interesting cities in the world. It’s in transition and, because of Brexit and Belfast’s rapid social change. It is a fascinating place to take the temperature of the UK and Ireland. Add in the fact that the team behind Doc Fest Ireland is passionate and experienced, and that Ireland has a great tradition of documentary film, and it’s hard to think of a better place to launch a dynamic new documentary festival”.

Doc Fest Ireland’s principal funders are Northern Ireland Screen, TG4 and Arts & Business with additional funding from Queen’s University.

March 18, 2019March 19, 2019

In Conversation with Emer Reynolds

On Friday, 22 March 2019, 6 – 7:30pm TCD will host an ‘in conversation’ event with Emer Reynolds, writer and director of The Farthest (2017) chaired by Prof Ruth Barton(TCD) co-organised by Trinity School of Creative Arts and CONNECT.

Award-winning editor, writer and documentary director, Emer Reynolds, will discuss her acclaimed film,The Farthest with Associate Professor in Film Studies, Ruth Barton, and CONNECT Principal Investigator, Marco Ruffini, in the Long Room Hub on Friday March 22, at 6pm.

The Farthest tells the inspiring story of Nasa’sVoyager space probes in the words of the men and women who designed and built the spacecraft. Interspersed with extraordinary imagery from the journey through space,The Farthest played at festivals worldwide, culminating in winning an Emmy in the category of ‘Outstanding Science and Technology Documentary’ in 2018. A celebration of the possibilities of scientific vision and of the humanity of those behind these experiments, including the creators of the ‘golden record’ made to enlighten possible alien encounters about life on earth,The Farthest is a testament to the potential of the human imagination.

Accessibility: Yes
Campus Location: Trinity Long Room Hub
Room: Neill Lecture Theatre
Audience: Undergrad, Postgrad, Alumni, Faculty & Staff, Public
Cost: Free (but registration is essential)
More info: www.eventbrite.ie…

February 21, 2019April 10, 2019

See You Next Thursday Festival

The See You Next Thursday Festival has announced five events on the theme of womanhood, gender and sexuality in film.

See You Next Thursday Festival

The Festival will host a mixture of internationally acclaimed and controversial films to tell the stories of women (and men!) trapped within the cultural and sexual conventions of their time but break free in a desperate attempt to realise themselves. Each session will give the audience the opportunity to directly engage with the film and its themes by opening the floor for discussing at the end of the screening.

This festival is organised by Louise Kari Méreau, the French Department, School of Languages, Literatures and Cultural Studies, Trinity College.

Events

In the final session, a group of leading professionals and experts in the film industry will join in a debate on the nature of female sexuality and gender roles in cinema. Those in attendance will have the chance to ask questions, share their thoughts, and discuss the topic with a group of excellent guests, amongst which Dr. Ruth Barton (Film Studies, Trinity College Dublin), Vanessa Gildea (documentary filmmaker), Dr. Susan Liddy (Chair of Women in Film and TV Ireland)…

Programme:

Four films:

Thursday 14th March 2019 : Love Meetings, Pier Paolo Pasolini (1966)
Thursday 21st March 2019: Baise-Moi, Virginie Despentes and Caroline Trinh Thi (2000) [Rated R]
Thursday 28th March 2019: The Hours, Stephen Daldry (2003)
Thursday 4th April 2019: Farewell my Concubine, Chen Kaige (1993)

One discussion:

Thursday, 11th April 2019 7-9pm: Roundtable on womenhood and sexuality in films, moderated by Dr. Ruth Barton (Film studies, Trinity College Dublin)

With speakers including Vanessa Gildea (documentary filmmaker), Dr. Susan Liddy (chair of Women in Film and TV Ireland association)

For the other events of the festival, or to register your place visit their Eventbrite page.

January 24, 2019January 24, 2019

EDN Pitch Pilot Workshop comes to Galway

The Creative Europe Desk MEDIA Office Galway, in association with EDN (The European Documentary Network), will organise a Pitch Pilot Workshop in Galway next April.

Pitching sessions have become a frequent tool for financing documentaries in development and consequently the visual part of the pitch has become increasingly important. A pilot can either make it or break it when a project is being pitched for funding. To help producers, filmmakers and editors meet these demands, EDN has developed this workshop with the focus on the creative development of the visual material shown during a pitch.

Pitch Pilot Workshop

The EDN Pitch Pilot Workshop is an intensive three-day workshop focusing on the development of pitch pilots for documentary projects aimed at the International Market. During these three days the selected teams will re-edit their pilots and make crucial decisions for the visual approach to their stories.

The Workshop is tailored for 3-5 projects and 10-12 observers and will be conducted in collaboration with Jesper Osmund an experienced Pilot editor.

The first morning of the Workshop on April 2nd will consist of a general information session on how to create a great Pitch Pilot. Using concrete examples of successful Pitch Pilots this plenary session will be presented in in collaboration with Ove Rishøj Jensen, EDN Film & Media Consultant. This half-day presentation will be open to all Documentary Filmmakers or anyone interested in Creative Documentary.

Deadline to Apply: February 22nd

http://filmireland.net/2019/01/02/festivals-funding-schemes-deadlines-2015/

December 6, 2018December 6, 2018

Call For: Applications for SDGI ARRI Take Competition

The Screen Directors Guild of Ireland (SDGI) have launched the 6th year of the SDGI/ARRI ALEXA LF Take, an annual initiative that gives directors the opportunity to tell stories with full camera equipment, casting and location support.

If you have a story to tell that’s visually challenging and want to give it a cinematic look, then apply for the SDGI/ARRI ALEXA LF Take.

Make a short film, trailer, music video or shoot a promo for your next project with a full ARRI ALEXA LF camera and Teach Solais lights package.

If a director does not have a DOP of their own for their project then check out the Irish Society of Cinematographers(ISC) and SDGI who will work with ISC to help the director find a DOP. A camera assistant trained by ARRI will also be provided to support the DOP and shoot.

The ARRI ALEXA LF Take allows for 3 shooting days, which includes transport.

Entry Deadline: 11 January 2019
Application Results: 18 January 2019
Shoot dates: 22nd April – 6th of May 2019

Application Process:

This initiative is director focused so just send a short, max one page, outline of your idea including how many days you need for shooting, as well as your location.

Send your outline by 6pm on 11 January 2019 to the SDGI team at hello@sdgi.ie The decision will be finalised by 18 January 2019 and then will work with directors to find a suitable date within the shooting timeline.

http://filmireland.net/2018/10/30/festivals-funding-schemes-deadlines-2015/