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/

December 4, 2018December 4, 2018

Vanessa Gildea at SMART Talks 2018

Filmmaker Vanessa Gildea will present a talk about breaking in to the industry and sustaining a career for emerging filmmakers 11th December in MART. She will also speak about the work Women in Film and Television Ireland has been undertaking since its inception, what progress and ground has been gained, if any, towards gender equality in the Film & Television industries.

Register via Eventbrite: Book Free Tickets Here!

Date:December 11th
Time:1pm – 2pm
Location:Gallery 2, The MART, 190A Rathmines Road Lower, Dublin 6

About SMART Talks

SMART Talks is a new series of professional development presentations and workshops, providing a platform for artists and the creative community to engage with a curated selection of creative agencies, councils, artistic supports, professional creative practices, and funding providers. There will also be a space for wider discussions of issues such as arts & mental health, wellbeing, diversity and accessibility in the arts.

By providing these talks in The MART Gallery, Dublin – alongside the gallery programme and studio network – the hope is to foster an environment where creativity can flourish as a professional career, where new practices can establish themselves, and where artists and creatives have the space to engage critically with contemporary issues.

To stay informed of future SMART talks, keep an eye on their Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, or sign up to their monthly newsletter

December 3, 2018December 5, 2018

WFT Ireland Calls for Inclusion of a Gender Focus in the European Commission’s Proposal

In a report recently delivered to the European Parliament, Silvia Costa, an Italian journalist and politician, made a number of points relating to equality regarding the focus and future direction of Creative Europe, the European Union programme for the cultural and creative sectors. The Alliance of Women’s Networks subsequently released a statement, citing concern that that although she does address a number of issues, it doesn’t sufficiently tackle gender equality, either in the draft proposal or in Ms Costa’s report.

WFT Ireland is a founding member of the recently established Alliance of Women’s Networks. This alliance is a newly established think tank bringing together national and supranational women’s networks active in the audiovisual sector in Europe and beyond (WIFT International, WIFT Germany, WIFT Iceland, WiFT & M Italy, WFT Ireland, WIFT Norway, WIFT Sweden, 5050×2020, EWA Network).

The Alliance of Women’s Networks released an official statement:

“We support Member of the European Parliament Silvia Costa’s report on the new Creative Europe programme.

The Alliance of Women’s Networks welcomes the draft report on the proposal for a new Creative Europe programme (2021-2027) by Ms Silvia Costa that will be examined and discussed on 20 November 2018 by the European Parliament Committee on Culture and Education.

The Alliance joins Ms Costa in her positive appraisal of the inclusion of a gender focus in the European Commission’s proposal, which constitutes a turning point in comparison to the current Creative Europe programme. It also supports Ms Costa’s request for the budget to be increased from EUR 1.85 billion to EUR 2.806 billion, which would double the current allocation.

The Alliance supports in particular Ms Costa’s proposal to add a new point under the provision concerning the Programme Objectives (Article 3, paragraph 2) that would include gender equality among the general objectives pursued by Creative Europe. It is also strongly in favour of Ms Costa’s proposal to include mentoring and networking activities among the specific measures to contribute to more balanced gender participation in the audiovisual sector listed under the Media Strand in Annex I of the proposal.

It regrets, however, that among the indicators for the Media Strand listed in Annex II no reference is made to gender equality, either in the draft proposal or in Ms Costa’s report. Collection of gendered data is crucial to the success of policies promoting gender equality.

The Alliance calls for the maximum possible allocation of budgetary resources to the mainstreaming of gender equality in all Creative Europe activities and to the specific measures in favour of gender equality under the Media Strand and encourages the MEPs of the EP Committee on Culture and Education to add a specific indicator on gender equality in the Media Strand of Annex II.”

Short Film ‘Refuge’ Wins at Scottish Independent Film Festival

Whackala’s short film Refuge has picked up two awards at the Scottish Independent Film Festival. The award for Best Director went to Leticia Agudo, while the title of Best Cinematography went to their long-time collaborator Jaro Waldeck.

Shot on location in Spain and starring Irish actor Tommy Harris and former asylum seeker Cletus Fonony, Refuge follows Ruairí, lost and alone in a foreign city, given help and shelter from an unlikely source. He struggles to understand the situation of his helper, Lawrence, who reflects the real stories of thousands who throw themselves to uncertainty in the Mediterranean. Two young men, worlds apart, are equals for one night.

Refuge has also screened at festivals around the world, including Foyle, Alcine, Chicago Irish and Brest.

See the trailer for Refuge here:

Leticia Agudo: Director/Co-Writer of ‘Refuge’

October 30, 2018October 31, 2018

Cork Film Festival Industry Days

Are you going to the Cork Film Festival later this month? Here are a few important dates for your calendar.

On top of a fantastic line-up, the Cork Film Festival’s designated ‘Industry Days’ really knocks it out of the park when it comes to getting the top names from the Irish film scene. Their First Take and Doc Day will be extended to include a new event, Focus: Filmmaker Forum. These Industry Days provide invaluable opportunities for established and emerging filmmakers to connect, and to explore all aspects of the film industry.

First Take – Thursday 15th November

First Take is a training and development event aimed specifically at newly established film professionals, emerging filmmakers, and film and media students. Case studies and panel discussions will promote fresh thinking amongst attendees and to inspire them to be proactive in promoting their own film work.

Doc Day, In Partnership with Screen Ireland – Friday 16th November

Cork Film Festival’s annual documentary-focused Industry Day, Doc Day is a major event that engages and connects Irish and international documentary filmmakers and industry leaders, it provides a vital platform to promote Irish documentary film and filmmaking talent.

Focus: Filmmaker Forum – Saturday 17th November

This new event compliments the Screen Ireland-supported Focus Shorts World Premiere programme at The Everyman. It will provide attending filmmakers with the opportunity to take part in informal networking and a series of roundtable sessions, which will help guide participants through the process of developing their first feature; from development and financing, through production, festival strategy and distribution.

Participants will sign up to partake in five 20 minute sessions, where key Irish and international film sector professionals will take their questions and advise on the vital components of making the transition from short to feature filmmaking, and explore strategies to efficiently produce and exploit their film.

Women Run the Screen event at WANDA

WANDA will be be joining forces with Film Hub NI to launch their new initiative for young film programmers. Women Run the Screen will be a mentoring programme facilitated by Film Hub NI. Young women (18-30), who wish to learn more about programming and exhibition will be assisted by more experienced members of the sector to deliver a tour of NI members.

Programming will adhere to F-Rating standards (already adopted by QFT) within our parameters of British, independent and specialised film.

WANDA strives to bring a diverse and engaging programme with a feminist edge to audiences in Northern Ireland. Because this is their passion, they’ve invited film programmers from the UK and Ireland to Belfast to discuss their passion and the reasons why it’s so important that women are engaged in film and exhibition culture. They’ll be discussing their beginnings as programmers, film programmes they have exhibited in the past and the reasons behind their creative choices.

Programmers often spend most of their time championing others’ work, so this is a very rare and exciting opportunity to hear from women working as programmers in the field today.

They will be joined by:

Karla Healion has a background in media, having worked in print publishing for many years, but more recently graduated from Trinity College Dublin with a Masters in ‘Film Studies’ (her thesis was on female subjectivity and she finished with a grade equivalent to a first). Karla has directed and edited two shorts, with a third in development. At the moment she is on the Board of Women in Film&TV Ireland and Office Manager at Deadpan Pictures. She was also recently Production Executive and Outreach Producer with independent Irish production company Still Films, and has worked on various shorts and features including Lost in France (Niall McCann, 2017), Kevin Roche: The Quiet Architect (Mark Noonan, 2017) and Frida Think (Maya Derrington, 2018). Karla was the founder and director of the Dublin Feminist Film Festival for four years, and has been involved in many grass roots, artistic and feminist campaigns including ‘alternative history’ walking tours, reconstructing derelict sites for public use, and reappraising forgotten works by women.
Roisín Geraghty is a film programmer and producer based in the west of Ireland. She has worked with various film organisations in both Ireland, the UK and the US, including Edinburgh International Film Festival, Cork Film Festival, GAZE LGBT Film Festival, the Galway Film Fleadh, Guth Gafa International Documentary Film Festival, the Independent Filmmaker Project (IFP) and Tribeca Film Festival. Over the past number of years, she has worked with the Irish production company Roads Entertainment, as a Production Coordinator and Manager on films including AFTER THE DANCE (2014), BEING AP (2015), and SONG OF GRANITE (2017). She produced the feature documentary WE ARE MOVING – MEMORIES OF MISS MORIARTY (2016) and the Screen Ireland funded short film TAKE ME SWIMMING (2018) with Award Winning Director Claire Dix. She is currently post-production with the Irish Arts Council-funded short film FIVE LETTERS TO THE STRANGER WHO WILL DISSECT MY BRAIN with director Oonagh Kearney, and developing the feature film SUNLIGHT with Claire Dix and screenwriter Ailbhe Keogan, which is being developed under the Screen Ireland POV Female Creative Talent scheme.
Alice Butler is a film programmer, curator, writer and co-director of aemi, a Dublin-based organisation that supports and exhibits artists’ moving image. For six years, Alice was responsible for artist moving image programming at the Irish Film Institute. She programmes regular screenings at Dublin City Gallery The Hugh Lane, and has presented at IMMA, Project Arts Centre, PLASTIK Festival of Artists’ Moving Image, IFI, Galway Arts Centre among others. She is curator of ‘The L Shape’, an exhibition featuring the work of Jenny Brady and Sarah Browne (The Dock, 15 September – 3 November 2018). As a writer, Alice has contributed to Sight and Sound, SET Magazine, Paper Visual Art, Enclave Review, VAN, EFS Publications and CIRCA. She is also a regular arts reviewer for RTÉ Radio One’s Arena, and recently completed a survey chapter on the work of filmmaker Pat Murphy (due for publication in 2019).
Sophie Brown is a film programmer and writer. With a specialism in non-fiction cinema, she is a programme advisor for the BFI London Film Festival and Sheffield Doc/Fest, views documentaries for Sundance Film Festival, and has written for outlets including Dazed & Confused, Little White Lies and Sight & Sound. She has also worked on projects with the British Council Film Team, coordinating international programmes and tours. Her personal programming projects – under the banner Bijou Electric Empire Forever – explore lost treasures, underground voices, alienated perspectives and the rebels of cinema. They have included a nationwide tour of the films of Shirley Clarke, a very rare cinema screening of Point Break, and developing Brighton’s Scalarama programme.

The event will be chaired by former Head of QFT, Susan Picken.

For more information about Women Run the Screen, please visit WANDA’s site, and don’t forget to check out this inspiring programme.

September 17, 2016September 17, 2016

Review: Bridget Jones’s Baby

DIR: Sharon Maguire • WRI: Helen Fielding, Dan Mazer, Emma Thompson • PRO: Tim Bevan • DOP: Andrew Dunn • ED: Melanie Oliver • MUS: Craig Armstrong • CAST: Renée Zellweger, Colin Firth, Patrick Dempsey

The early noughties were a golden era; the Spice Girls had just disbanded and ‘Girl Power’ was on the tip of everyone’s tongues and printed on their T-shirts. Destiny’s Child were still singing about being Independent Women, while the brilliant Bridget Jones’s Diary hit the cinemas – to be followed by Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason. In those former fantastic films, Bridget was a flawed yet relatable woman, who stumbled her way through trouble and into success – against the odds and by ultimately being herself. Unfortunately, in Bridget Jones’s Baby, she is lost completely. This fabulous franchise is let down by an underdeveloped plot, by introducing flat, cliched side-kicks and by ignoring any of the recurring characters’ growth from the first two films.

Amidst all her ‘smug married’ buddies, Bridget, now 43, finds herself single and navigating her high-pressure job. She’s cultivated a new set of singleton mates and she has never, ever dated anyone else since her last relationship ended… because.

After lots of bad decisions brought on by binge drinking, Bridget finds herself up the pole with two men as the possible father:

Mark is still awkward; it’s been about a decade since the last film and his obsession with work has caused, not only his relationship to Bridget to break down, but also his marriage to another woman in the meantime. Somehow Mark had gotten even more awkward and charmless than he had ever been before, and as as soon as the proverbial poop hits that fan, there’s a Mark-shaped hole in the wall. What a catch.
The other potential baby-daddy is a ludicrously handsome billionaire, McDreamy, that Bridget kept falling in front of and running into until…sex. McDreamy’s major flaw is that he’s a smarmy American with strange ideas about positive thought. Which, in fairness, is an annoying set of attributes. That smile though. Of course, McDreamy falls instantly in love with Bridget (as all gorgeous billionaires must) and gets competitive with Mark. Physical comedy ensues.

The worst thing about Bridget Jones’s Baby is that instead of the inevitable romance blossoming, giving all audience members the warm-and-fuzzies we’ve come to expect, we are left with a douche and a turd situation.

– and ultimately, the take home message of this film (major, major spoiler alert) is:

Your terrible long term boyfriend, who’s treated you badly for the guts of a decade, will finally love you and change forever … and marry you … if you get pregnant by mistake. A perfectly healthy lesson for any woman.

Firth’s wooden and charmless delivery is so disappointing – the man has won an Oscar for Christ’s sake, but much consolation is definitely found in McDreamy’s chiselled chin and topless scenes. That, along with the occasional snappy one-liners, do mean that this film is watchable – but only after an entire bottle of wine (to be drank alone while singing ‘All By Myself’ for authenticity) and only by forgetting the first two films ever existed.

Gemma Creagh

122 minutes
15A (See IFCO for details)

Bridget Jones’s Baby is released 16th September 2016

Bridget Jones’s Baby – Official Website

July 3, 2012

Irish Language Short-film scheme announced

Following the success of the previous schemes Síol, Údar, and Scéal, Scéal 2 is a development scheme that offers talented new Irish-speaking writers/directors an opportunity to adapt a well-known story from Irish language literature or folklore towards a half hour short film. The chosen story can be adapted from an Irish language short story, poem, folklore or any work that represents the Irish tradition of storytelling. Successful applicants will be given the opportunity to develop the story from the basic script to the eventual production and broadcast stage.

The scheme is open to Irish language writers from all over the country, whether they have screen experience or not, and to directors who wish to gain experience in television drama through Irish. All applicants will need to have a proficiency in the Irish language.

The first series of Scéal has completed filming and is currently in post-production. It will be screened on TG4 early in 2013.

24 August 2012 is the closing date for applications. The successful applicants will develop their scripts over a series of workshops with guidance from a professional script editor.

All information on the Scéal scheme is available at www.tg4.ie/sceal

Ag leanacht leis na scéimeanna Síol, Údar agus Scéal, tá an dara bhliain den scéim gearrscannáin, Scéal 2, fógartha. Scéim fhorbartha í Scéal 2 a thugann deis do thallann nua scríbhneoirí/stiúrthóirí le Gaeilge, saothar aitheanta ó litríocht nó béaloideas na Gaeilge a athchóiriú don teilifís agus a thabhairt ó chéim bhun scripte go céim an chraolta. Is féidir an bun scéal a roghnú as gearrscéal, dán, scéal béaloidis nó aon saothar a léiríonn scéalaíocht na Gaeilge.

Tá an scéim seo ag TG4 oscailte do scríbhneoirí Gaeilge ó cheann ceann na tíre, bíodh taithí scáileáin acu nó ná bíodh, agus do stiúrthóirí ar mian leo taithí a fháil ar dhrámaíocht teilifíse i nGaeilge. Réamhriachtanas a bheidh i gceist do gach rannpháirtí go mbeidís líofa sa Ghaeilge agus in ann páirt a ghlacadh trí Ghaeilge i ngach leibhéal agus céim den scéim.

Tá an chéad sraith de Scéal anois taifeadta agus táthar i mbun iarléiriú air. Beidh sé le feiceáil ar TG4 go luath in 2013.

Is é an 24 Lúnasa 2012 an spriocdháta le haghaidh iarratas. As na hiarratais ar fad roghnófar gearrliosta scríbhneoirí le freastal ar cheardlanna ceirde, faoi stiúir eagarthóra scripte, ag a ndéanfar forbairt bhreise ar gach togra.

Is féidir gach eolas faoi Scéal a fháil ar shuíomh TG4; www.tg4.ie/sceal

June 15, 2012June 15, 2012

Irish Short to Screen at three major Festivals

The Irish short documentary Hold On Tight will be screening at 3 major festivals inCalifornia over the coming days. First off is Frameline, the world’s largest lesbian, gay and transgender film festival inSan Francisco, where the film will be showing in the historic Castro theatre The Roxie. The film will also be screening in the acclaimed Palm Springs Shortfest and the Los Angeles Film Festival.

Hold on Tight is also nominated for a Human Rights award at the ICCL Film Festival. The shortlist will be the subject of an exclusive Gala Awards screening at the Light House Cinema on the evening of 28th June 2012, where the Jury will announce the winning film.

Winner of last year’s Absolut Gaze Filmmaker Award, this film was also supported by Irish Film Board and Filmbase. Directed by Anna Rodgers, and produced by Zlata Filipovic for Crossing The Line Productions, with cinematography by Sundance award winner Kate McCullough.

The film delves into the public and private spaces of several lesbian and gay couples inIreland, and examines how the public displays of affection are not always the simplest choice for same sex couples. The film was filmed inDublin, Athy and Blessington, and features couples of differing ages.

Hold On Tight has had a big success on the Irish and international film festival circuit, screening in over 20 festivals, including Sebastopol Documentary Film Festival, Big Sky Documentary Film Festival, Byron Bay International Film Festival, Ashland Independent Film Festival and at IRIS Prize Festival where it received a Highly Commended accolade.

Offers of distribution are currently being finalized with Peccadillo Pictures forUKandIrelanddistribution, and Frameline Voices for theUSandCanadadistribution. The film was also screened on PBS in Northern California this month, and has been used as advocacy piece with a human rights organisation inBosnia and Herzegovinawhere LGBT rights are severely undermined.

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June 15, 2012

IFI celebrates Bloomsday

The IFI is celebrating Joyce and Cinema with three film strands to coincide with Bloomsday 2012, all featuring films being preserved in the IFI Irish Film Archive. The expiration of copyright covering much of Joyce’s written work is provoking a new wave of interest in his writing’s manifestations. The IFI will be screening Mary Ellen Bute’s Passages from James Joyce’s Finnegans Wake, presenting a selection of Joycean short films as part of the IFI’s free Archive at Lunchtime series and rereleasing John Huston’s The Dead.

The Dead (rereleased from 15-21st June) is John Huston’s magisterial 1987 adaptation of the final of Joyce’s Dubliners stories. Capturing the small triumphs and tragedies of middle-class Dublin life at the start of the twentieth century through a wide range of characters, Joyce’s story works up to a powerful dénouement on a much grander emotional scale. Starring Donal McCann and Anjelica Huston, it’s an unmissable adaptation of a masterpiece of short fiction.

June’s Monthly Must-See Cinema slot, which showcases highlights from the Irish cinema canon which are now preserved in the IFI Irish Film Archive, is Mary Ellen Bute’s Passages from James Joyce’s Finnegans Wake (16th June 14.00). The film selects a series of passages from the book and illustrates them almost literally in a dazzling dream-like film style. Passages from Finnegans Wake represents the first attempt to adapt a work of James Joyce as a feature film and was honoured as best debut at the Cannes Film Festival in 1965.

June’s Archive at Lunchtime is an array of short fiction, animation and documentary films inspired by the work of James Joyce in two programmes which alternate on Mondays and Wednesdays at 13.10 with a double-bill on Saturday throughout June.

Tickets for The Dead and Passages from James Joyce’s Finnegans Wake are available at normal IFI prices. Tickets for IFI Archive at Lunchtime are free but can be reserved. Contact IFI Box Office on 01 679 3477 or online at http://www.ifi.ie/ to book your tickets.

Author: Gemma

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