Category: News

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Call For: Inward Production Coordinator @ Screen Ireland

Reporting directly to the Inward Production Manager this role supports the Inward Production Department in attracting international film and television production to Ireland as well as supporting national projects in Ireland.  The candidate will be responsible for project monitoring, online locations database management and website content as well as the creation of marketing materials for producers/ studio executives. The candidate will assist the Inward Production Manager with project queries, locations recces and scouts, and in the key priorities of enhancing film production across Ireland and the promotion of the Irish film industry on an international level.  Key to this role will be providing necessary administrative support to the Inward Production Manager in a very fast-paced, dynamic environment.

Click here To find out more about the role, including key responsibilities and the application process.

 

Fis Eireann/Screen Ireland is the national development agency for Irish film and animation investing in Talent, Creativity and Enterprise. The agency also supports and promotes the Irish film industry and the use of Ireland as a location for international production.

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Call For: Applications for Pitching Forum at the Norwegian Short Film Festival

 

PARTICIPATE IN A PITCHING FORUM AT THE NORWEGIAN SHORT FILM FESTIVAL

Calling all filmmakers! As a Screen Talent Europe partner, the Galway Film Centre is delighted to announce that applications for the Pitching Forum at the Norwegian Short Film Festival are now open. Screen Talent Europe in collaboration with The Norwegian Short Film Festival invite emerging producers, directors and screenwriters from Europe to pitch new short film projects at the festival in Grimstad, Norway, June 12th–14th 2019.

It is free to participate and the costs of transportation and accommodation (3 nights) will be covered by Screen Talent Europe. The best pitch will receive a production grant of €4000.

10 short films will be pitched during the Pitching Forum. In a 5-minute pitch, each participant will present their project to a pitching jury and an audience of potential co-producers, financiers and filmmakers attending the festival.

The Galway Film Centre selected Mia Mullarkey to pitch at the 2018 Norwegian Film Festival. Read all about her experience here.

Applications terms

Producers, directors and screenwriters must have produced at least 2 films (short fiction or documentary).

You must apply with a project in development (fiction or documentary) with a maximum length of 30 min.

What you get

As well as attending the pitch you will take part in:

  • a pitching workshop
  • networking activities
  • speed dating with the partners in the Screen Talent Europe network. During these meetings you will be informed about co-support and co-production possibilities available within the partners support systems

You will also get a free accreditation for the entire festival program.

Application deadline: May 8th 2019. APPLY HERE

For further information, please contact:

Jade Murphy – jade@galwayfilmcentre.ie

About:

Screen Talent Europe
Screen Talent Europe is a network of film centers working with talent development in Europe. Screen Talent Europe aims to create more co-production, network and collaborations between emerging filmmakers in Europe.

The Norwegian Short Film Festival
The Norwegian Short Film Festival is a short film and documentary festival with a competition programme for Norwegian and International short film, Norwegian documentaries and Music Videos. In addition to the award programmes, the festival present international documentaries, arrange workshops and seminars, concerts and boat trips.

The competition programme for international short films attracts filmmakers from all over the world to Grimstad, and the festival facilitates for bonds to be tied between the Norwegian and the international film community.

The Pitching Forum is organized by Mediefabrikken, the Screen Talent Europe partners and The Norwegian Short Film Festival.
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Cinemagic Film & Television Festival

Cinemagic Film and Television Festival for Young People returns to Dublin this May and June with a programme jam packed full of diverse creative opportunities to inspire and motivate young people. This year will see a number of new exciting elements added to the programme and visits from representatives from Aardman Animations, Brown Bag Films and Cartoon Saloon! A new screening series entitled Talking Pictures will offer the chance to view Irish movies with talks from filmmakers and film professionals involved in the productions. Among the industry names who will take part will be Frank Berry, Carmel Winters, Lee Cronin, Aislinn Clarke, Paddy Breathnach and Andrew and Ryan Tohill. For an even more immersive experience, young people can be part of the first Cinemagic Talent Lab Boot Camp  for 16+yr olds and it will include masterclasses, seminars and Q&A’s with film professionals who will provide insight into the industry in a range of disciplines such as Production Management, Assistant Directing, Editing, Camera, Sound, Art Department & Costume, Hair and Makeup and Location Management.

Cinemagic Chief Executive, Joan Burney Keatings MBE said “We are thrilled to present our 12th Cinemagic Dublin Festival programme and we are really excited about this year’s line-up of diverse, creative film opportunities. We are looking forward to meeting lots of festival goers and celebrating film talent across a wide range of disciplines and in doing so helping to educate, inspire and motivate young people.”

For the full programme and how to book tickets go to: cinemagic.ie

OPENING FILM:

The opening film of the 2019 festival will be an Irish Premiere of Racetime, a wild adventure through the trials and tribulations, passions, joys and little victories of childhood. The premiere takes place on the 28th May at 7.00pm in ODEON Point Square.

 

BOOT CAMP

The Cinemagic Talent Lab Boot Camp is a one-day event in Liffey Trust Studios for new entrants to the film and television industry or those interested in entering. The Boot Camp programme is aimed at aged 16+ year olds and will include masterclasses, seminars and Q&A’s with film professionals who will provide insight into the industry in a range of disciplines. This is a great opportunity for new entrants to learn more about the film and television industry, gain insight from industry professionals, network with other new entrants and develop knowledge and key skills.

 

TALKING PICTURES:

A series of film screenings and talks with filmmakers and film professionals celebrating Irish filmmaking talent and offering advice and top tips for young people with an interest in a career in film.

Screenings include the winner of Best Irish Film at Galway’s Fleadh, Michael Inside plus Q&A with Frank Berry; Float Like A Butterfly plus Q&A with Carmel Winters, a gloriously unruly collision of vivid romanticism and tough, unsentimental truths about the hardscrabble lives and casual discrimination faced by Irish travellers; the suspense filled supernatural thriller, The Hole In The Ground plus Q&A with Lee Cronin; The Devil’s Doorway plus Q&A with Aislinn Clarke, a confident and timely chiller and the first feature horror film written and directed by an Irish woman; Rosieplus Q&A with Paddy Breathnach, an examination of how even in times of crises, the love and strength of a family can endure and The Dig plus Q&A with brothers Andrew Tohill and Ryan Tohill, a gripping debut feature from award-winning Irish directors Andrew and Ryan Tohill. Filmmakers Lee Cronin and Andrew and Ryan Tohill are success stories from Cinemagic Film Festival as winners of Cinemagic’s annual Young Filmmaker Competition.

 

SHORTS FOR SHORTIES:

A new addition to the programme this year will be a collection of new short animations designed to appeal to young children. They express colourful, exciting and easy to follow stories, either in English or with no dialogue.

These short movies packaged over 60 minutes take place in ODEON Point Square and include Sam’s Dream, about a small mouse who decides to make his dream come true; A Tiger With No Stripes; Matilda, a little girl who overcomes her fear and discovers magic of the night, Belly Flop, a story of persistence; Miriam By The Lake, the story of a restless chicken who makes the acquaintance of spooky night creatures; a beautiful story of inclusion in Coucouleurs; Cycle, where a young girl discovers that true adventure begins where the road ends; 6.1, a story with a girl and a cat that is full of surprises; To & Kym, two little creatures who chase each other around the busy streets of Toyko as they re-enact a game that has lasted hundreds of years and Lost & Found, about a clumsy crochet dinosaur must unravel itself to save the love of its life.

MOVIES FOR KIDS:

Young film buffs will be spoilt for choice as the festival invites them to immerse themselves in a myriad of movies all screening at the ODEON Point Square over the first weekend of the festival, the 1st and 2nd of June.

Choose from Revolting Rhymes, your favourite Nursery Rhymes retold by the master of story-telling, made complete with an ever-so wicked Roald Dahl twist; family favourites The Gruffalo’s Child and The Highway Rat, a fabulous, rollicking adventure inspired by the famous Alfred Noyes poem, and ‘Princess Emmy, animated entertainment aimed at fans of princesses and magic.

 

NEW FAMILY FILMS

Cinemagic will also bring a whole range of new films to the ODEON Point Square for the whole family to enjoy over the June bank holiday.

The fast paced, adventure packed titles include Dino King: Journey To Fire Mountain, an action-packed family adventure that combines the realism of ‘Walking with Dinosaurs’ with the heart of ‘Finding Nemo’; Alone In Space, a high concept, family sci-fi, bolstered by sharp production design and visual effects; the magical Ötzi And The Mystery Of Time; Belle And Sebastian, Friends For Life, the story of a loving grandfather and grandson set out on a quest to save their dog, set high in the French Alps and Captain Morten And The Spider Queen where viewers will follow Morten on his shrunken adventure!

 

WORLD CINEMA

Cinemagic will present a feast of films from all over the world for 12+ year olds focusing on themes of love, justice, friendship and family. A Colony, a film that sees young teenagers in search for a place where they can be themselves; Dilili In Paris, the latest offering from movie maestro, Michel Ocelot with an evocative animation that see a young girls fight for justice; The Runaways, an atmospheric and uplifting celebration of childhood and family; My Extraordinary Summer With Tess, a young boy learns the importance of family and friends during his adventures with his new friend, Tess; Fight Girl which explores real life issues around family and an acrimonious divorce; Funan, a thrilling story of love, loss and enduring hope in the most trying of times; the irresistible comedy Amateurs; The War Game, a thought-provoking and tense youth drama and Bruce Lee And The Outlaw, a modern-day Oliver Twist story set under the streets of Bucharest.

FILM JURIES

The Festival is recruiting three film juries for June to watch new films from around the world, take part in in film reviewing and critiquing workshops and meet like-minded young people.  For more information email juries@cinemagic.ie for details on sessions for 8—11 yr olds, 12-14yr olds and 15-18yr olds.

 

 

CREATIVITY CORNER

Highlights include Lego Animation workshops with Joel Simon and ‘Model Making’ with Aardman Animations, where participants will learn how to make their very own Feathers, Gromit or Shaun the Sheep character. Mårten Jönmark, Brown Bag Films (Doc McStuffins, Peter Rabbit) will host a storyboarding workshop sharing skills on telling stories visually and Caoimhe Ní Bhrádaigh, Cartoon Saloon (The Secret of Kells, Song of the Sea, The Breadwinner) will present a workshop exploring the science behind the magic of animation.

Young people can also learn how to tell a short story in a storyboard with David Bunting’s fun-filled workshop inspired by his 20 years’ experience working on projects such as Disney’s The Tigger Movie, Shaun The Sheep, Bob The Builder and Dennis & Gnasher.

 

FILM EDUCATION (Schools)

Secondary Schools and Colleges can avail of costume making, props making and creative writing workshops and unique film screenings accompanied with short talks from production crew members. The films include Keepers of the Flame and a Q&A with its Writer/Director, Nuala O’Connor and The Camino Voyage and a Q&A with Director Donal O’Ceilleachair and Zoo with a Q&A by Producer Katy Jackson and Director Colin McIvor.  These will provide an invaluable insight to the filmmaking process and the social issues around the stories. The highly acclaimed filmFree Solo will be introduced by Mountaineering Ireland, and a screening of Captain Marvel is accompanied with a workshop on film classification from IFCO.

Primary Schools have a feast of film events to choose from with How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World, The Gruffalo’s Child & The Highway Rat, The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part, Dumbo, Revolting Rhymes and a workshop ‘The Science of Roald Dahl’, Aladdin and Disney Ireland/Industry Trust Q&A, Peppa Pig: Festival of Fun and a Drama session, and Matilda andstorytelling with Jack Lynch.  Both Secondary Schools and Primary Schools can enjoy movie screenings of shorts packages in their classroom accompanied by review sessions with the Cinemagic team.

Nursery schools can get involved in drama workshops and screenings of short animations from around the world in their own nursery/pre-school and immerse themselves in a cinematic experience.

Cinemagic Chief Executive, Joan Burney Keatings MBE said “We are thrilled to present our 12th Cinemagic Dublin Festival programme and we are excited about this year’s line-up of diverse, creative film opportunities. We are looking forward to meeting lots of festival goers and celebrating film talent across a wide range of disciplines and in doing so helping to educate, inspire and motivate young people.”

Cinemagic Dublin is funded by the Department of Education and Skills.

 

Booking Details:

All public films and events www.eventbrite.ie or www.cinemagic.ie

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The Loopline Collection

 

The Irish Film Institute has unveiled the first volume of The Loopline Collection, showcasing materials from Loopline Film, one of Ireland’s most influential production companies. Founded in 1992 by filmmaker Sé Merry Doyle, this pioneering company specialised in documentary and TV series, producing a number of hugely important films including significant portraits of prominent cultural figures and work highlighting pressing social issues. Among the material is previously unreleased footage of U2 playing live on Sheriff Street in 1982.

The material is accompanied online by never-before-seen outtakes, interviews and additional material, giving unparalleled access not only to the subjects themselves, but to Merry Doyle’s immersive, detailed and committed filmmaking approach.

This first volume of the collection documents fascinating moments in recent Irish social history: most timely is Liam McGrath’s Essie’s Last Stand, a look at an elderly woman’s fight to stay in her home as developers look to take over her apartment block for redevelopment. Alive Alive O: A Requiem for Dublin features original poetry from Paula Meehan, and examines a time when the livelihoods of Dublin’s iconic street traders were under threat and when drugs became a scourge of the inner city; the film, directed by Merry Doyle, includes footage shot by cinematographer Robbie Ryan, Oscar-nominated this year for his work on The Favourite. Looking On focuses on a vibrant inner city festival in 1982, spearheaded by activist Mick Rafferty and the late politician Tony Gregory, and features the early rooftop appearance by U2.
Other titles to feature as part of the collection include the intimate portrait Patrick Scott: Golden Boy, produced by Andrea Pitt and Maria Doyle Kennedy of Mermaid Films as part of RTÉ Arts Lives, which gives an unparalleled insight into the work of one of Ireland’s foremost abstract painters; the film includes footage shot by Seámus McGarvey, the Oscar-nominated cinematographer of Atonement and Anna Karenina. Patrick Kavanagh: No Man’s Fool is a focus on the life of the renowned poet, with contributions from poets John Montague and Macdara Woods, writer Dermot Healy, and singer Jimmy Kelly.

The Imprint series, hosted by Theo Dorgan and first broadcast on RTÉ between 1999 and 2001, features in-depth and revealing interviews with some of the literary world’s most notable figures such as Margaret Atwood, Richard Ford, Gore Vidal, Eavan Boland and Colm Tóibín, while the six-part series The Good Age, originally broadcast in 1997, is an intriguing look at the issues facing older people, with candid personal testimonies about intimacy, self-care and ageism.

The Loopline Collection Volume 1 is available now on the IFI Player.

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Key Changes Introduced to Section 481 Including a New Requirement For a Skills Development Plan

The Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht has issued new guidelines on Section 481, the Irish tax incentive for the film, television and animation industry. There are a number of key changes in how to apply for the incentive, together with a new requirement for producers to submit a Skills Development Plan for approval by Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland (Screen Ireland) for all projects with eligible expenditure in excess of €2 million.

Producers will now need to set out the estimated number of employees on set likely to be upskilled in the course of the film and submit a Proposed Skills Development Plan to Screen Ireland, which must be agreed in advance with the agency.

The Production Company is responsible for submitting their approved Skills Development Plan to Screen Ireland. Applications will be reviewed by Screen Ireland and Screen Skills Ireland (SSI) and amendments may be requested to the application, especially where specific skills deficits have been identified by the skills audit and industry engagement.

Applications will also require details on gender equality initiatives, diversity and inclusion initiatives together with a sustainability plan. The production company will be required to furnish a full compliance report in order to receive a final compliance certificate to accompany an application for the final 10% of the Tax Credit.

Applications must be made 20 working days prior to making an application to the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht for certification under Section 481 Taxes Consolidated Act 1997. Applications should be emailed directly to section481@screenireland.ie

Other changes to the incentive are as follows:

  • The Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht will now be administering the incentive, with payments still made by the Revenue
  • The producer company must apply to the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht for a certificate stating that the project is to be treated as a ‘qualifying film’ for the purpose of Section 481
  • This application must be made to the Minister at least 21 working days prior to the commencement of Irish production
  • Where the Minister issues a certificate in relation to a qualifying film and all other provisions of Section 481 are complied with, a producer company may then make a claim for the film corporation tax credit.
  • The system will work on a self-assessment model in which Revenue will no longer issue a certificate indicating the amount of tax credit the production should be entitled to.

Commenting on the changes James Hickey, Chief Executive, Screen Ireland said: “We welcome the new changes to the administration of Section 481. The new skills development requirement linked to the tax credit will provide a strong structured basis for the sector to grow and develop in the coming years, focusing on the skills of the individuals working within the industry. The new skills development requirement is wide-ranging and inclusive, covering skills development across all levels of production, focusing on quality over quantity in terms of the outcomes it delivers.

“We look forward to working with the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, who will now be administering the incentive with the Revenue. We also look forward to the expected publication of guidelines on eligible expenditure and PAYE/Schedule D employees from the Revenue, which will help ensure the incentive works more efficiently.”

For more information visit https://www.screenireland.ie/filming/section-481

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Call For: Expression of Interest: Irish Delegation to BANFF World Media Festival and Vancouver Trade Mission

Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland has partnered with the Canadian Embassy Dublin, Creative BC and CMPA (Vancouver) to bring a delegation of Irish producers to the Banff World Media Festival (9th – 12th June 2019) and Vancouver, BC (13th & 14th June 2019) with a particular emphasis on TV Drama.

BANFF WORLD MEDIA FESTIVAL (9th – 12th June)
The Banff World Media Festival (http://www.banffmediafestival.com/) takes place in Banff, Alberta, Canada from 9-12 June 2019.

Screen Ireland will provide support to up to 8 Irish production companies to participate at this networking event. Screen Ireland will cover the cost of accreditation to the festival in Banff and provide subsidy to alleviate the cost of travel and accommodation for the trip. This offer is available to one producer applicant per company, and we can sponsor a maximum of eight companies.

Celebrating its 40th year in 2019, BANFF has grown into a must-attend annual conference attracting over 250 international buyers and a wide-ranging cross-section of television and digital media professionals from around the world, BANFF delivers a comprehensive examination of the most critical issues facing the television and digital media industries through keynotes from industry leaders, contentious panel discussions, pre-booked Face-to-Face Meetings with industry decision-makers, expert forecasts, celebrity Master Classes, networking opportunities, critical case studies, key strategy sessions and more.

The 2019 program and speaker list will be announced soon and updates can be found here

VANCOUVER TRADE MISSION (13th – 14th June)
The eight producers will then travel to Vancouver, BC to attend B2B meetings and networking events. The trade mission will provide producers the opportunity to explore co-production possibilities with Canadian producers though events and meetings organised in collaboration with Creative BC and CMPA.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
As places are strictly limited, in applying you are engaging in a competitive process. Screen Ireland will access applications with regard to criteria 1 – 3 below.

  1. An applicant company should have an active slate of TV projects with significant interest from an Irish/international broadcaster or SVOD operators pointing to commercial engagement.
  2. The company should have active relationships with Canadian co-producers and ideally have a track record of at least one official Irish/Canadian Co-Production.
  3. The company representative joining the delegation should be a senior producer, production executive or development executive.

HOW TO APPLY
If you believe you meet the criteria, please email markets@screenireland.ie by Friday 12th April 2019 with your expression of interest. Emails received after this deadline will not be considered.

Please include “Irish Delegation – Canada” in the subject line, along with the following information in the body of your email:

  1. Your company name.
  2. The name of the participant from your company – maximum is 1.
  3. The job title of the participant.
  4. The applicant company should set out its rationale for participating in the Trade Mission and a detailed explanation of why participation in the delegation will be of benefit to your company, addressing in detail each eligibility criteria 1-3 above. Ensure you supply details of any official Irish/Canadian co-productions that you have structured in the past.
Submissions & Funding Deadlines
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‘Locus of Control’ Released On Amazon Prime

The award winning debut feature film from writer/director Sean Clancy is now available to buy or rent on Amazon Prime. The film is described as a dark comedy about decision and control as a floundering stand-up comedian reluctantly takes a teaching job and struggles to make sense of his slowly unravelling life.

Locus of Control recently finished its festival screenings where it won the Jury Special Recognition Award at the Silk Road International Film Festival 2018. Dublin Sci-Fi Film Festival Director, David Desmond was also impressed by the film and said “Sean Clancy’s outstanding debut feature is a surreal and unnerving mixture of dark comedy and disquieting tension. Featuring top class performances from its main cast, Locus of Control is a fine example of budget filmmaking reaching far beyond its economic strictures.”

The cast includes John Morton, Seamus O’Rourke, Peter McGann and Gus McDonagh with original music composed by Callum Condron.L

Stuck repeating the same pattern of mistakes again and again, Andrew Egan reluctantly accepts a teaching job to support his floundering, stand-up comedy career. As an increasingly anxious Andrew grows accustomed to the droll institution and its occupants he suspects that one of the students may be his downfall and that the previous teacher may not have left of his own accord. His life slowly unravelling, Andrew’s lessons fall on deaf ears and he soon becomes part of a larger cosmic joke.

Link to Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Locus-Control-John-Morton/dp/B07Q5MTS2R

Sean Clancy. Writer / Director of ‘Locus of Control’


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Take Part in the European Film Academy’s Young Audience Award

The Galway Film Fleadh and Galway 2020 are looking for young film fans to take part in the European Film Academy (EFA)’s Young Audience Award. The EFA Young Audience Award is a simultaneous, Europe-wide, film viewing event for young people aged between 12 – 14 years. Participation is free.

On Sunday 5th May, three nominated films are screened in 56 different cities, in 35 different European countries. Each participating city has an audience of young people, who act as a jury and vote for their favourite film. And all participating cities interact with each other via video conference and social media.

In between screenings, film educators lead the audience in discussions about the films they’ve seen.

The entire day culminates with the audience transmitting the results of the national vote – a bit like the Eurovision Song Contest.

Being on the jury for the Young Audience Award offers a unique opportunity to discover great films, that don’t normally play in the your local multiplex. It presents films which reflect the realities of young people all over Europe and raises interest in European stories, people, cultures and societies, building bridges to exchange different points of view and increasing awareness of important social issues.

The three nominated films are: Fight Girl, about a headstrong 12 year old named Bo whose parents’ divorce is distracting her from the Dutch national kickboxing championship; Los Bando,a crazy road movie about a young band from Norway who journey across the country to attend the National Championship of Rock in a race against time, the police and their parents; and Old Boys, set in an all-boys boarding school in England, where social misfit Amberson finds himself playing matchmaker for the school hero Winchester, who has a crush on the French teacher’s fiery daughter Agnes. 

To join the Galway jury of the Young Audience Award, you must be aged 12 to 14, be attending school in Galway City or County and have an active interest in films. The EFA Young Audience Award will take place on Sunday May 5that Pálás Galway, from 9:30a.m. – 6p.m.

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Call For: Submissions for Kerry Short Film Bursary

Kerry Short Film Bursary 2019 is now open.


The Film Bursary Award aims to foster talent, creativity and activity in film making in County Kerry. The Bursary is for a short drama film of 10 to 12 minute in duration & is set as a grant and valued at €10,000 for 2019.

Guidelines & applications forms are available on: http://www1.kerrycoco.ie/home3/kerry-film-bursary/ …

Closing date 5pm Tuesday 30th April

Submissions & Funding Deadlines
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Anti film Piracy Ad ‘The Movie Thieves’

The Movie Thieves

The Movie Thieves is a 40-second advert about film piracy. Its message is presented in the form of a heist sequence where a gang of professional thieves break into a cinema to steal a rare film print. Directed by Irish filmmaker Gerard Lough, the ad’s anti piracy message was one he felt passionate about as not only was his first feature film Night People illegally uploaded online, he sees it as a still viable threat to cinemas and the industry as a whole. As the narrator (played by Michael Parle) in the ad says, “What seems like a harmless vice would close down every cinema tomorrow if everyone did it.”

Lough: “Its too idealistic to expect a commercial to change people’s minds but hopefully this one will seed the idea that if you truly love movies then you should resist a dodgy download that will hurt the very people who make and exhibit them.”

The ad also served as an opportunity for Lough to work with up and coming actors Aidan O’Sullivan, Bobby Calloway and Kaireht Yovera who will also be in his next feature film, a thriller called Spears. The location used was Century Cinemas in Letterkenny, Co Donegal. The ad is now online and will be shown at selected cinemas across the country. 


Anti piracy organization The Federation Against Copyright Theft,  say that, “Making quality films and TV programmes is an expensive business and it is vitally important that people pay for the legitimate product. Accessing illegal content, whether it’s free or for payment, means that the very heart of the film and TV industries is at risk. Future films will not get made leading to a very rapid downward spiral of a lack of content for film and TV fans, job losses, damage to the local and wider economy, and an increase in criminal activity.This is not scaremongering – it’s a fact.”

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Doc Fest Ireland 2019 to Kick Off this June

Doc Fest Ireland 2019

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 12th June – Sunday 16th 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 19th 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:

Arte France | Arte Germany | Broadcasting Authority of Ireland | BBC Arts | BBC Northern Ireland | BBC Storyville | Creative Europe | European Documentary Network | EO / IKON Docs Netherlands | The Kennedy / Marshall Company | Northern Ireland Screen | USA PBS | RTÉ | Screen Ireland | SWR Germany | TG4 Ireland | TRT Turkey | the WRAP Fund Ireland | TV Poland

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. 

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Paper Panther Productions Wins at Irish Animation Awards

The Bird and The Whale

The 2019 Irish Animation Awards ceremony was held in Dingle last night  and the big winner was Paper Panther Productions, who scooped up three awards, including Best Animation and Best Design & Art Direction for the stunning The Bird and The Whale. They also won the Best Newcomer Award, a new category introduced this year.

Among the other major winners on the night were Cartoon Saloon for The Breadwinner (Best Feature) and Brown Bag Films for Vampirina, which won Best Animated Preschool Series (up to 6 years) and Best Writer for an Animated Series.

Boulder Media and Windmill Lane’s Danger Mouse was another outstanding success, bringing home three awards for Best Director, Best Music and Best Sound Design. Nora Twomey, the Oscar nominated director of Cartoon Saloon’s The Breadwinner also came home with the prestigious Murakami Award.

The awards this year was the biggest yet for animation Ireland, with four new awards categories and a huge increase in the number of entrants. There are 16 categories in total, up from 12 in 2017 and one of our new awards is the Kids’ Choice Award, with the winner being chosen by primary school children across the country. Another new category is Best Newcomer, which according to , Animation Ireland Chairperson Moe Honan ‘’shows the continuing increase in the amount of new studios being set up. The new award categories and the sheer volume of entries reflect the substantial growth in the sector over the past two years.’’

Winners of each category received a statuette designed by animator, film maker and teacher Eimhin McNamara. The statuette resembles a Phenakistoscope which was an early animation device used to create an illusion of motion.

 

Full List of Winners:

Best Animated Preschool Series (up to 6 years)

Vampirina: Going Batty – Brown Bag Films

Best Animated Short Film

The Wiremen: Jessica Patterson/ JAM Media

Best International Short Film

All the Things- Chris Guyot & Paul McMahon (USA/IRL)

Best Writer for Preschool Animation (up to 6 years)

Becca’s Bunch: Acorn King- Shane Langan & Amy Stephenson

Best Writer for an Animated Series

Vampirina: Home Scream Home -Chris Nee/ Brown Bag Films

Best VFX as part of Animated TV Series or Film

Space Chickens in Space – Paul Rutledge/ Gingerbread Animation

Best Animation for Apps, Gaming and Interactive

Aurora- Pink Kong Studios

Best Design and Art Direction

The Bird and the Whale- Carol Freeman/ Paper Panther Productions

Best Director of an Animated TV Series

Danger Mouse- Aidan McAteer/ Boulder Media

Best Animation

The Bird and the Whale- Eimhin McNamara & Carol Freeman/ Paper Panther

Best Music

Danger Mouse: Melted- Sanj Sen and Dominic Lawrence /Boulder Media

Best Sound Design

Danger Mouse- Dominic Lawrence and Sol O’Carroll/ Windmill Lane

Best Irish Feature Film or Special

The Breadwinner- Nora Twomey/ Cartoon Saloon

Best Newcomer

Paper Panther Productions

Kid’s Choice Award For Best  Pre-School Animated Series (up to 6 years)

The Doc Mc Stuffins Christmas Special-Brown Bag Films

 Kid’s Choice Award For Best  Animated Series (6-12 years)

Space Chickens in Space- Gingerbread Animation

Murakami Award

Nora Twomey

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How to Create a Great Pitch Pilot

OPEN INDUSTRY SESSION 

Five projects have been selected for EDN Galway Workshop but you have an opportunity to attend the Open Session on 2nd April on How to Create a Great Pitch Pilot.

Using concrete examples of successful Pitch Pilots this plenary session will be presented by experienced Pilot Editor Jesper Osmund and EDN Film & Media Consultant Ove Rishøj Jensen.  This half-day presentation is available free of charge to all Documentary Filmmakers or anyone with an interest in the Creative Documentary.

REGISTER HERE FOR THIS FREE INDUSTRY SESSION

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Call For: Submissions for Waterford Film Festival

The Waterford Film Festival is now accepting submissions for the 13th addition of the festival, which takes place Friday, November 22nd – Sunday, November 24th.

The WFF is the first film festival in the Republic of Ireland to hold a short screenplay competition.

The script competition is to encourage and support writers and every year it selects up to 25 finalists and one of the prizes for the overall winner is access to filmmaking equipment and editing facilities with WFF’s partners at FilmLab Waterford.

Details here

 

 

Film Festivals 2019 – Here & Abroad

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East Asia Film Festival Ireland

For its third edition this April, the East Asia Film Festival Ireland (EAFFI) celebrates the diversity, artistry, and variety of filmmaking from East and South East Asia over four days from April 11-14th. The festival features established and award-winning filmmakers such as Hong Sang-Soo, Ying Liang, Zhang Ming and Ryusuke Hamaguchi. The festival also celebrates exciting new talent including Bi Gan, plus first features from Lina Wang and Phuttiphong Aroonpheng.

This year sees two guests of honour attend the festival: acclaimed director Tsai Ming-Liang and his long-time collaborator, actor Lee Kang-Sheng. They will present rare screenings of two of Tsai’s classic films, The River and I Don’t Want To Sleep Alone, plus his latest, Your Face. Tsai and Lee will also take part in a Masterclass, supported by Screen Skills Ireland and moderated by renowned critic Tony Rayns, on Saturday 13th.

A number of Irish premieres will also feature, including the festival’s opening film, Hong Sang-Soo’s latest comedy-drama Hotel by the River. With this new film, Hong has crafted an elegant tragi-comedy, a chamber piece that unfolds in less than 24 hours where an ageing poet is approaching his final days. Beautifully filmed in black and white, this is a fresh, humanistic exploration on family, life, love and death.

Commenting on this year’s slate, the festival’s Artistic and Programming Director Marie-Pierre Richard said, ‘’We are honoured to welcome auteur filmmaker Tsai Ming-Liang and actor Lee Kang-Sheng to present rare screening of three films programmed for our festival by Tsai and his producer. Distinguished film critic and one of the world’s leading experts on Asian cinema Tony Rayns will be here to conduct a masterclass and Q&As with Tsai and Lee, and also to present our opening and closing films. The new films playing at this year’s festival bring together the voices of significant filmmakers from a multitude of geographical contexts in East and South East Asia, with each skillfully addressing questions of identity and the burning issues of our time including ethnicity, nationhood and family.’

Also featuring at this year’s festival are Lina Wang’s stunning A First Farewell, a prize winner at both the Berlin and Tokyo film festivals; A Family Tour, directed by Ying Liang, is a moving drama that puts political pressure exerted on filmmakers under the spotlight; Bi Gan’s sumptuous Long Day’s Journey Into Night, which features a long, virtuoso single take, shot in 3D; Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s modern romance Asako I & II; Zhang Ming’s The Pluto Moment; and Liu Jie’s fast-paced social justice drama Baby, which sees a young woman abduct an infant who has the same birth defect she herself had as a child.

Closing the festival this year will be Phuttiphong Aroonpheng’s debut Manta Ray, which focuses on the relationship between a fisherman and the Rohingyan refugee he finds unconscious in the local swamps. This poignant film tackles the refugee experience and associated questions of identity, self, border, ethnicity and nationhood.

Tickets for the East Asian Film Festival Ireland are available now at www.ifi.ie/eaffi-2019 or by calling the IFI Box Office on 01-6793477. More information is also available from www.eaffi.ie.

 

 

Film Festivals 2019 – Here & Abroad

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Irish Animation Awards

The 2019 Irish animation Awards, taking place on Saturday 23rd March, are set to once again highlight the brilliance and talent of the Irish animation sector. This year’s ceremony, which is hosted by animation trade association Animation Ireland, has seen a huge upsurge in the number of entries and four new award categories.

Among the nominations this year are the two Oscar nominated films from Cartoon Saloon, The Breadwinner and Late Afternoon, as well as nominations for stunning virtual reality animations such as Pink Kong Studios’ Aurora. Paper Panther’s The Bird and the Whale and Brown Bag Films’ Doc McStuffins Christmas Special picked up four nominations. However, Gingerbread Animation’s Space Chickens in Space is way out in front with seven nominations in total.

According to Animation Ireland’s Industry Chair Moe Honan, the awards this year highlight the continued growth and creativity in the sector; ‘’looking at the nominations you can really see the truly impressive amount of breath-taking work being produced in Ireland at the moment. Ireland’s position as one of the world’s best locations for animation is now firmly cemented.’’

Moe went on to say; ‘’this year we have four new awards and our very hard working judges have been extremely busy with the number of entries. There are 16 categories in total and one of our new awards is the Kids’ Choice Award, with the winner being chosen by primary school children across the country. Another new category is Best Newcomer, which shows the continuing increase in the amount of new studios being set up. The new award categories and the sheer volume of entries reflect the substantial growth in the sector over the past two years.’’

The biennial awards ceremony is sponsored by RTÉ, Screen Ireland, Animation Skillnet, Philip Lee, CelAction, Screen Skills Ireland, Brophy Gillespie and Gorilla Post.

Winners of each category will receive a statuette designed by animator, film maker and teacher Eimhin McNamara. The statuette resembles a Phenakistoscope which was an early animation device used to create an illusion of motion.

Animation Ireland is the trade association for Ireland’s animation studios, representing 25 member studios who employ more than 1,500 people nationwide. The sector has seen meteoric growth in recent years, with the sector now generating over €100 million for the economy annually as Irish animation projects are viewed in over 120 countries worldwide.

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‘Misty Button’ Wins in California

Misty Button,  an Irish/American Indie feature film wins “Best Narrative Feature” at San Luis Obispo International Film Festival  in California.

The film was written and directed by prolific Kerryman Seanie Sugrue and co-produced with another rising Tralee filmmaker Bertie Brosnan. Corkmen portray the two leads Cillian O’Sullivan and Shaun Kennedy. The film also stares renowned New York City theatre actor John Keating from Tipperary. Also starring in the movie is rising Broadway star, Julia Nightingale who can now be seen in The Ferryman directed by Sam Mendes among other TV veteran actors in the United States.

Starring

Cillian O’Sullivan – Vikings, Maze

Shaun Kennedy – Monsters Inside Me, American Ripper

John Keating – Ray Donovan, Boardwalk Empire, The Lone Ranger

Kevin Breznahan – Superbad, There Will Be Blood, Alive, Winter’s Bone

Victoria Meade – Vinyl HBO

Donald Paul – Atlanta, SEAL Team, Blue Bloods

Bret Lada – Orange is the New Black, Law and Order: Special Victims Unit

Gerard McNamee – The Following, The Get Down, White Collar

Josh Salt – Chicago PD, Cut Shoot Kill, Blue Bloods

Gerardo Rodriguez – The Blacklist, Person of Interest

 

 

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In Conversation with Emer Reynolds

Emer Reynolds

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.

Register here 
The interview will include sequences from The Farthest alongside a discussion of the film.

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…

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‘The End Of The Earth Is My Home’ Screens in UK

Alan Lambert’s 2012 Sci-Fi film The End Of The Earth Is My Home will be having its  UK premiere on March 16th in Hastings.

It’s part of the Irish Film Week programme that runs March 13-17 in the Kino-Teatr in St. Leonards on Sea, near Hastings Beach. It’s also the World Premiere of this new cut, which is condensed and runs at 30 mins.

The screening is on Saturday March 16th at 2:00pm – in the ‘Irish Short Films’ programme.

Kino-Teatr website; https://www.kino-teatr.co.uk

For more info on the film see: http://www.metaldragon.net/films_teoteimh.html

Film Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNFxFGKdT-0

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Doc Fest Ireland

Introducing Doc Fest Ireland, an industry focussed, all Ireland International Documentary Festival.

 

Belfast Film Festival presents Doc Fest Ireland, a new, industry-focussed All-Ireland Documentary FIlm Festival, which will take place in Belfast from  Wednesday 12th June – Sunday 16th June this year.

Doc Fest Ireland will showcase only non-fiction film, presenting new Irish and international feature length and short documentaries. The last five years have seen a surge in feature-length documentaries from the island of Ireland, with many securing theatrical releases, and Doc Fest Ireland will provide a platform to showcase the great talent within the Irish documentary filmmaking industry, promoting a dynamic programme of events that are both entertaining and provocative.

 

DOC FEST IRELAND MARKETPLACE

 

Doc Market is an opportunity for filmmakers to meet with top decision makers including international funders, broadcasters, distributors and exhibitors on a one to one basis. The Doc Market will be a hub for funding, sales and distribution of documentaries in Ireland and globally, and an incubator for nurturing domestic talent so that our industry can continue to thrive in the future.

Doc Market is the only marketplace dedicated to documentary on the island of Ireland and will provide an opportunity for filmmakers to pitch their project through carefully matchmade meetings organised by the Doc Fest Ireland team.

 

Decision Makers in attendance at the Marketplace will include:

 

Arte France | Arte Germany | BBC Northern Ireland | BBC Storyville | Creative Europe | European Documentary Network | EO Docs Netherlands | Northern Ireland Screen | RTÉ | SWR Germany | TG4 Ireland | TRT Turkey | the WRAP Fund Ireland | TVP Poland

 

Further international funders, distributors and broadcasters will be announced in the coming weeks.

 

You can submit to the Doc Fest Market here. The deadline for application is Saturday March 30th. Your idea must be long form (50 minutes +) and you must have at least one TV / digital / theatrical credit in documentary, although this can include shorter form.

 

In addition to the marketplace, the festival will host a training session for EU Co-Production, in collaboration with the European Documentary Network and Creative Europe on Wednesday June 12th. Further details on this event will be announced on the Doc Fest Ireland website in the coming weeks.

We will also host the NI Screen 1st Feature Pitch which is a pitch for development money of £7.5k to do a teaser for a feature doc. It’s open to anyone who has not made a feature, including new and emerging talent. Film makers without production companies will be placed with an experienced company.

 

Doc Fest Ireland will also present a diverse range of panel sessions and talks, a BFI/Doc Society day, as well as live pitches and social events.

 

DOC FEST IRELAND ACCREDITATION NOW AVAILABLE

 

Accreditation for Doc Fest Ireland is now available to purchase online. Whether you are an industry professional, student or documentary enthusiast, festival passes are available to suit your needs and budget. Accreditation types available are the:

 

Pure Talent Pass

Pure Docs Pass

Pure Class Pass

 

 

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Irish Film / TV Series on Netflix

Looking for something Irish to watch on Netflix – here you go:

Brain on Fire

Brain on Fire is a 2016 biographical drama film directed and written by Irish filmmaker Gerard Barrett. Stricken by seizures, psychosis and memory loss, a young New York Post reporter visits doctor after doctor in search of an elusive diagnosis

Can’t Cope Wont Cope

In Dublin, friends Aisling and Danielle must come to terms with adulthood with their millennial hijinks and hangovers begin to wear off.

Stars Seána Kerslake and Nika McGuigan.

Cardboard Gangsters

A low level drug dealer decides to move up the ranks of the illegal narcotics trade in Darndale, Dublin, putting him and his gang on a violent path.

Cured

The Zombie apocalypse is thwarted by a cure for the virus. But now the antidote is found, who will fix a broken society?   Stars Ellen Page, Sam Keeley and Tom Vaughan Lawlor.

Damo & Ivor

A pair of loud-mouthed Dublin twins, reunited after being separated at birth, embarks on a wild road trip to search for their third missing sibling.

Dominion Creek

Three Irish brothers arrive in the Yukon during the Gold Rush hoping to strike it rich, but a powerful man and greed soon divide them.

Handsome Devil

A self-described outsider is sent to a rugby-obsessed boarding school, where he forms an unexpected bond with the star player

Hostage to the Devil

Follow the eerie story of Father Malachi Martin, a disenchanted priest whose belief in demonic possession would lead him to conduct several exorcisms

I.T.

An embittered IT consultant launches a stealthy attack against a wealthy businessman by turning his state-of-the-art smart home against him. Stars Pierce Brosnan.

Jack Taylor

Ken Bruen’s bestselling crime novels leap to life in this series of TV movies featuring Irish cop-turned-private-investigator Jack Taylor.

Katie         

The critically acclaimed and award-winning Katie Taylor documentary KATIE directed by Ross Whitaker is now on Netflix. KATIE which has been wowing audiences since it picked up the Best Irish Feature Documentary award at the Galway Film Fleadh last summer intimately follows champion boxer Katie Taylor as she attempts to rebuild her career after a year of turmoil threatened to derail her career. With many writing her off, Taylor decided to start again, and the notoriously private champion agreed to let a small crew document her attempt to rescale the heights.

MAZE

When IRA member Larry Marley is sent to Northern Ireland’s Maze prison, her put his methodical and manipulative plan for a mass escape into action.

Michael Inside

The 34th

‘The 34th’ tells the story of the driven and dedicated people who formed Marriage Equality in Ireland and developed it into a highly effective grassroots force with one clear goal in mind – the extension of Civil Marriage to same sex couples. Through revealing interviews and archive material, former board members and staff outline the strategising, fierce battles, sheer hard graft and personal cost of running such an all-consuming campaign.  From the KAL (Katherine Zappone & Ann Louise Gilligan) case to a YES vote on 22nd May 2015, this documentary spans a decade culminating in the 34th amendment to the Irish constitution, allowing same sex marriage.

The Foreigner

After his daughter is killed by terrorists, a sullen restaurateur seeks the identities of those responsible and travels to Ireland to take vengeance

The Hardy Bucks

A circle of young men entertain vague ambitions involving quick cash, woman and showbiz in this mockumentary on small town Irish life in County Mayo.

The Hardy Bucks Movie

Party loving Irelanders plan a road trip to Poland to take in some soccer and sights.  But their journey veers way off course when they hit Amsterdam.

The Irish Mob

This documentary crime series charts the rise of the Irish Mob in America, from urban immigrant poverty to political power and wealth.

The Secret Scripture

The chief psychiatrist of a soon-to-be-razed mental institution tries to discover the mystery behind the confinement …

 

The Siege of Jadotville

The Siege of Jadotville tells the true story of Irish Soldiers who were besieged by overwhelming enemy forces while on a UN peacekeeping mission in the Congo.  The heroes led by Commandant Pat Quinlan fought for five days and heroically defended their outpost.   A Netflix Original film, based on the book Siege at Jadotville : The Irish Army’s Forgotten Battle by Declan Power.  Stars Jamie Dornan, Jason O’Meara, Mark Strong and Sam Keeley.  https://youtu.be/9_JHsiQTTmg

 

The Young Offenders

Never ones to think things through, two Irish teens steal bicycles and set off to the coast to find a bale of cocaine from a smugglers capsized ship.

 

Trailer Park Boys live in F**kin Dublin

Not exactly Irish but the Trailer Park boys come to Ireland after winning a contest to see Rush but are arrested by immigration and must perform a community service puppet show.

Trespass Against Us

A man from a criminal family yearns to break away and find a better life, but his father’s staunch opposition puts his dreams of freedom in jeopardy.

Wake Wood

After losing their only child in a dog attack, two parents discover a pagan ritual that will grant them three more days with their deceased daughter.

 

www.netflix.com

 

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‘Red Room’ on Release

Director Stephen Gaffney’s horror debut “Red Room” is set for home release on March 19th by Breaking Glass Pictures US. The film will be available on DVD, iTunes, Play Store, Amazon and Vimeo.

Produced by Marc Hughes (Sicario Pictures), this indie feature is the third to be released by Deep Web Films, an Irish production company co-founded by Stephen Gaffney and Erica Keegan. “Red Room” also stands as the final chapter of Gaffney’s “Deep Web Trilogy” – a combination of thriller, crime, drama, and horror which delves into the darkest corners of the Dark Net.
Distributor Breaking Glass Pictures describes the film as ‘An extreme horror film that brings the terror of what lies in the deepest, darkest corners of the internet into the light…with blood-soaked results. Kyra, a young woman kidnapped off the street after a night out, wakes up in an isolated house with two other captives. They are informed by their sadistic captors that they must wait their turn to enter the Red Room before they will be released. Once they discover they will never leave alive, they plot to escape before it’s too late… ‘
Written by Stephen Gaffney and Erica Keegan, the feature stars Amy Kelly (Red Rock), John D’alessandro (Class-A, Cardboard Gangsters), Eddie Jackson (Game of Thrones), Eoin Quinn (Fair City, limp) Brian Fortune (Game of Thrones), Alan Sherlock (Lift) , and Fionna Twamley-Hewitt (Red Rock, Charlie), alongside Saoirse Doyle (Class-A, Crone Wood), Rodrigo Ternevoy (Fair City), Aisling O’Neill (Fair City), and more.

The DVD can pre ordered on DVD here

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Irish Film Festa Full Programme Announced

 

Full line-up revealed for the 12th Irish Film Festa, the only Italian film festival completely dedicated to Irish cinema and culture, which is taking place from 27-31 March 2019, at the Casa del Cinema in Rome.


Northern Irish actor John Lynch will attend the festival as a guest of honour. Lynch has a special bond with Italy, since his mother is from Trivento, Molise; at IFF he will take part in a public interview and look back over his career, from Pat O’Connor’s Cal (1984) and Michael Rymer’s Angel Baby (1995, to be screened at the festival) to Mary McGuckian’s Best (2000), and more. John Lynch will also hold an acting workshop, open to students and professionals.

This year’s opening film is The Drummer and the Keeper, directed by Nick Kelly and winner of Best First Feature at the 2017 Galway Film Fleadh: Gabriel (Dermot Murphy), recently diagnosed with bipolar disorder, and Christopher (Jacob McCarthy), who is suffering from Asperger’s Syndrome, are two teenage boys who meet each other as players in a special football team and develop a strong friendship.


As previously announced, IFF will host the Italian premiere of Lance Daly‘s Black ’47, the historical drama set during the Great Famine which was a big hit at the Irish box office last year. The cast features Hugo Weaving, James Frecheville, Jim Broadbent, Stephen Rea, Freddie Fox, Barry Keoghan, Moe Dunford and Sarah Greene. The screenplay of Black ’47 – written by Daly with PJ Dillon, Pierce Ryan and Eugene O’Brien – is partly inspired by the Irish-language short film An Ranger, directed by Dillon and also screened at the IFF in 2010.

Metal Heart marks the debut as a director of Irish actor Hugh O’Conor: young twin sisters Emma (Jordanne Jones) and Chantal (Leah McNamara) are worlds apart, and when their parents go away for the summer, their simmering rivalry threatens to boil over. A photography exhibition will also be held at the Casa del Cinema during the festival, featuring 18 portraits of Irish directors and actors (Andrew Scott, Moe Dunford, Barry Keoghan, Nora Twomey, among the others) taken by O’Conor himself.


Hugh O’Conor is also linked to this year’s Irish Classic, Colin Gregg’s Lamb (1985), where ten-year-old Hugh was cast opposite Liam Neeson.

 

The Dig, a Northern Irish tense thriller directed by Andy and Ryan Tohill, won the 2018 Galway Film Fleadh as Best Irish Feature: after serving fifteen years for murder, Callahan returns home to find Sean, his victim’s grieving father, searching for the body in an endless bog. Ryan Tohill and the two lead actors, Moe Dunford and Lorcan Cranitch, are expected to attend the Italian premiere of the film.

Michael Inside is the new film by Frank Berry, following I Used to Live Here, which also screened at IFF in 2016. The titular character Michael (Dafhyd Flynn) is an impressionable 18-year-old sentenced to three months in prison after he is caught holding a bag of drugs for a friend’s older brother. The cast also includes Lalor Roddy, Moe Dunford and Robbie Walsh.


The 12th IFF gives more space to documentaries, organising a panel discussion on the topic, as well as a series of dedicated screenings.

The Lonely Battle of Thomas Reid, by Feargal Ward, brings on screen the story of unyielding Irish farmer Thomas Reid who refuses to sell his 300-year-old farm to the multinational microchip manufacturer Intel. The film premiered in the main competition at IDFA Amsterdam in 2017 before screening at Hot Docs and Sheffield DocFest.

Directed by Seán Murray and narrated by Stephen Rea, Unquiet Graves details how members of the RUC and UDR, (a British Army regiment) were centrally involved in the murder of over 120 innocent civilians during the recent conflict in Ireland. Belfast-born Murray, whose previous work Ballymurphy screened at IFF in 2015, will take part in this year’s documentary panel.


Also expected to attend, Northern Irish director and producer Brendan J Byrne: IFF will screen his short documentary Hear My Voice, a touching tribute to those who suffered a loss during the Troubles. The film combines Colin Davidson’s portrait collection “Silent Testimony” with the spoken words of the people, victims and survivors of the conflict, featured in the paintings.


The Mam Trasna Murders (Murdair Mhám Trasna), a docu-drama written and directed by Colm Bairéad, tells the story of barbaric murders committed in the midst of a rural

community in Joyce Country, in 1882. The truth about those crimes was only recently unveiled and established. Lead actor Dara Devaney will attend the screening.


This year, the short film competition also focuses on documentaries, with a dedicated section, and includes Bog Graffiti, the latest experimental work by veteran author Bob Quinn.

 

The special screening of three episodes from hit comedy series Derry Girls (Channel 4), created by Lisa McGee, will close the festival: set in Derry in the early 90s, this sit-com is a warm, laugh-out-loud funny and honest look at the lives of ordinary people living under the spectre of the Troubles, all seen through the eyes of 16-year-old Erin and her friends.

 

As part of the IFFbooks section, dedicated to literature and authors from Ireland, the festival will host a conversation with Irish-born writer Karl Geary. He’s also an actor (Jimmy’s Hall by Ken Loach) and a screenwriter (Coney Island Baby, 2003), and published his first novel, Montpelier Parade, in 2017.

www.irishfilmfesta.org | #IRISHFILMFESTA


Facebook: /irishfilmfesta
Twitter: @IrishFilmFesta
Instagram: @irishfilmfesta
YouTube: IrishFilmFesta Roma

 

 

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‘Reel’ Representation in Foyle Film Festival’s Intercultural Programme

 

A curated selection of films from across the world highlighting diversity and equality will screen in Derry~Londonderry this month as part of the Foyle Film Festival’s Intercultural & Anti-Racism programme.

 

Running from Friday 15 March to Sunday 24 March in Nerve Centre and Brunswick Moviebowl, the annual programme offers both schools and the general public an opportunity to explore issues such as racism, homophobia, sexism and discrimination through the medium of film.

 

Highlights for primary school students include screenings of classic Disney® films such as Up! and The Princess & the Frog. Also screening is the Oscar® nominated film Mary Poppins Returns, which sees the formidable nanny return to the grief stricken Banks family to help save the day.

 

Post-primary screenings include the Oscar® nominated features Green Book and First Man, the former of which tells the important true story of the unlikely friendship that developed between a black concert pianist and the New York bouncer hired to chauffeur him through the unfriendly territory of the Jim Crow American South.

 

A special screening of Anne Frank Remembered marks the 90th anniversary of Anne Frank’s birth. Narrated by Kenneth Branagh and Glenn Close, the film features vintage newsreels, photographs and even a rare home movie to look beyond the pages of Anne’s diary. In surprising, often emotional interviews with Anne’s family, friends and her protector Miep Gies, Anne’s life serves once more as an unforgettable symbol of and tribute to the many lives lost in the Holocaust.

A full programme of evening screenings, open to the public, will run throughout the two weeks. The films tackle difficult themes, including child trafficking, institutional racism and extreme poverty.

 

Director Alan Gilsenan will present his groundbreaking drama, The Meeting, in Brunswick Moviebowl on Friday 29 March. Based on the true story of Ailbhe Griffith and the real life meeting between her and the man who, nine years earlier, subjected her to a horrific sexual assault. Ailbhe plays herself in the film and will take part in a post-screening discussion with Dr. Marie Keenan, a restorative justice practitioner.

 

Activist Jacqueline Walker and director Jon Pullman will be in attendance on Friday 15 March at a screening of WitchHunt, a documentary exploring anti-semitism in the Labour party.

 

Speaking about the programme, Bernie McLaughlin, Foyle Film Festival Director and Programme said: “Now in its 14th year, the Intercultural and Anti-Racism programme aims to broaden young people’s cultural awareness while also providing a platform for stories that promote tolerance and inclusion. We’ve brought together a wide-ranging programme of thought-provoking films and documentaries from around the world that will encourage some interesting conversations.”

 

Also screening are critically acclaimed features Love Sonia, BlacKKKlansman, Ray & Liz, The Wife and Border (Gräns).

 

Once again special screenings for those living with physical and mental challenges as well as parents and babies feature in the programme and include; Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again! and A Star Is Born, starring Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper. Films are screened in a more relaxed atmosphere, with low lighting, and complimentary tea, coffee and biscuits are served.

Tickets are now on sale at www.foylefilmfestival.org

 

Foyle Film Festival’s Intercultural & Anti-Racism Programme is funded by the Department for Communities through Northern Ireland Screen and venue partner is Brunswick Moviebowl.

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‘Her Name Is…’ Wins at WFT Ireland Short Film Showcase

Claire Byrne, Juanita Wilson & Lydia McGuinness

 

WFT Ireland announced the winners of their members’ Short Film Showcase 2019, held in the IFI on Wednesday 6th March. The event was organised in partnership with the IFI, and with the support of the BAI, to celebrate International Women’s Day.

The judges selected No Place as the second runner up. This short was written and directed by Laura Kavanagh and produced by Laura, Emily Morgan and Barry Ward. A timely short, No Place tells the story of Angela and her two young kids as they are evicted from their home. Angela struggles to maintain a sense of normality as an increasingly desperate situation unfolds.

Second place was awarded to The Girl at the End of the Garden, a comedy drama about an unhappy young girl whose life is turned upside-down when she finds a mysterious runaway with psychic powers in her back garden. The Girl at the End of the Garden was directed by Bonnie Dempsey, written by Rodney Lee and produced by Sinead Barry and David O’Sullivan.

Her Name Is…

The winner of the overall competition was Her Name Is… directed by Lydia McGuinness and Claire Byrne. This heartbreaking short was written by Lydia and Ben Conway, and produced by Jo Halpin and Emma Wall of Alfonso Films. Her Name Is… follows an isolated young woman on her journey through the city streets in a final act of desperation.

The filmmakers were presented with prizes on the night by special guest, Oscar nominated filmmaker, Juanita Wilson.

Juanita Wilson, Susan Liddy, Vanessa Gildea

WFT Chair Dr. Susan Liddy said: “Our Short Film Showcase is an affirmation of the talented women working in the industry today. We were struck by the range of films submitted and, indeed, the range of filmmakers – from more established names to emerging voices. WFT is immensely proud to have hosted this wonderful evening to highlight our female talent. We’d like to thank Sunniva O Flynn and the IFI team for embracing the event and the BAI for their continued support. We were overwhelmed by the huge audience on the night and the enthusiastic commitment by female filmmakers to stand their ground, tell their stories and make their mark in the Irish film industry. And WFT will be there to support them all the way”.

 

 

 

 

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Irish Experimental Sci-fi Feature to Premiere in New York

The world premiere of experimental, soundtrack-driven sci-fi Assimilation will take place at the 2019 Philip K. Dick Science Fiction Film Festival, to be held in New York this week, on March 6th and 9th. Filmed in Derry and Donegal and produced by Scalp Mountain Productions, Assimilation marks the feature debut both for Irish writer/director John Norby and star Ashling Vieira.

In the near future, exponential growth in technology creates an apocalyptic event of cosmic origins that finds Earth seemingly devoid of all sentient life. Assimilation depicts the stages leading up to that event and follows the journey of a lone survivor on her quest to reconnect with life: to discover what lies beyond.

Where are we headed, this human race, and what is our fate after Earth? The clues are there to be discovered; it’s all about knowing where to look.

What will you see?

Presented without dialogue, Assimilation features an immersive, darkly atmospheric soundtrack by some of the most respected dark ambient artists from around the world. The film strives through its ‘sight and sound’ approach to captivate its audience and transport them into the post-apocalyptic world it portrays, allowing them to explore it intimately as the experience unfolds.
The production of Assimilation was unique in that the soundtrack was in place before shooting began, indicating the importance of the music and its intricate relationship with the action in driving the story. The soundtrack features music by Lamia Vox, Sistrenatus, Red Harvest, Phelios, Virus, Triangular Ascension, Dahlia’s Tear, Øysnsasid, Christopher Norby, Posthum, Endvra, Necro Deathmort, O Yuki Conjugate, Zoät-Aon, and The Axis Of Perdition. Put together they provide an ethereal cinematic experience that reveals the profound and chilling story of Assimilation.
Assimilation will play at The Producer’s Club, 358 West 44th Street, New York, on Saturday, March 9. Screening time is 9pm. Q&A with director John Norby after the show.

Tickets and info available from www.thephilipkdickfilmfestival.com

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Call For: Applications for EFP Producers on the Move 2019

Call for Applications: EFP Producers on the Move 2019

Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland is now seeking applications from Irish producers who wish to be considered as the Irish representative for the 2019 EFP Producers on the Move programme held each year at the Cannes Film Festival.

Each year, 20 up and coming producers from 20 different countries from throughout Europe are selected to participate in Producers on the Move at the Cannes Film Festival. The four-day programme aims at connecting enterprising young producers with international potential co-production partners and strengthening their industry networks. The programme is underpinned by a digital promotion campaign and a press campaign in the international trades, creating visibility and opportunity for the producers.

The programme is open to 20 producers from 20 different European countries. The interested producers/production companies must have completed at least one international co-production.  The final selection of the 20 participants is based on a point system which considers the following criteria:

  • the producer’s experience in an international co-production (at least one international co-production) is a pre-requisite. The selection process favours producers who have been majority producers.
    If candidates were the majority producers in more than three international co-productions, they, unfortunately, are too experienced for PRODUCERS ON THE MOVE
  • the producer’s feature length film(s) have had a theatrical release and /or a VoD / SVoD / DVD / TV release outside of the production countries involved;
  • the producer has had a feature length film screened in the international section at a major festival;
  • the producer’s feature length film was awarded Best Film in the producer’s home country ie recipient of a national film award;
  • the producer has a strong project suitable for an international co-production.

Previous Irish Producers on the Move include Alan Maher (Song of Granite), Katie Holly (Vita & Virginia), John Keville and Conor Barry (The Hole in the Ground), Juliette Bonass (A Date for Mad Mary), Rebecca O’Flanagan (Papi Chulo) and Macdara Kelleher (Black 47) to name but a few.

If you are interested in participating in Producers on the Move 2019, please address your email to Louise Ryan, Marketing & Communications Manager, marketing@screenireland.ie with the following information by close on business on Tuesday, 12 March:

  1. Letter of motivation, i.e. what you would hope to gain from the scheme and why you would like to take part
  2. Project description of the film in development / financing — including synopsis and director statement (if director attached)
  3. Finance plan for this project

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

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The Arts Council Announces Successful recipients of Authored Works and Reel Art awards

 

The Arts Council announces successful recipients of Authored Works and Reel Art awards

The Arts Council has announced the successful recipients of its 2018 Authored Works and Reel Art Awards. 

Dónal Foreman is the first film artist to be selected for the new Authored Works award, while Vivienne Dick and Ciara Nic Chormaic are the latest recipients of Reel Art awards.

Authored Works is a new Arts Council initiative which is designed to provide film artists with the creative and editorial freedom to make an authored cultural film work. The successful project will premiere at the IFI in 2020.

Reel Art is the Arts Council’s long-running creative arts documentary scheme. The two successful films will premiere at the Dublin International Film Festival in February 2020.

The Arts Council wishes to congratulate all three artists on their awards and we look forward to seeing the films reaching Irish and international audiences on their completion.

Authored Works Award

Queen of Fire
Director: Dónal Foreman
Producer: Alan Maher

Donal Foreman 3

A middle-aged American filmmaker, reeling from the death of her mother, enlists the help of a younger Irish writer on a journey along the Irish west coast to research a film about Ireland’s pre-colonial past. Queen of Fire is a dense and sensuous mix of road movie, psychodrama and historical essay that gradually pulls itself apart as lines blur between past and present, dream and reality…

Dónal Foreman has written, directed and edited two feature films and dozens of shorts, and presented his work at festivals including Rotterdam, Edinburgh, the Viennale and CPH:DOX. He has been nominated for the Rising Star award at the Irish Film & TV Awards and awarded the Grand Prize of the Avant-Garde Competition at BAFICI in Argentina. His most recent feature, The Image You Missed (Arts Council Film Project Award), has won nine awards at festivals internationally, including six top prizes, and has been acclaimed by the Hollywood Reporter, Film Comment and Sight & Sound. For more info, please visit www.donalforeman.com.

Reel Art Awards

New York Our Time
Director: Vivienne Dick
Produced by: Still Films and Jellyfish Productions

Vivienne Dick3New York Our Time is an intimate and philosophical documentary that contrasts the concerns of present day with the bohemian wildness of ’70s New York in the lives of ‘No Wave’ artists and musicians.

The film will feature the director along with friends of hers from her time in New York, including Lydia Lunch, Nan Goldin and Alexis Adler. The soundtrack will include diverse music and archive from the period as well as new compositions and collaborations.

Vivienne Dick makes multilayered, open-ended work framed from a female perspective and with an interest in sexual politics, music and philosophy. Her early work is associated with the No Wave film and music movement of late seventies New York. Her work has been shown extensively at festivals and museums such as, MoMa New York, Lisbon Estoril and Filmhaus Vienna with a survey of her work at IMMA in 2017. Retrospectives include Crawford (2009) Tate Modern (2010) and SEFF Seville (2016). Her work is in the collections of The Irish Film Archive, Lux, Anthology Archives and The Museum of Modern Art, New York. Her work is distributed by LUX UK.

Skin+Soul
Director: Ciara Nic Chormaic
Producer: Sharon Whooley

Ciara Nic Chormaic3Skin+Soul is a cinematic meditation on fashion photography seen through the lens of photographer Perry Ogden whose profound images blur the boundaries between the fashion world and the real world.

Ciara Nic Chormaic created, directed and produced a documentary series exploring Irish fashion identity entitled Snáithe (Thread) which recently screened in New York and London. For over fifteen years she has produced award winning documentaries which have premiered at Irish and international film festivals including Name Your Poison/Deoch an Dorais and The Hood and the Collar.

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Screen Leaders 2019

Screen Leaders is the strategic company development programme for the screen industries that can transform businesses.

  • Is your company going through a period of change or growth?
  • Do you want to internationalise your business?
  • Do you need to re-define the scope of your business?
  • Is it time to frame your company vision?

Designed for company leaders working in film, television, animation, games, post-production, VFX, facilities, sales, distribution and exhibition, the programme, which has been running successfully for over 10 years, is funded by Creative Europe MEDIA, Screen Skills Ireland and Screen Ireland.

The Screen Leaders programme will provide you and your company with the skills to lead and grow the organisation in a complex, innovative and evolving international marketplace with a mixture of residential week-long workshops and one to one sessions from June to November 2019.

From its inaugural programme in 2008 to the present, Screen Leaders has had participants from all over Ireland and Europe from leading animation, TV and film production companies. Some of them have progressed to becoming leading production companies in their respective countries as well as participating in the screen industries on a global scale. You can search through Screen Leaders Alumni here – their  collective achievements and awards include over 20 total Oscar nominations, more than 15 Golden Globes nominations, 10 Emmy nominations and countless international festival prizes, awards and recognitions.

WHEN DOES THE PROGRAMME TAKE PLACE?

Running from June to November, there are three modules, with ongoing one-to-one feedback between sessions.

  • Module 1: Residential in Limerick, Ireland: 3rd – 7th June 2019
  • Module 2: Strategy and Finance Business Coaching in Dublin, Ireland: 23rd – 24th and 26th – 27th August 2019
  • Strategy and Leaderships Business Coaching in Ireland/Germany: September TBC 2019
  • Module 3: Residential in Tallinn, Estonia:  10th – 14th November 2019

The deadline for applications is Friday the 19th of April 2019.

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Dublin International Film Festival Announces Winners Of The Discovery and Shorts Awards

The 17th Virgin Media Dublin International Film Festival’s 2019 Discovery Award selected three winners: Alexandra McGuinness, Oonagh Kearney and Ian Hunt Duffy. Plus a special mention to Madonna Bambino.

The Best Irish Short Film Award goes to Five Letters to the Stranger Who Will Dissect My Brain and Best International Short Film Award winner is Inanimate. Special mention went to Irish short The First Was A Boy and international short Child.

Discovery Award

Writer and director Alexandra McGuinness wins the Discovery Award for She’s Missing and writer and director Oonagh Kearney wins for her film Five Letters To The Stranger Who Will Dissect My Brain, while director Ian Hunt Duffy wins for Low Tide. Make-up artist Madonna Bambino receives a special mention for her work on Low Tide.

Speaking about Alexandra McGuinness, the jury said: “Alexandra McGuinness is one of those filmmakers whose ambitious, accomplished and entertaining work is deserving of the widest possible audience. We are excited to shine a spotlight on the world that Alexandra so brilliantly created.”

On Oonagh Kearney, they said: “Oonagh has consistently shown great originality and creativity of approach in her previous work and we believe that her stunningly beautiful and accomplished film Five Letters To the Stranger Who Will Dissect My Brain clearly demonstrates that Oonagh is fast becoming one of the most interesting and distinctive voices in Irish film. We are very excited to see what Oonagh will do next.”

Commenting on Ian Hunt Duffy, they said: “Ian Hunt Duffy has quickly grown into an accomplished director and has consistently shown excellence within his field. The success of Gridlock now looks to be followed with Ian’s new short film Low Tide. Ian has succeeded in making a magnificent dark, gripping but believable piece of work and we look forward to following his career within the film industry at home and internationally.”

About Madonna Bambino: “The jury would also like to make a special recommendation for the remarkable craft shown by Madonna Bambino in the field of make-up and prosthetics. Her measured and authentic work on Low Tide, as well as such accomplished prosthetics seen previously in Dead Cool, Burden and The Wombats – Lemon to a Knife Fight show an exciting career trajectory ahead for Madonna.”

The other Discovery Award nominees were writer/director Shane J. Collins (Dub Daze); writers Darach McGarrigle (Low Tide) and Jonathan Hughes (Mother, Mary); production designer & art director Alice Vignoles-Russell (The Trap); and producer Roisín Geraghty (Five Letters To The Stranger Who Will Dissect My Brain).

The Discovery Award was chosen by an esteemed panel of adjudicators including Jason Foran, Producer and Manager, Teach Solas; Clare Stronge, Producer, The Farthest; and David Burke General Manager, Universal Pictures International Ireland.

Short Film Award

Five Letters to the Stranger Who Will Dissect My Brain and Inanimate were chosen from over 40 short films in this year’s programme. Five Letters To The Stranger Who Will Dissect My Brain describes the soul-searching journey of first year medical student Viv, whose first encounter with a cadaver in the anatomy room sends her on a soul-searching quest into the nature of what it means to be alive. Inanimate tells the story of Katrine who has a normal life, a normal job, a normal boyfriend and a normal apartment in a normal city. Or at least that’s what she thinks until one day everything starts falling apart – literally!

Five Letters to the Stranger Who Will Dissect My Brain was directed by Oonagh Kearney and produced by Roisín Geraghty; Inanimate was directed by Joren Molter and produced by Floor Onrust; The First Was a Boy was directed by Shaun Dunne and produced by Children’s Cultural Centre The Ark; and Child was directed by Lucia Bulgheroni and produced by Lennard Ortmann.

The Short Film Award was chosen by a jury which included Alan Maher, Producer, Being AP and After the Dance, and Kevin Coyne, Cinema Programmer, Irish Film Institute.

Commenting on the Best Irish Short Film winner, the jury said: “Five Letters to the Stranger Who Will Dissect My Brain is an accomplished and successful merging of disciplines, with excellent production values and a singular voice.”

On the Best International Short Film, they said: “the jury thought Inanimate was lovely, charming and imaginative.”

About The First Was a Boy, directed by Shaun Dunne, they said it “had a fresh approach with a wonderfully realised soundscape, one to watch out for.”

Speaking about Child, the jury described it as “a film about a woman dealing with an unsettling truth, Child makes for thought-provoking and uncomfortable viewing.”

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