John Collins was at the 11th annual Capital Irish Film Festival in Washington, USA and met some of the attending filmmakers.
Henrietta Norton, director, and Dan Dennison, DOP, Born and Reared
In this interview, John talks to director Henrietta Norton and DOP Dan Dennison about bringing their film, Born and Reared, to an American audience, the challenges for Dan as a photographer working with film, shooting in Belfast, and the overwhelming desire for peace in Northern Ireland.
Born and Reared tells the story of four men in Northern Ireland living in the aftermath of a conflict that ended 18 years ago.
Marie-Therese Garvey, producer of Atlantic
John talks to producer Marie-Therese Garvey about working with Risteard O’Domhnaill on Atlantic , crowdfunding, the power of story, the impact the film is having, the value of film festivals and having Brendan Gleeson on board.
Atlantic focuses on the two biggest resources in the North Atlantic: fish and oil, following the fortunes of three small fishing communities struggling to maintain their way of life.
Kealan Ryan, actor and writer of Lift
John talks to Kealan Ryan, actor and writer of Lift about bringing his debut indie feature to the festival, getting the dialogue right, the dynamic of the characters, how the project came about, and the different challenges writing novels and scripts.
In Lift, a vicious attack by Sean leaves a man unconscious and him stranded in an elevator with five others.
Hilary Rose, actor in The Young Offenders
John talks to Hilary Rose about celebrating Irish film abroad, what goes into making a good comedy, being a pregnant fishmonger, the success of The Young Offenders and The Sultans of Ping.
John Collins is a producer/director living in Kensington, Maryland. He has an affinity for all things Irish including cinema, literature, music (particularly anything circa 1978-1982) and whiskey. He once played soccer with Bono in Heathrow Airport. His company is called Happy Medium Productions because everybody is always looking for a happy medium.
The 11th annual Capital Irish Film Festival ran 2 – 5 March 2017.
