Niall McCloskey sinks his teeth into Northern Ireland’s most earnest film festival.
Film Devour is a short film festival that screens a few times a year in central Belfast. “You keep making them, we’ll keep showing them” is the mission statement of Film Devour according to festival founder Bryan Mulholland.
I had the opportunity to talk to Bryan at the latest round of Devour and got his thoughts on what the festival means to him. “It’s an instant reaction, getting to show in a room with an audience. Devour has always been a showcase evening for filmmakers of all sorts, that’s so important to have.”
Devours of the past have seen shorts of all diverse levels and genres come together in one space, from funded shorts to independently made pieces and I’m glad to report that this selection was no different.
One of the joys of Devour is what it is; a chance for filmmakers of all backgrounds and levels of experience to get the opportunity to show their work in front of a packed audience and what an audience it was this time around. A near sold-out screening in the home of Devour, The Black Box Belfast, which saw filmmakers and film lovers across Northern Ireland descend to watch the selection.
Thirteen shorts screened at this edition of Devour. The Stone Claims, a meditative monologue from Mervyn Marshall. By Appointment, a gripping crime/drama from Joe McStravick. Shark, an experimental piece from Hannah McCormack. One Day More, a story of acceptance amid loss, from Darren Harkin. The Currach, a micro-doc centred around the building of a currach from Corey Millar. The newest music video from TRAMP; ‘JUNKIE S.L.U.T’ was an addition to this season’s lineup. Hide and Seek, a twist on a standoff from Matthew Branagh. The Night Shift, a cerebral story based on the fear of the dark by AR Frances Finnegan & Glen Hughes. ‘Nocturnal Nightmare,’ from Anita Jurkovic, twisted a conventional narrative trope in shocking ways. The Morbid isolation of Jonathan Harker, a monologue adapted from Bram Stoker’s Dracula from Conor Reid. The Good, The Bad and The Dodgy, a twisted showdown drama from Tom James and The Job, a crime/comedy about an interview gone wrong from Ronan Lavery.
As you can see, Devour features shorts of all shapes and sizes, from docs to monologues to music videos – anything can screen. However, the final film of the selection was the personal standout for me – The Ballad of Bobby Shine, from writer/director Gavin Irving. A truly hilarious comedy about a manager picking up the pieces of a women’s football team after the death of her husband.
Devour hails two awards for each festival; the Audience Choice Award voted for by those in attendance and the Directors Award voted for by the selected directors of the festival. At this festival, The Ballad of Bobby Shine picked up not only the audience award but the directors award as well. “It’s rare but it has happened before”, Bryan told those in attendance before giving both awards to the team in attendance.
Having gotten the chance to talk with the star and co-producer Cathy Brennan Bradley, she told me in regard to their double-win, “This win is shared with the most wonderful Gavin Irving who couldn’t be in attendance tonight, it was a super shoot with a wonderful cast and crew. We’re so lucky and blessed.”
A deserving win, a fantastic showcase of local talent at all levels of experience. A room filled with people passionate about film. That’s what Devour is to its core and what more could any festival truly strive for?
Find more about Film Devour here.
