Vinny and Lauryn fall for each other but their future together is thrown into doubt by the intersection of the darkest parts of their lives… Written and directed by Dave Tynan (Dublin Oldschool) and produced by Dave Leahy and Michael Donnelly for Warrior Films, Wastewater stars Ian Lloyd Anderson and Eva Jane Gaffney.

A man suffering the trauma of his young daughter’s hospitalisation following a car accident is given a mysterious solution to skip past his pain… Written and directed by Jason Butler for Brothers Gonna Work It Out Ltd, Skip To the End stars Paul Reid, Amy de Bhrun and Mark Huberman.

A young bicycle courier, struggling to survive in the gig economy, takes revenge on the boss who fired him… Written by PJ Hart, directed by Aidan Largey and produced by Katy Jackson for Wee Bun films, Eat The Rich stars Shaun Blaney, Ian Beattie and Kristina Yaneva.

A misguided and disgruntled teenage pigeon fancier reacts badly to the death of his champion young bird… Written by Francis and Geraldine Scullion, directed by Mick Gordon and produced by Pearce Cullen for Wolfhound Media, A Deal Is A Deal stars veteran actor Ian McElhinney alongside Stuart Graham, Rose Henderson and Laura Hughes.

A desperate housewife takes drastic measures to solve her problem. It’s only then that she discovers that she, herself, may be the problem that someone else has decided to solve… Written by Marion McDowell, directed by Meghan McArdle and produced by Janine Cobain for Richter Media and Write Path NI, Mushrooms stars Maggie Cronin, Andrea O Neil, Julie Alderdice and Ian Beattie.

Faced with the eviction from her home by her own daughter, an elderly mother takes in a Syrian Refugee as freedom takes on a new relative meaning for the pair… Written and directed by Grainne Dwyer, and produced by Fiona Dwyer for Stori Creative Ltd, Yellow Bird stars Catherine Field, Fachtna O Driscoll, Aoife Moore and Maurice Thom.

 

Watch this year’s Storyland films here.

 

https://www.rte.ie/culture/2019/1119/1093899-new-season-of-storyland-showcases-emerging-irish-talent/

16 November 2019 – 18 January 2020

Preview Friday 15 November, 6:30-8:30pm

Void presents The Last of England, an exhibition that explores the work of one of Britain’s most iconic filmmakers, painter, writer, gardener and political activist Derek Jarman. During the ‘80s and ‘90s, Jarman shifted from being apolitical – with his films documenting his private life in a ‘cinema of small gestures’ – to being at the centre of the queer movement, with his activism firmly integrated into his films. In this exhibition Jarman’s politics and activism are at the forefront; the GBH painting series (1983-84) and his film The Last of England (1987) reflect and resonate with our current political crisis. 

Created in response to social injustices of the late ‘80s, the themes of The Last of England still reverberate widely across contemporary Britain and Northern Ireland. Jarman’s apocalyptic, postcolonial depictions of the ‘fall of England’ – reflecting the country’s desire to return to its ‘Imperial days’ – are ever present in the current political landscape, from Brexit, parliamentary suspensions and the absence of a government at Stormont, to the rise of nationalism, fascism and state surveillance. We are at an impasse in Northern Ireland and are once again at the mercy of Westminster decision-making. The film references the AIDS epidemic and the collective trauma that was experienced at that time. The film was initially going to be titled GBH The Last Of England, reflecting the destruction of the landscape and culture of England, and more personally the body through AIDS. Jarman said the GBH could stand for “whatever you want it to: grievous bodily harm, great British horror, gargantuan bloody H-bomb”. Instead he used the GBH title for his painting series, depicting the map of England in various stages of being enflamed. In exhibiting these works, it punctuates this particular moment in Northern Ireland and the UK political history, to show the parallels in the political struggle from then and now.

In the Shadow of the Sun (1981) will also be exhibited, reflecting his earlier works that are more biographical; a series of Super 8 films that were shot between 1972 and 1975, edited together with the soundtrack by Throbbing Gristle. This film was part of a body of film works referred to as the ‘cinema of small gestures’; the use of filters and the atmosphere of the film contrasts the dystopic sensibility of The Last of England. 

The culmination of these works at Void allow for both a celebration of his work and highlight the continuing need to agitate and disrupt. The legacy of Jarman’s work and gay rights activists both past and present are demonstrated in recent societal and legislative changes; legalisation of gay marriage in Northern Ireland. Jarman’s work is prescient and has a strong resonance to our times.  

Artist’s Bio

Derek Jarman (1942-1994) was an English film director, stage designer, diarist, artist, gardener, political activist and author. He was educated at the University of London and at the Slade School of Art. In 1967 Jarman exhibited in Young Contemporaries, Tate Gallery, London (prizewinner); Edinburgh Open 100, Lisson Gallery, London and Fifth Biennale des Jeunes Artistes, Musée d’Art Moderne, Paris. Jarman’s first work in the cinema was as a set designer on Ken Russell’s The Devils (1971), selected set designs include Savage Messiah (1972) and The Rake’s Progress (1982) with numerous designs for stage and ballet. Jarman’s first films were experimental Super 8mm shorts, his first full-length feature film Sebastiane was released in 1976, followed by selected films Jubilee (1978), Angelic Conversation (1985), Caravaggio (1986), The Garden (1990) and Edward II (1991).

Selected solo exhibitions: Sarah Bradley’s Gallery, London (1978); Edward Totah Gallery, London (1982); ICA, London (1984); Richard Salmon Ltd., London (1987) and Whitworth Art Gallery, Manchester (1994). Jarman also wrote several books, including the autobiographical Dancing Ledge (1984) and two volumes of memoirs, Modern Nature (1992) and At Your Own Risk (1992). Derek Jarman’s Garden, which documents the creation of his extraordinary garden at Dungeness was published in 1995.

PROTEST!, published by Thames and Hudson 2020
IMMA and Thames and Hudson will publish a major new monograph on Derek Jarman to accompany the retrospective at IMMA, covering Jarman’s artistic development as well as reflecting on his life and legacy. The book will feature contributions from Seán Kissane, Curator, IMMA; Mary Cremin, Director, Void Gallery, Sir Norman Rosenthal; Jonny Bruce, gardener and journalist; Professor Robert Mills, University of London; Jon Savage, music critic and writer; Michael Charlesworth, an authority on landscape and the history of gardens and author of the book ‘Derek Jarman, Critical Lives’, and writers Olivia Laing and Philip Hoare.

The exhibition will coincide with a major retrospective of his work at the Irish Museum of Modern Art in partnership with Manchester Art Gallery (2 Apr – 31 Aug 2020), and is accompanied by additional projects at John Hansard Gallery, Southampton.

• After party at St Columb’s Hall with music by Michael Bradley, doors from 8:30pm, music 9-11pm
• Screenings of Derek Jarman’s Super 8 films with introduction by film producer and moving image curator James Mackay, Saturday 16th November, 1-3pm, Void Process Room
• James Mackay (born 1954) is a British film producer and moving image curator. He studied at the North East London Polytechnic and worked in the London Filmmaker’s Co/op as cinema programmer. He has programmed for Edinburgh International Film Festival 1978; Berlin International Film Festival (Forum) 1979 and was Film and Video curator at B2 Gallery London from 1982-3. As an Independent Film Producer, he has produced many features, shorts, documentaries and music videos from 1980 – 2000. He was won numerous awards including the Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for the Best Independent Film in 1988 for The Last of England; the Michael Powell Award for Best British Feature in 1993 for Blue, Derek Jarman 1993 the Sony Awards – Best Drama Production 1994 for Blue, Derek Jarman.

In 1981, he established a production and distribution company Dark Picture, specializing in new film and video, an began his collaboration with Derek Jarman. He produced some of Derek Jarman’s most important films including The Angelic Conversation (1985), The Garden (1990) and Blue.

Mackay has been a programmer for the Cambridge Film Festival – where he devised the microcinema strand – since 2001. He was a consultant to Tate Media in 2013/4 and has been consultant on moving image to the LUMA Foundation since 2010.

• This exhibition is produced in collaboration with IMMA, Whitworth Gallery, John Hansard Gallery, Euro London Films, LUMA Foundation, and St Columb’s Hall.
• Image credit for promotional content: Derek Jarman, The Last of England, 1987 Photo Mike Laye

• For further information on Void Derry or to arrange a tour or interview, please contact: Tansy Cowley, Press & Marketing Coordinator, Void Gallery, Derry

marketing@derryvoid.com / 028 7130 8080

Void Gallery:

• Void Gallery is a contemporary art space located in Derry-Londonderry, Northern Ireland. With up to 5 exhibitions per year showing the work of established international and Irish artists, Void has created an international reputation for its wide-ranging and challenging exhibition programme. A key element to the gallery is the Engage programme, which places participation, engagement and learning at the heart of Void, making contemporary visual art accessible to visitors of all ages.

Mission statement: Void is committed to exhibiting national and international artists, we commission and produce new works that allow for artists to expand their practice. An integral part of Void is the Void Engage Programme that engages with diverse audiences through the education and outreach programme.

• Void Gallery is open Tuesday – Saturday, 11am – 5pm. Admission is free. Void Gallery is supported using public funding from Arts Council Northern Ireland and Derry City and Strabane District Council.

• Each exhibition launch is kindly supported by Northbound Brewery.

• For the latest news and events follow @derryvoid of Twitter, Facebook and Instagram – #voidcommunities – or visit our website at www.derryvoid.com.

Void Gallery, City Factory, Patrick Street, Londonderry, Derry, BT48 7EL.
028 71308080 / www.derryvoid.com.

Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland has announced the successful teams for the newest edition of its Focus Shorts short filmmaking scheme. Four short films have been chosen to progress, and will receive their World Premiere at the 2020 Galway Film Fleadh.

Focus Shorts aim to encourage strong, original storytelling, visual flair, and production values appropriate to the big screen, offering an opportunity for producers, directors and writers with at least one previous credit. Focus Shorts can be up to 10 minutes in length and receive a budget of up to €50K.

The successful short films are:

An Encounter, written by Mark O’Halloran, directed by Kelly Campbell and produced by Claire McCabe for Cowtown Pictures. Two reluctant companions, schoolmates on the mitch, roam through Dublin along the Royal Canal. An encounter with a stranger leaves one boy changed utterly. Loosely based on the James Joyce Dubliners short story.

If Neon Meets Argon, written and directed by James Doherty and produced by Nicky Gogan for Piranha Bar. A neon sign-maker has his solitude interrupted by an energetic young intruder. Can these men forge a kinship amidst the flickering of neon lights?

Stir, written and directed by Rory Bresnihan and produced by Eithne Fitzsimons for Tailored Films. After a car accident, a young woman finds herself held captive by an old man who has recently lost his wife.

The Warning, written and directed by Sinead Murphy and produced by Ciaran O’Connor for New Decade. A young woman battles her demons only to find something much more sinister.