Kerry FF: Stone the Cows!

Rebecca Kemp reports from the 5th Samhlaiocht Kerry Film Festival (18-24 October 2004), and finds that this West of Ireland shorts showcase pulls more than stones from its pockets.

Sandwiched between the Cork and London Film Festivals, Kerry faces strong competition, but as a shorts festival it immediately differentiates itself. Over the years the festival has presented an impressive programme of filmmaking by both established and emerging talent from Ireland and abroad; 2004 was no exception, attracting heavyweights like John Boorman, Ned Dowd, and legendary Rolling Stones manager Andrew Loog Oldham.

Kerry Film Festival further distinguishes itself by being one of the few that spans the whole county. Minister John O'Donoghue (whose favourite film is Papillion), set the show on the road in Cahersiveen, making reference to Kerry's long association with film. He commented: 'There is no real reason why a county that boasts such magnificent landscapes and seascapes should not in actual fact be at the forefront of film in this country'.

A total of 95 short films were in competition for the coveted prize of a €10,000 package with sponsors Ardmore Studios. Irish shorts (adjudicated by King Arthur producer Ned Dowd and Network Ireland Television's Derry O'Brien) made up the biggest contingent, numbering some 32 films. The prize went to Rachael Moriarty and Peter Murphy's Waterloo Dentures, a lighthearted comic study on an unpalatable fate of a set of false teeth. 'I thought the standard of films was very high and they were very diverse,' Ned Dowd explained. 'I'm always amazed at the resourcefulness that short filmmakers have to engage in to tell a story. With financial constraints being what they are it's just amazing the little bits and pieces that pop up. For a small festival like this I thought they attracted quality.'

The full article is printed in Film Ireland 102