John Carney's Once at the Next Directors' Club – 14 May 2007

The Screen Directors’ Guild of Ireland has announced that the May Directors’ Club will feature John Carney and his film Once on Thursday May 31st, 6.30pm, at Denzille Cinema, Dublin 2.

John Carney is quickly establishing himself as one of Ireland’s feature film directors to watch. This month John will be discussing with SDGI Members how he crafted this original blend of drama and music, which moved audiences at this years Sundance to win the 2007 Sundance Audience Award.

Guild members will have a unique opportunity to chat to John following the 35mm screening and an opportunity for networking over complimentary drinks sponsored by Jameson.

The Directors’ Club was launched on April 4th to a great start with the award winning director David Gleeson and his recent film The Front Line.

This is an exclusive opportunity to hear from an acclaimed director first-hand. Seats are limited. To confirm your place at this club, please RSVP to Yolanda Barker at yolanda@sdgi.ie

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Stranger than Fiction Festival Seeks Submissions – 10 May 2007

The Irish Film Institute is welcoming submissions for the sixth annual Stranger than Fiction Documentary Film Festival, which will take place from the 13th to the 16th of September. The submission deadline is Friday, 6th July 2007.

Recently appointed festival director James Kelly from Feenish Productions and festival chairman Alan Gilsenan from Yellow Asylum Films are seeking submissions for documentary films completed on or after July 2006. Short (up to 15 min), mid-length (16-60 min) and feature-length entries are being accepted.

A distinguished panel of judges from the industry will select the winner of the Best Short Documentary award. There will also be an Audience Award for the best film in the festival as decided by the public who attend.

For more information email jkelly@irishfilm.ie or (353) 1 6711166

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Independent Irish Films to Be Screened at the IFI – 8 May 2007

King for a Day directed by Colin Downey and The Solution directed by Ivan Kavanagh have been selected to screen as part of the regular IFI programme.

Downey and Kavanagh both work without funding assistance. Aside from not need to chasing financiers around until they start producing their films, they can also remain true to their own vision. The result is a brace of intimate features made with a striking blend of ardor and self-possession.

King for a Day revolves around a mother’s pious and tyrannical concern for her daughter after she has discovered her reading de Sade and The Solution tells the story of a materialistic young wife angry at her property developer husband for not sending his adult son, who has cerebral palsy, into care.

The films will be screened at the Irish Film Institute (Temple Bar, Dublin 2w) on 21st May at 6pm. For more information see www.irishfilm.ie

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Cork Film Festival Presents 9 Irish Shorts at Mediawave – 8 May 2007

The Cork Film Festival has presented a programme of nine Irish short films at the Mediawave International Film and Music Festival in Gyor, Hungary.
 
The Mediawave festival was founded in 1991 as an independent, cultural initiative which was rooted in underground and alternative art movements taking place in Hungary during a time of great political and cultural change. The festival now focuses on experimental films, animation and documentaries, with special attention paid to music films. The festival prides itself as a meeting point of the western and eastern film culture.
 
Festival manager, Eimear O’Herlihy, who represented Cork Film Festival in Hungary, said 'We are delighted to have this opportunity to bring Irish short films to new audiences. The Irish showcase was very well attended and all of the films received a great response from Hungarian audiences.'
 
The films screened were:
 
Imagine This, directed by John Callaghan
Joyride, directed by Margaret Corkery
The Faeries of Blackheath Woods, directed by Ciaran Foy
Christy, directed by Alex Gill
Wednesday, directed by Sam Keogh
Joyriders, directed by Rebecca Daly
Pilgrim, directed by Matthew Darragh
POV, directed by Heroesforzeroes
Bongo Bong, directed by Ken Wardrop
 
The 52nd Cork Film Festival will run from 14 to 21 October 2007.

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Irish Film Garage to Premiere at Cannes – 3 May 2007

The Irish feature film, Garage, has been selected for the prestigious Director’s Fortnight at the 60th Cannes Film Festival which kicks off on May 16th and runs till May 27th. It is presented by Element Pictures who were the Irish success story last year at Cannes with The Wind that Shakes the Barley which went on to win the Palme d’Or and take over €4m at the Irish box-office.

Garage is the second film from director Lenny Abrahamson and writer Mark O’Halloran the team behind the award-winning black comedy Adam & Paul. It stars Irish comedian Pat Shortt and features a cast which includes Anne -Marie Duff (Shameless, The Magdalene Sisters) and newcomer Conor Ryan and is produced by Ed Guiney and executive produced by Andrew Lowe for Element Pictures.
 
Regarded by his neighbours as a harmless misfit, Josie (Pat Shortt) has spent all his adult life as the caretaker of a crumbling petrol station on the outskirts of a small town in the mid-west of Ireland. He is limited, lonely, yet relentlessly optimistic and, in his own peculiar way, happy. Garage follows Josie’s hapless search for intimacy over the course of a summer which sees his life changed forever.

Shot on location in Counties Offaly, Galway, and Tipperary over 6 weeks in late summer 2006, Garage is an Element Pictures production for the Irish Film Board, Film4, RTÉ and the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland.

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Scriptwriting Workshop at the Mid-Ulster Film Festival – 27 April 2007

An Creagan Centre sets the scene once more for the 4th Annual Mid-Ulster Film Festival. The festival runs for the weekend of the 4th 5th and 6th May. There will be screenings of over 50 feature films, shorts and documentaries from all over the world. The opening gala at 7.30pm on 4th May will see the great and the good of the Irish film industry in attendance, including one of Omagh’s famous actors – Gerard McSorley. Stephen Rea is also expected to attend.

Features at the festival include the world premiere of Transformers – The Movie and the European premiere of Proud. Other highlights include The Last King of Scotland, Bobby and the documentary With Much Love and Kisses. Shorts not to be missed are The Undertaker, Missing Jib, Boletos por Favor and ‘Victor and the Machine. Local shorts include Shadow on the Sun by the young filmmaker Ronan Kelly, from Sixmilecross, who is now resident in Spain. Messages for Maria, by Chris Baugh from Omagh and Missing Link, a sci-fi written and directed by Cecilia Mcallister and produced by Bronagh McCartan.

Other entertainment includes a film festival Pub Quiz and a ‘Filmoke’ – a karaoke based on popular theme tunes.

Workshops at this year’s festival are filling up fast, but there are still a few places available on Barry Devlin’s ‘The Art of Scriptwriting Workshop’ which is a one-day workshop held on Sat 5th in An Creagan starting at 10.30 am. Barry is back by popular demand; his workshops at previous festivals were hugely oversubscribed.

The organisers are delighted to announce that New Yorker, writer/director, Mary Pat Kelly, will attend the festival. She will introduce her film Proud accompanied by Mr Lorenzo DuFau, a WWII veteran of the USS Mason, about whom the film is based. They will then give a seminar on Sunday 6th May at 2pm about the making of the film. Mary Pat will also discuss some of the challenges women filmmakers face.

Bookings available by calling 028 807 58621 or email mary@midulsterfilmfestival.com

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Darklight Symposium 2007 – 17 April 2007

The Darklight Symposium (21–23 June, 2007) will be an action packed three-day event, a combination of debates, workshops, screenings and masterclasses.

The internet is part of our lives, digital processes are omnipresent in film production and media art has become an established artform. Darklight 07 will be discussing what all this actually means for cultural producers from all art forms and genres and how this is impacting and influencing creative practice, decision-making, budgets, education, exhibition choices and possibilities?

What is expected of ‘content producers’ in 2007? Does this catchall term of the past 10 years reflect an attitude towards creative process and are we now seeing the emergence of a more curated network? A time where genres are evolving with a new fluidity between art, film, TV practices and platforms; where technology developed for gaming is impacting film and animation and is opening up new possibilities for the imagination, where commissioners are learning and the tyranny of TV scheduling may be a thing of the past.

In addition to these questions Darklight will be reflecting on past movements in cinema and their influence on contemporary arts practice through a retrospective programme of lectures, screenings and exhibits. The Memory Technology forum will be investigating the issue of archiving from a long term, historical and practical perspective.

A round table format is being planned for the discussions where 5 forums will be held in Filmbase, Temple Bar. After each forum the audience will be given an opportunity to get a more intimate insight into the professional practice or research area of our guests with break-out sessions following the discussions. These sessions will consist of artist talks plus screenings, masterclasses, lectures or workshops.

There will also be technically focused workshops on Mobile Tagging, sound for film and new advances in digital cameras.

Other events include; DATA, kids workshop, Open Mike Salon, Swap-meet, Wares area, Podcasts, Symposium launch/registration, YouTube video lounge, networking events, music and closing barbeque party.

Entrance to the entire weekend including all events is €50 and a special student/unwaged rate of €20 will apply.

Book online on their website www.darklight.ie or send a cheque or postal order with your name and contact information to 69 Dame St, Dublin 2, Ireland. Pre book now to take part in this eagerly awaited event, space is limited. Detailed information on speakers and schedule will be available on the website soon.

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1st Waterford Film Festival – 11 April 2007

The Waterford Film Festival (16–18 November 2007) is a new three-day film festival organised by Waterford filmmaker Stephen Byrne that will be showcasing a wide range of films from best feature films, documentaries, animation, short films, experimental and student work.

The submission deadline for short films is the 17th September and the 20th August for feature films. The festival will award cash prizes for 1st and 2nd places in all categories.

For entry details and competition form check www.waterfordfilmfestival.com or email film@waterfordfilmfestival.com

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'Minimagic' Film Event for Local Primary Schools in NI – 29 March 2007

Cinemagic Film Festival in association with Robert Roberts and Movie House Cinemas are offering local primary school pupils the opportunity to participate in a touring ‘Minimagic’ film event at their local Movie House Cinema (30th April – 4th May inc). The event is visiting a number of areas in the province including Belfast, Coleraine, Maghera and Glengormley.

The ‘Minimagic’ event will bring a taste of the festival to local primary schools, with special screenings of A Bug’s Life and Over The Hedge accompanied with a post-screening discussion, and the provision of a film education resource pack which teachers can utilize in the classroom. The event will also give teachers the opportunity to meet with the Cinemagic team to find out more about what the festival education programme has to offer in the coming months.

The free film screenings are as follows:

- Monday 30th April, 10.15am–12.00pm, Movie House Cinemas, Yorkgate, Belfast: A Bug’s Life.
- Wednesday 2nd May, 10.15am–11.35am, Movie House Cinemas, Glengormley: Over The Hedge.
- Thursday 3rd May, 1.00pm–2.40pm, Movie House Cinemas, Maghera: A Bug’s Life.
- Friday 4th May, 10.15am–11.35am, Movie House Cinemas, Coleraine: Over The Hedge.

Schools are required to organize their own transport to and from the cinema. Teachers who are interested in bringing a group of pupils along can contact Cinemagic on 028 90 311 900 or email info@cinemagic.org.uk to reserve places. Visit www.cinemagic.org.uk for further information.

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Current TV Seeks Submissions – 28 March 2007

Current TV is an innovative television network created by, for and with young adults. Launched in the US in August 2005 by Al Gore and Joel Hyatt, Current is now available on Sky and Virgin Cable in just under 12 million homes across the UK and Ireland. This Friday, March 30th, at 11.00, Current TV will be giving a talk at Dublin City University in Room C124 of the Henry Grattan Building, and then at 14.30 in the Aungier Street Building of the Dublin Institute of Technology.

To celebrate Current's launch in Britain and Ireland, there's a competition running from now until April 29th, 2007. You can submit a three-to-five minute non-fiction video Pod to their website at www.uk.current.com. Subjects can be any person, place or thing. The winning Pods will be aired on Current TV, and three grand prize winners will win lunch with Current's chairman, former US Vice President and recent Oscar-winner, Al Gore. Six runners-up receive a Sony HD video camera and for the rest of the participants there's a chance their videos can be broadcast.

Current is TV for the internet generation, all about audience participation and engagement. Unlike a traditional network, Current offers short-form programming in a schedule that is the TV equivalent of the iPod shuffle. Current's non-fiction videos, or Pods are short hits of information, exploring sex and relationships, careers, entertainment, world events, culture, and everything in between.
 
Indian Summer for Winter's End – 27 March 2007

Irish film Winter's End directed by Patrick Kenny has scooped three major awards at the Pumelo International Film Festival in Mumbai, India.

Based in the heart of the world’s largest filmmaking industry, the Pumelo International Film Festival awarded the Best Film Award (based on Audience Choice), Best Actor – Michael Crowley and Jury Choice Award to Winter's End.

Patrick Kenny, writer/director expressed how fantastic the news was by commenting that, 'It shows you how global and universal story-telling and filmmaking is. It is a wonderful achievement to receive these awards and a credit to everybody involved,' expressed Damien Donnelly delightfully, producer on receiving the news. Winter's End was produced with funding from bord Scannan na hEireann/the Irish Film Board.

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Australian Film Festival at the IFI – 27 March 2007

The Irish Film Institute has announced details of the 2007 Rosemount Dublin Australian Film Festival. The film industry in Australia is continuing to produce many high quality features and documentary films. Their quality showcases Australia as a vibrant, diverse, creative, talented and highly competitive player in every aspect of film production.
 
Highlights of the festival include the opening film 48 Shades, directed by Daniel Lapaine who will introduce his film on April 2 at 8.30pm.

Ten Canoes by Rolf de Heer was conceived in collaboration with the indigenous community of Ramingining and developed into a stylishly told ancient tale with a refreshingly modern feel. Five Moments of Infidelity, the thought-provoking first feature by former theatre and TV director Kate Gorman, chronicles moments of infidelity across five different worlds in the same city. Stranded is a black comedy about a girl trying to start a new life after the loss of her mother. In Macbeth, director Geoffrey Wright is faithful to Shakespeare’s written dialogue but utterly transforms its context.
 
In Irresistible, Susan Sarandon, who can always be relied upon to give depth to troubled, highly strung characters, is well cast in this psychological drama-cum-mystery thriller from director Ann Turner.
 
The Balanda and the Bark Canoes is several notches above a regulation making-of-documentary, this is an enlightening excursion to the remote set of Rolf de Heer’s Ten Canoes. Centred on cross-cultural issues tackled by writer-director de Heer, co-director Peter Djigirr and their Aboriginal collaborators, the film gracefully illustrates storytelling methodology on both sides of the cultural divide.
 
The closing film 2:37 is a stunning debut by director Murali K. Thalluri, in which the film’s design is handled with as much complexity as the topic.  Circular in structure, dipping back in time from different perspectives like a rewind button, the film’s narrative is coloured by documentary-style insights from each of the main players.
 
The selection of films featured in this year’s festival provides audiences with the opportunity to sample an interesting and broad cross section of recent Australian cinema.

For more information see www.irishfilm.ie

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Future Shorts Ireland – March Programme – 26 March 2007

Future Shorts Ireland heralds in the month of March with a spectacular line-up of films. Highlights this month include the powerful and harrowing documentary
from France Even If She Had Been A Criminal, the fantastic thriller from rising director Miranda Bowen Honeymoon, starring Emilia Fox, and the International Jury Award-winner from the Encounters Festival – Tricko. From revolutionary dance to haunting animation and back again to World War II  stories, the March programme proves to be both insightful and innovative.

This upcoming edition of Future Shorts will show one of the winning films from the Fast Forward Film Festival, a festival that challenges filmmakers and anarchists alike to make a 3-minute film in just 24 hours.

The Irish award-winning Virtues of a Sinner, written and directed John Corcoran and produced by Jim Colgan, Grainne Bennett and Rebecca Flavin will also screen at the event. The story centres on the process which is carried out by God's angel and Satan's angel when they need to decide the fate of deceased souls. They do so using childish tit-for-tat tactics which ultimately fail when they meet their last soul. And there were severe time constraints – John wrote the film on a Friday, cast it
on Saturday and Sunday, crewed and designed it on Monday and shot it on 35mm on Wednesday in the space of nine hours.

Future Shorts takes place on Wednesday 28th March at 8pm in 4 Dame Lane.

www.myspace.com/futureshortsireland

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FilmmakersNetwork.ie Becomes Ireland's Fastest Growing Filmmaking Community – 22 March 2007

 
FilmmakersNetwork.ie are very pleased to announce their impressive activity statistics for the first 9 months of the network. Membership has now reached almost 350 members and there have been an estimated 200,000 individual page views of the 7,250 separate posts on the site.

The free networking space for Irish filmmakers went live in July 2006 and has become Ireland’s fastest growing filmmaking community.

Founding member Jason Butler explains the reason behind starting the network. 'The filmmaking community in Ireland is quite fragmented. There’s a serious lack of communication. FilmmakersNetwork.ie was set up to help foster contacts and build creative relationships across the filmmaking disciplines. It’s for everyone from novice filmmakers to busy professionals. A place to share opinions, get advice, discuss movies, contribute ideas, discover talent and, of course, make films.'

The site is independent, non-profit making and run by filmmakers for filmmakers. FilmmakersNetwork.ie run several successful initiatives including a free script feedback service, regular monthly member meetings, film screenings, free training workshops and a new script of the year award.

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New SDGI Director's Club – 22 March 2007

 
From April 2007, the Screen Directors Guild of Ireland will launch The Directors’ Club, a bi-monthly rendezvous and film screening strictly for directors.
 
Throughout the year, The Directors’ Club will show a selection of features, dramas, animation and documentary which have been important moments in the history of film and culture and/or in some cases went under the radar from deserved attention.
 
The screening will be followed by an intimate and relaxed dialogue between the director and fellow directors which we hope will foster and promote a greater sense of the director’s perspective nationally and internationally and have some fun at the same time.
 
The Directors’ Club kicks off on Wednesday the 4th of April with David Gleeson's The Front Line. David Gleeson will share some of his thoughts and experiences on the making of the film. The Front Line, David’s second feature after Cowboys and Angels, was praised for the performances and emotive story and noted for the challenges David faced in choreographing fight scenes on some of Dublin's busiest streets.
 
Guild members are invited for drinks at 18.30 with the programme beginning at 19.00 in Denzille Cinema, 13 Denzille Lane Dublin 2. Please confirm by emailing yolanda@sdgi.ie or call 01 6337433.
 
The next Directors’ Club this May will feature John Carney's Once.

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