Ireland’s First Ever Student Feature Film Six Semesters – 28th April 2008

After two years in the making, Six Semesters, Ireland's first ever student feature-length film, is ready for the big screen. Written and directed by recent Dublin City University (DCU) graduate John McKeown, the film premiered at a special screening at The Sugar Club, Leeson Street on 21st of April. It then took up a three-day residency at DCU from the 22nd to the 24th of April. The final screening of Six Semesters will take place at The Sugar Club, Leeson Street next Thursday, 1st May, at 7:30 p.m. with doors opening at 7 p.m.

A romantic comedy set over three years of a college degree course, Six Semesters centres on Eddie (Dallan McCormick) and his unique, entrepreneurial part-time job – breaking up couples. However, his somewhat suspicious view of love and romance takes an interesting turn when Ailbhe (Marie-Claire Hoey), a girl he meets on the very first day of college, begins to feature heavily in his complicated life.

The film's completion marks the end of a marathon twenty-four months of non-stop writing, re-writing, organising, funding, auditioning, casting, shooting and editing. Shot almost exclusively on the DCU campus, Six Semesters was made possible through €12,000 of university funding. The majority of the cast and crew were in their final year of study in DCU during the film’s production, making the film a true labour of love.

For McKeown the biggest thrill will come when people not connected with the film in any way go to see it. ‘I think that's where the real buzz lies – people treating it as a proper movie, because I think it deserves that. The more people who see it, the more experience we get and the more we've learned from the whole process’.   

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Darklight Goes to the Grindhouse – 15th April 2008

The IFI are delighted to announce that Darklight, in association Horrorthon, will be presenting the first Irish screenings of Grindhouse in the Irish Film Institute on Saturday, 19th April at 2pm and Sunday, April 20th at 2pm 2008.

This will be the only Irish double feature cinema outing for Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino's valiant attempt to revive the gory, glory days of the B-movie double-bill of Death Proof & Planet Terror. Presented as one full-length feature and designed to replicate the grindhouse theatre-going experience of the '70s and '80s, the two individual films are separately helmed by each director.

Death Proof is a rip-roaring slasher-flick where a psycho, named Stuntman Mike, pursues his victims with his car, while Planet Terror shows us a view of the world in the midst of a zombie outbreak, where a gun-legged woman named Cherry, and her martial arts-wielding partner, take on the zombie army. The films are joined together by clever faux trailers that recall the '50s exploitation drive-in classics.

To book, please call the IFI box office on 01 679 3477 or log onto www.ifi.ie

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Free AVID Workshops in Filmbase – 15th April 2008

As part of the Cinemagic Festival, Avid Technology Europe will be hosting a series of free workshops on Friday 25th April in Filmbase, Temple Bar, Dublin.

Each 40-minute session offers a quick-start guide to one of their industry-standard editing and production tools, Avid Media Composer. During these sessions you will cover colour correction, chroma keying, trimming, multicam and script based editing. Confused by whether to shoot in DV, SD, HD or Film? This workshop will answer your technical questions about short filmmaking.

Schedule:

11.00am - 11.40am – Session 1
12.00pm - 12.40pm – Session 2
1.00pm - 1.40pm – Session 3
2.00pm - 2.40pm – Session 4
3.00pm - 3.40pm – Session 5

Please note: Each Avid session (1-5) will cover the same information. Participants will only be able to book for 1 session.

To reserve a place email chris@cinemagic.org.uk stating your preferred session time, name, age and contact details.

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Tiger's Eye Festival 2008 – 28th March 2008

The film festival, supported by the Ulster Bank Enablement Fund and UL Arts Office will take place 31st March–2nd April in and around the campus environs. Mainstream Irish film short films, Fresh Film Festival award winners and shorts by graduates and undergraduates in multi-media programmes in UL and Limerick School of Art and Design will feature. There will also be a lecture/demonstration by the renowned Foley artist Caoimhe Doyle who will illustrate scene by scene how sound effects are achieved. Weather permitting, a surprise film will be screened in the Students Union Courtyard. The Festival itself will be launched at 6pm in Plassey House by Pat Shortt followed by a unique screening of Garage and Once in the Cinemobile.
 
Full festival programme and information is available here. www.tigerseye.ul.ie

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Stand Up and Be Counted – 28th March 2008

Bord Scannán na hÉireann / the Irish Film Board (IFB) is embarking on a new landmark strategic plan for the audio visual content production industry, which is set to provide a basis for future planning.

Collaborating with all sectors of the industry, the process for this plan will involve in the first instance a census of the industry followed by an extensive consultation process, to put in place a strategy for the future.

The IFB is looking for every person and company working within the whole audio visual content production industry to participate in an audio visual industry census. This includes writers, producers, directors, screen talent, crew, animators, film and TV production companies and studios, commercial and corporate video production companies, post-production companies, audio studios, service providers and digital media content production companies, so that the results will be as accurate as possible.

'Making this census complete and accurate will be of enormous benefit to every individual and company working in the audio visual content production sector. Whether it be the licence fee, tax incentive, or direct funding through the Department of Arts Sport and Tourism, the role of State funding is central to the audio visual economy', said James Morris, Chairman, IFB.

'This census will provide an economic profile of the sector that will ensure it remains a priority for Government policy makers and will also provide a basis for planning the future growth and support of the sector', he added.

The independent census, which will be conducted by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), will establish the entire size, character and value of the audio visual content production sector. This is the first census of its kind to be conducted to such an extent in the industry. The census will produce concrete facts and figures which will provide a valuable insight and gauge the current value of the industry.

The census will be launched officially on April 1st and questionnaires will be distributed by email to all those who have registered for the census in early April. To ensure the independence and confidentially of the survey, all information supplied will be completely confidential, will not be disclosed to the Irish Film Board and will only be used by PwC to complete this research. The final report will be published and sent to all those who participated in the census.

To participate in the Audio Visual Industry Census – visit www.irishfilmboard.ie and register your details

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In Bruges Ireland's No. 1 Film – 12th March 2008

In Bruges has given Colin Farrell the biggest Irish opening of his career in Ireland – beating Minority Report, Alexander, Miami Vice, Daredevil, and The Recruit.
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Released at 70 theatres across the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, the film grossed €456,176 over the weekend (cinema average: €6,516). This opening weekend positions In Bruges at no. 1 in the weekend’s Top 10 ahead of Vantage Point at no. 2 with an opening weekend gross of €227,000 and There Will Be Blood at no. 3 with a second weekend gross of €135,000.

In Bruges is aUniversal Pictures International, Focus Features and FilmFour film, directed and written by Martin McDonagh, starring Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson, Ralph Fiennes and Clémence Poésy. The film is produced by Graham Broadbent and Pete Czernin and executive produced by Tessa Ross, Jeff Abberley and Julia Blackman.

In Bruges was released by Universal Pictures International Ireland across the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland on Friday 7th March 2008.

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Darklight Accepting Submissions for 2008 – 11th March 2008

The Darklight festival (26–29 June) explores the convergence of art, film, and technology and focuses on work that challenges concepts, visual aesthetic, narrative, access, methods of production, and dialogue, through contemporary film-making techniques. The festival supports and encourages work that pushes technological boundaries and displays creative excellence, aiming to nurture new talent and to create bold new possibilities for the imagination. Eligible for entry are feature films, documentary, all CG animation, Flash, 3D etc., experimental video works, music videos, commercial work, motion graphics, game sequences, DV live-action shorts and student work. There are no restrictions on genre, length or number of submitted works.

In addition, the Irish Film Board's new Virtual Cinema scheme’s chosen projects will premiere at this year's Darklight Festival: http://www.irishfilmboard.ie/programmes.php?id=75

For further details on how to apply or to buy the Darklight Compendium DVD, visit the Darklight website: www.darklight.ie

Deadline for submissions is 14th March 2008.

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Be Kind Rewind ‘Sweding’ Competition Winner – 11th March 2008

The winner of the Irish Be Kind Rewind ‘sweded’ film competition is Conor Steenson for his version of Once. Conor’s film was the unanimous winner chosen by a panel of judges and can be viewed on YouTube with the following link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XN2y2wBSQDU
 
To celebrate the release of Michel Gondry’s film, Be Kind Rewind, upcoming film-makers were asked to make their own Irish ‘sweded’ movie. Using Irish or Irish-themed films as inspiration, short movies (no more than two minutes in length) were in with the chance to win amazing prizes sponsored by Channel 6, Filmbase, Darklight Festival and the Irish Film Board.  For further details, please log on to www.bekindrewind.ie
 
When Jerry (Black) becomes magnetized while trying to sabotage the power plant that he believes is melting his brain, he accidentally erases all the tapes in the old-fashioned video store where his best friend Mike (Mos Def) works. To keep the few customers happy, Jerry and Mike decide to remake one of the erased movies in Jerry’s junkyard. To their astonishment, their unique version of the movie is a hit. Mike, Jerry, and soon, friends from the neighbourhood are in full-time production, re-making movies, from Ghostbusters to King Kong, and in the end revitalize not only the business but the entire community.
 
Be Kind Rewind was released in cinemas across Ireland on 22nd February.

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America's TVI Actors Studio in Dublin – 6th March 2008

TVI Actors Studio, America’s largest acting school and resource center for actors is coming to Dublin to teach actors to market themselves in America. The Acclaimed 'Business of Acting in the America – An International Actors Guide to Working in New York and Los Angeles,' a multi-media interactive presentation taught by Alan Nusbaum, the founder and CEO of TVI Actors Studio, will be presented in Dublin on Sunday, April 6, 2008.

Mr. Nusbaum created TVI after a career as a talent agent representing both Hollywood and New York actors including Sandra Bullock, Courtney Cox, Jerry Orbach and Tonya Pinkens. 'There was a clear need for actors to learn how to manage their careers.  I encourage actors to treat an acting career like a business and market themselves where the work exists', states Nusbaum, who also writes a daily blog at www.actor-preneur.com.

Class information:
Date & Time: Sunday, 6 Apri, 12:00 noon – 16:00 pm (registration at 11:30 am)
Location: Filmbase, Curved Street Building, Temple Bar, Dublin 2.
General Admission: 45 €

To register and for additional information visit http://www.tvieu.com/dublin/

About TVI: TVI Actors Studio, www.tvistudios.com, founded by CEO and former talent agent, Alan S. Nusbaum, is the U.S.’s largest resource center for actors offering continued dramatic instruction, entertainment industry networking, professional career consultation and marketing support for actors.  With studios in Los Angeles, New York and Chicago, programs throughout the year in an expanding network of US cities, London and Sidney, and an international presence in Canada, Europe, Australia and New Zealand, TVI has truly set the industry standard for merging traditional actor training with the realities of the business. The TVI staff and faculty of more than a hundred industry professionals is dedicated to empowering the actor with a defined career strategy to maximize potential as well as refine the actor’s craft.

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Light House Cinema to Re-open on May 9th – 6th March 2008

The Light House Cinema has officially confirmed May 9th as the date for the re-opening of the venue at the new location in Smithfield Square, Dublin. The eagerly awaited re-opening comes following an extended 'intermission' – the Light House, in its previous incarnation, closed in Abbey Street in 1996. The Light House Cinema team of Neil Connolly and Maretta Dillon continue to be committed to ambitious and adventurous programming, and the new four-screen cinema will act as a cultural hub for the Smithfield area.
 
Custom-built with investment from developers Fusano Properties Ltd. and grants from the Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism and the Cultural Cinema Consortium – a joint initiative of the Arts Council and the Irish Film Board – Light House at Smithfield houses four screens, as well as a café/bar which will be an integral part of the ambience of the venue. There will be other ancillary space which will be used for community and outreach projects.  
 
The total capacity is 614 seats, with seating configuration as follows: Screen One: 277 seats; Screen Two: 153 seats; Screen Three: 116 seats; and Screen Four: 68 seats. The four screens will allow for enormous flexibility in terms of programming, delivering a greater choice and diversity of films to invigorate the cultural cinema landscape in Ireland.
 
The cinema was designed by award winning practice DTA Architects and features stunning, imaginative architecture, making Light House at Smithfield the most unique of cinema spaces. Architect Colin Mackay adds, 'The organisation and distribution of screens will allow patrons to walk over, under and around the forms, affording an alternative and dramatic cinema experience.'
 
'We are thrilled to announce the re-opening of the Light House cinema in Smithfield, and are as committed as ever to providing a wide range of cultural cinema, including a mix of arthouse, independent, and quality mainstream releases, to the ever-increasing Dublin cinema-going audience', said Maretta Dillon, co-founder of the Light House.

'Our programming choices will be mindful of Dublin’s burgeoning multi-cultural society, and we will routinely present films from around the world which will engender a climate of understanding and respect for other cultures. But it’s not just what you will see on the screen that is crucial; it’s how you will experience it. We are committed to providing great service and a friendly surrounding that will appeal to ordinary cinema-goers and be accessible in a down-to-earth way', commented Neil Connolly, Light House co-founder.

The full range of films opening at the cinema on May 9th will be announced in the coming weeks. 

www.lighthousecinema.ie

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