Film Ireland Online

Niall McKay talks to Brant Smith Director of ‘In-World War’

Filmmaker Niall McKay talks to artisan filmmaker DJ Bad Vegan, aka Brant Smith, about his upcoming off-beat, low-budget, sci-fi feature In-World War. The film was partly shot in Dublin and features model Vivienne Connolly.

A week of ‘Mumblecore’ at the Douglas Hyde Gallery

A series of nine recent low-budget indie films from America, in a style known collectively as ‘mumblecore’, will be shown in the Gallery from 19–23 October.

Part 2: Conor McMahon’s ‘The Disturbed’ After The Fleadh

This is part two of a two-part Film Ireland podcast with writer/director Conor McMahon, recorded three weeks after the world premiere of his ultra low-budget improvised horror film 'The Disturbed' at the 2009 Galway Film Fleadh. Conor sheds some light on what does or does not happen to a filmmaker when a film is well received at a large film festival such as Galway, his meeting with sales agents, applying for completion funding, plus more about the movie now that the film has been seen by an audience. The Disturbed will be screened in the IFI as part of The Horrorthon this October Bank Holiday weekend.

Part 1: Conor McMahon on ‘The Disturbed’ before the Galway Film Fleadh

This is part one of a two part Film Ireland podcast with Writer/Director Conor McMahon recorded before the world premiere of his ultra low budget improvised horror film 'The Disturbed' at the 2009 Galway Film Fleadh. We hear about what inspired him to make it and what writing process there is in an improvised movie shot in sequence. Conor also talks about the relationship with actors and director when their isn’t a script, what stage he was at in post production at the time and what hopes he had going into the festival. Part 2 will shed some light on what does or does not happen to a filmmaker when a film is well received at a large film festival such as Galway plus a little more about the film now that people, including Film Ireland, have actually seen it.

Issue 128 - Shoots & Roots

It’s tough making films. They cost a lot of money and because the economic downturn is showing no signs of levelling out just yet, the chance to get any kind of film made is becoming ever more precarious. With this in mind the Catalyst Project was launched in 2007 – 3 movies, 3 teams of writers, directors and producers, a budget of €250,000 each – and aimed at first-time filmmakers and emerging talent in all areas of production. Can a film be made on €250,000 and will low-budget filmmaking be with us for the foreseeable future?

Issue 115 - Low-Budget Dystopia

Where filmmaking used to be about vision and imagination, the low-budget paradigm has made it about cutting corners and cutting wages, says Brian Guckian.

Issue 115 - Jump-starting Low-Budget

Catalystproject is a new mentored scheme for producing low-budget feature films and training creative teams in how to make them. Lir Mac Cárthaigh introduces it .