Ciara scoops film prize
A love for animation saw Dundalk woman Ciara O’Shaughnessy scoop a top award at the Royal Television Society (ROI) ceremony last week.
A graduate of Ballyfermot College, Ciara was nominated as part of the team behind the short film ‘CTRL+ALT+Z’ which won the top prize in the Animation category of the RTS awards.
‘It was such a big honour,’ Ciara told the Argus.
‘It felt good to get such positive feedback... you spend so long looking at it yourself in the months before it’s finished! So, it’s good to see what people think of it.’
The five minute animation is based around a student who accidentally deletes a thesis, which Ciara said is ‘a familiar theme for many.’
The short film captures the ‘various stages of stress’ which the student goes through.
‘ The reaction was very said Ciara.
All of the group had varying roles in the 2D production, with Ciara acting as background artist and production manager.
The other members of the film crew relatable!’
Film students from the DkIT’s Department of Creative Arts, Media scooped two awards at the Royal Television Society Awards
This was a wonderful achievement for the students and college as the awards are widely regarded as the Oscars for student film-makers.
Ghost Estate won the award for best comedy and entertainment for director Andy Power, producer Martin Brady, and team Josh O’Reilly, Lorcan Chang and Brian Roger.
In the category for factual film making, Aidan Martin Connolly, Stephen King, Keith Cunningham and Adam Martin won the award with their documentary on ‘ The Wildgoose Lodge’. This 30 minute documentary explored one of the most horrific crimes committed by secret societies in Irish
WINNERS: Kai Muñoa, Holly Keating and Ciara O’Shaughnessy with course co-ordinator, Gwen Fagan.
were Holly Keating, Conor Leech, and Kai Munoa
‘We all graduated from Ballyfermot last year, and this film was part of our final year studies,’ said Ciara. ‘So a lot of hours went into it.’ history
They now go on forward for judging in the RTS finals in London.
A third group from DkIT Ciana Sherlock, Laura McGinley and Terry Creagh and been nominated in the best drama category with their production ‘Dysphoria’. This TV drama pilot is set in Dublin 2050, when the Garda Síochána have been replaced by the Police On Demand service, better known as POD, a system that has proven to be effective for the elite of the city, but damaging to the lower classes due to the corruption at its core.
This is the fourth time that work by DkIT has been recognized by the RTS awards. Previous winners include the music video, My Red Hot Car and documentary, Pixel Value.
The former St. Vincent’s student added: ‘We really enjoyed the process, and it’s been great to see it so well received.’
Since graduating, Ciara worked for six months in a film studio in County
Meath. She is ultimately hoping to work as art director.
Winners from the RTS awards in Ireland, north and south, can then be put forward for the Royal Television Society awards in London.
The Louth Meath branch of Down Syndrome Ireland are calling on schools across Louth to support ‘World Down Syndrome Day’ by donning bright coloured or odd socks on Friday March 20.
Pupils, teachers and staff are being asked to ‘Rock Your Socks’ and donate €2 to support the Down Syndrome community in counties Louth and Meath. The aim is to spread positive awareness in local communities and show that everyone is more alike than different.
All participating schools are in with a chance to win a number of fantastic prizes.
The Louth Meath Branch provides a wide range of supports to the Down Syndrome community in the local area.
The programme currently supports over 50 children across Louth and Meath.
For more information on how to take part in the fundraising day log on to www.dsilmb.ie