Film festival brings the best in the business to Dingle
RUMOURS were circulating around Dingle that Julia Roberts was in town over the weekend and if she was she would have blended in beautifully with the collection of movie stars, screenwriters, producers, animators and film buffs who were soaking up the sunshine.
Dingle’s 11th Film Festival was a glittering affair,;even the weather put on its gladrags for the event as attendees were treated to exceptional screenings and inspiring guest speakers. The festival screened 24 feature films and 51 short films over the four days and guests included Ben Wheatley, Jack Reynor, Jim Sheridan, Pat Shortt and Dean DeBlois.
As well as screenings, more serious film industry matters were addressed with networking events and talks bringing together aspiring film industry professionals and those who are established as the best in the business.
The very fine weather influenced attendance at some of the midday screenings but despite this the screening on a sunny Sunday afternoon of films made by four women working in West Kerry was packed to the doors.
The films by Brenda Ní Shúilleabháin, Aine Ní Chíobháin, Coleen Grace O’Herlihy and Elaine Kennedy dealt with issues of arranged marriages, exiles, returned emigrants and local history. There was great interest in the screening of Aine Ní Chíobháin’s ‘A Tragedy in Kerry’ which detailed the circumstances surrounding the betrayal and subsequent execution of Tomás Ó Súilleabháin from Baile ’n Eanaigh in February 1922.
The red carpet was rolled out on Sunday night to announce the audience’s favourite films of the festival. ‘Rath’, took the best feature film prize. The film which had its world premiere at the festival tells the story of Brendan O’Sullivan as he journeys through fields near his home, at Rath near Kenmare and highlights the folkore of the locality and the oral tradition that is at risk in this modern day.
Elaine Kennedy’s Uisce Beatha, won the Audience Choice Award for ‘Best Short Film’. Her charming first venture into film-making has aalready won awards in London and CChicago.
Físín, the Irish language short ffilm script competition award was won by Barry O’Donoghue on Sunday night. Art Parkinson, Seachtain na Gaeilge Ambassador and star of Game of Thrones presented the award and, in keeping with the good-natured atmosphere of the festival, Art hesitated as he opened the envelope and announced “the winner is La La Land”.
Barry O’Donoghue’s script ‘Gan Caoirigh, Gan Chodhladh’ [no sheep, no sleep], was selected from the shortlist of five potential Irish language scripts, which also included ‘Misneach’ by Neasa Ní Bhric.
Barry’s script for an animated tale of a world devoid of sheep to be counted before sleep charmed the judging panel of Nuala O’Connor, Marina Ní Dhúbhain and Billy Mag Fhloinn. Fisín chairperson Tor Cotton said: “We were very impressed with the depth to which he engaged with Fisín... we are very excited to see his piece”. Barry won the €5,000 cash prize and €2,000 worth of filming equipment as well as mentoring support from Físín, all towards the making of the film that will be screened at next years film festival.
The festival is about developing new talent and no more so than Conor Ó Cinnéide, who stepped in to replace his mother, Tor Cotton, at the Físín awards presentation. Tor, who is chairperson of the Fisín awards, was taken ill over the weekend so 17-year-old Conor stepped into the breach and filled the role with great aplomb on the night.
Flesh and blood actors aside, Animation Dingle – run over two days of the film festival – brought senior programming executives from Amazon, Disney, Nickelodeon, CBBC, RTE and Netflix to town.
Introduced to the film festival five years ago,
Animation Dingle has become a focal point for the rapidly expanding animation industry in Ireland to the extent that attending the festival has become part of the college curriculum for animation students.
Film festival director Maurice Galway told The Kerryman that Animation Dingle is now one of the biggest events of its kind worldwide and a key networking venue where those working in animation in Ireland can meet representatives of the world’s top production companies.
Among the locals attending the Animation Awards – which were presented in the Skellig Hotel on Saturday night – was Louise Ni Conchúir from Ventry who works as Project Manager on ‘Danger Mouse’, the superhero mouse from the 1980s which was dusted off by Boulder Media and brought back to our screens in 2015. It was a fruitful trip home for Louise as Danger Mouse won the award for the Best Music and Sound Design at the Animation Awards.