Winning Catalyst projects announced - Three teams awarded opportunity to produce a feature film
Three feature film awards for the new low budget scheme Catalystproject, have been announced this morning. The winners were selected from over 45 submissions received, with strong competition for the end prize – an opportunity to produce a feature film.
Launched earlier this year, the Catalystproject invited filmmakers to complete a series of intense workshops on the art of low budget filmmaking, receiving advice directly from Irish and international award-winning filmmakers. The aim of the project was ultimately to support three new filmmaking teams to produce a new low budget feature film while providing them and their crew with individually tailored top-class mentoring from industry experts as they move towards production.
Bord Scannán na hÉireann/the Irish Film Board, FÁS Screen Training Ireland, Filmbase, The Broadcasting Commission of Ireland, TV3 and the Arts Council devised this original mentoring scheme, with the objective to develop and train new talent in the art of filmmaking.
The successful teams are REDUX written and to be to be directed by PJ Dillon and produced by Alex Jones and John Wallace; ONE HUNDRED MORNINGS written and to be directed by Conor Horgan and produced by Louise Curran; and EAMON written and to be directed by Margaret Corkery and produced by Seamus Byrne. The three successful teams will get a €250,000 funding award. Each of the films are intended to be released theatrically in cinemas across Ireland and screened on TV3.
ONE HUNDRED MORNINGS is set in a remote rural hideaway, where two warring couples try to survive a world-changing threat. Director, Horgan previously directed the multi-award winning short film The Last Time aswell as a number of documentaries and over 70 commercials. Curran currently works for Octagon Films and her credits include Dorothy Mills, My Boy Jack and The Tudors.
Set in rural Ireland REDUX tells the story of a young wife and mother who becomes unsettled when a series of strange, unexplained events lead to the appearance of Karl, a friend from her past. PJ Dillon’s credits include Kings, 32A and Timbuktu as Director of Photography credits. He has also directed three shorts and a number of commercials. Jones is a 2nd AD whose credits include Dorothy Mills and Rough Diamond. Wallace has produced TV show Standup for Childline and a number of short films including the multi-award wining film Jelly Belly.
The third project EAMON is a dark satirical family drama where a family go on a holiday to escape their problems. However, a week of relaxation becomes a fight for physical and emotional survival. Cork based director Corkery’s low budget short films have screened at several major film festivals around the world including Berlin, Edinburgh and Clermont Ferrand. Producer Seamus Byrne has a vast experience in film working with directors such as John Boorman, John Huston, Robert Altman, Ron Howard and Neil Jordan.
"The aim of Catalyst is to take risks in order to find and liberate really fresh talent. The jury have made bold choices which I am confident will be vindicated by the three films that can now start production immediately” said Simon Perry, Bord Scannán na hÉireann/the Irish Film Board Chief Executive.
Liz Gill, the Artistic Director of catalystproject said “I’m honoured to be involved in Catalyst and amazed at the breadth and depth of the talent who applied. It bodes well, not just for this project, but the future of Irish film.
Alan Fitzpatrick, Managing Director, Filmbase said “We are delighted to be supporting three exciting, innovative and original cinema projects from passionate first-time feature-filmmakers. The decisions were tough to make due to the high standard of projects received and I hope the winning films will showcase a new generation of Irish film talent.”
Fintan Maguire, Commissioning Editor TV3 said “It's been a great pleasure to be a part of the catalystproject so far. We really value up and coming talent and it's important for us to be involved in something that nurtures and promotes it.”
“FAS Screen Training Ireland is delighted with the response to the Catalyst Project. We were very impressed with the quality of the projects and we are excited about working with the selected teams. We believe that the relationships started on the Catalyst Project will enrich Irish filmmaking for years to come” said Helen McMahon, FAS Screen Training Ireland
Michael O’Keeffe, CEO, Broadcasting Commission of Ireland said “The BCI is delighted to be supporting these three micro budget films from its Sound&Vision funding Scheme, and to be working with the three other funding partners in the process. The funding provided by the BCI here is in respect of projects based on special schemes which are set up to encourage the development of projects which are low-budget, and difficult to make.
The initiative takes as its inspiration recent Irish low budget films which have achieved major international success: John Carney’s Once, which won the World Cinema Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival; Lenny Abrahamson's Adam and Paul which was selected for Panorama at the 2005 Berlin Film Festival; and Perry Ogden's Pavee Lackeen, which premiered in Critics Week at the Venice Film Festival, also in 2005.