Discover Emerging Irish Filmmakers at the 64th Cork Film Festival’s World Premiere of Screen Ireland’s New Live-Action and Documentary Shorts
Posted: 7th November 2019
Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland is delighted to support the World Premiere of ten new Irish short films at the 64th Cork Film Festival this November, eight of which were funded under Screen Ireland’s recent Focus Shorts and Real Shorts schemes. Focus Shorts aim to encourage strong, original storytelling, visual flair, and production values appropriate to the big screen, offering an opportunity for producers, directors and writers with at least one previous credit. Real Shorts is a short documentary film scheme for creative documentaries with high cinematic production values.
Both short film schemes from Screen Ireland are aimed at supporting new and emerging filmmakers, and are designed to act as a stepping stone to festival and award recognition, as well as larger projects for the filmmakers in question.
Screen Ireland continues its commitment to achieving gender balance across its funding scheme: over 60% of the shorts premiering at the Cork Film Festival this year are directed by women, with 50% of the non-documentary shorts written by female screenwriters.
The short film line-up will screen in the Everyman Theatre at 4pm on Saturday, 16 November.
Focus Shorts (Live Action)
A Better You, written and directed by Eamonn Murphy and produced by Quintin Ahern for Army of Id. Set in a dystopian neo-steampunk world, a shy young man named Douglas invests in ‘A Better You’, a customizable carbon clone to help him win the girl of his dreams.
Maya, written by Joanne Heffernan, directed by Sophia Tamburrini and produced by Jessie Fisk for Feline Films. Ken lives in a simulated, idyllic reality created by a machine called Maya. As his funds start running low, this happy world is about to crumble and he’ll be forced to return to a life he sought desperately to escape.
Christy, written by Alan O’ Gorman, directed by Brendan Canty and produced by Paula Stewart for Venom. A 16 year-old-school dropout interviews for a job, but when he’s let down by his brother, he lashes back and looks to his friends for support.
Sister This, written by Tracy Martin, directed by Claire Byrne, and produced by Claire Gormley for Parallel Films. Two sisters talk on the phone about an upcoming birthday; tempers flare as promises are broken. Secrets are revealed and tears are shed. Both women eventually realise that shame is one thing they can’t afford if they’re going to survive.
Signature (Live Action)
Corporate Monster, written by Eoin Rogers and Ruairi Robinson, directed by Ruairi Robinson, and produced by Nick Ryan for Floodland Pictures. A dangerously unstable man starts to see monsters all around us.
Real Shorts (Documentary)
Above the Law, directed by Bryony Dunne and produced by Patrick Campbell for Invisible Hand, links the routes of migratory birds with the journeys of refugees and migrants who have, and continue to, traverse the same bodies of land and water.
Kachalka, directed by Gar O’Rourke and produced by Ken Wardrop for Venom Films. A cinematic portrait of Kiev’s Soviet scrap metal ‘Kachalka’ gym – the world’s most hardcore gym.
Welcome to a Bright White Limbo, directed by Cara Holmes, and produced by Zlata Filipovic for Invisible Thread. Oona Doherty is a Belfast-based dancer and choreographer. She is bold, complex, arresting and ambitious. This innovative, poetic and visually arresting documentary is a portrait of Oona and the creative process of her award-winning show Hope Hunt.
The Grass Ceiling, directed by Iseult Howlett, and produced by Frankie Fenton for Kennedy Films. Based on Eimear Ryan’s essay ‘The Fear of Winning’, three successful female athletes explore how being physically courageous, unapologetically competitive and deeply passionate in team sport can unlock a freedom to really occupy your own skin.
Frameworks (Animated)
A Cat Called Jam, written and directed by Lorraine Lordan, and produced by Jeremy Purcell for A Man & Ink. An affable cat, new in town, just wants to make friends. But when he tries to befriend three dogs, he struggles to make them see him as he sees himself. He’s just one of the dogs.
You can find out more and book tickets for Screen Ireland shorts at the Cork Film Festival here.