KFF Announces 2010 Adjudication Panel

The Kerry Film Festival, which is celebrating eleven years of bringing film to the people of Kerry, today announced the adjudicators for the 2010 Kerry Film Festival, which runs from October 30^th to November 6^th.

The adjudicators that will judge this year’s Kerry Film Festival short film competitions are: Noel Pearson, Jane Seymour, Tomm Moore and James Marsh.

"The Kerry Film Festival is delighted to announce its line up of adjudicators," said Jason O' Mahony, Director, Kerry Film Festival. "From Noel Pearson, an Oscar nominated producer and arguably the finest Irish producer of all time; to James Marsh, an Oscar and BAFTA winning filmmaker, for his delightful documentary, MAN ON WIRE, to Tomm Moore who received an Oscar nomination for his directorial debut, THE SECRET OF KELLS, to multiple Emmy and Golden Globe winner Jane Seymour, each and every member of the adjudication panel is at the very forefront of their chosen profession and we're absolutely thrilled that they will adjudicate for the 2010 Kerry Film Festival."

"This will be the eleventh year of the Kerry Film Festival and both the quantity and quality of the films has risen year on year," continued O' Mahony. "This year we received over 540 submissions for the festival and we felt it was hugely important to have an adjudication panel of the very highest standing to adjudicate the short films. We're hugely grateful to all the adjudicators for giving so selflessly of their time and for agreeing to adjudicate at this year's Kerry Film Festival."

The adjudicators have the unenviable task of selecting the best films from this year's selection. Over 540 films were submitted to the 2010 Kerry Film Festival, up significantly on the total number of films submitted in 2009, and more than double the number of films submitted in previous years.

For a brief Bio on the Adjudicators please see below:

Noel Pearson

Noel Pearson has been a film and theatre producer in Europe and the US for more than 25 years. His theatre productions of DANCING AT LUGHNASA (1991–1992) and AN INSPECTOR CALLS (1993–1994) collectively won eight Tony Awards.

In 1989 Noel produced his first feature film, MY LEFT FOOT, starring Daniel Day-Lewis, Brenda Fricker and Ray McAnally, directed by Jim Sheridan. It was nominated for five Academy Awards, winning two Oscars ®. THE FIELD in 1990 was his next production, it was nominated for an Oscar and two Bafta Awards.

1998 saw Noel produce the film version of DANCING AT LUGHNASA and, more recently, in 2007 he produced HOW ABOUT YOU. He has also produced four successful documentaries. During this year and next, Noel intends to produce Sebastian Barry’s critically-acclaimed THE SECRET SCRIPTURES with a screenplay by Johnny Ferguson.

Jane Seymour

A multiple Emmy and Golden Globe winner, recipient of the Officer of the British Empire (OBE) in the year 2000, which was bestowed upon her by Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace, Jane Seymour has proven her talents in virtually all media, the Broadway stage, motion pictures and television while her love of art and colour has led to her great success as a painter in watercolours and oils and also as a designer.

Tomm Moore

Tomm founded Cartoon Saloon In 1999 with Paul Young and has worked as Director, Art Director and Animator. Tomm also illustrated several books for children and young people, including two award-winning graphic novels in the Irish language. The Oscar ® nominated THE SECRET OF KELLS (2009) was his debut as director of a feature film. He is currently developing his second feature film THE SONG OF THE SEAL. He prefers cartoons over real life!

James Marsh

James Marsh is an Oscar and BAFTA winning filmmaker of exhilarating and artistically intoxicating films. Probably best known for MAN ON WIRE (2008), a fascinating documentary telling the tale of Philippe Petit who, on August 7th 1974, stepped out on a wire illegally rigged between New York's twin towers, then the world's tallest buildings, Marsh's earlier films are held in equally high regard, particularly the cult classic WISCONSIN DEATH TRIP (1999), which starred Marcus Monroe and Sir Ian Holm, and THE KING (2005), which screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2005 Cannes Film Festival.