New Courses at Galway Film Centre

The good folks at Galway Film Centre have come up with another couple wonderful courses for all you budding filmmakers out there!

Visual Screenwriting- Limited to 8 places
This workshop, tutored by Mark McIlrath, is aimed at writers with treatments or screenplays. It's an excellent opportunity to look at your story from a completely new perspective. The tutor will work with you by email prior to the course to develop your ideas!

The first step will be to look at your story in terms of Sequences. Next, the Dramatic Structure and the key images in your story will be examined. This will include looking at the motifs, symbols and metaphors and asking why they are necessary, how you’re using them, and how you can develop a coherent Image System which layers the themes of your film. Participants will be asked to take basic digital photos, and present the story through stills using Power Point (similar to Chris Marker’s La Jetée). Help will be given, if needed, in the use of Power Point.

Date: 3 Days, May 14, 15, 16
Fee: €295 unwaged/€315 waged. Prices include membership for year.
Members who have done a course within the last year: €225 unwaged/€234 waged. Members who haven't done a course with us in the last year: €250 unwaged/€260 waged

What are Treatments & Step Outlines?- Limited to 8 places
What are they? Why are they necessary? What they are not? The workshop will look at how the Industry uses Treatments and Step Outlines and what producers and funders expect. Is there an Industry standard or is it about what works? What about length? This workshop is aimed at scriptwriters who feel they’d like to understand these formats better. This workshop will involve in class exercises.

Date: 4 hours, Friday May 13 (11am – 3pm)
Fee: €65 unwaged/€75 waged.
Those that have done a course with us within the last year: €58.50 unwaged/€67.50 waged

To apply or for more info, contact Mary at education@galwayfilmcentre.ie or phone 091-770748.

Dance Films at New Kerry Dance Festival

nMotion Dance Festival will take place at Siamsa Tire, Tralee, Tuesday April 19th and Wednesday 20th April. The nMotion Dance Festival is curated and created by Catherine Young and Siamsa Tire as part of the Dancer in Residence Programme - a partnership between artist Catherine Young, Siamsa Tire, Kerry County Council, Kerry Local Sports Partnership and supported by the Arts Council.

"Siamsa Tire will be buzzing with dance classes, talks on dance, dance films and performances," said Catherine Young, "there will truly be something for everyone."

nMotion promises something interesting for all, with open classes in a whole myriad of styles including Irish dance, Tango, African, Hip Hop and Contemporary Dancing. There will also be classes for teens, adults and for the over 50's.

The festival also has a jam packed calendar of talks and discussions while also screening a number of dance related films. Each day will culminate in an evening of performances, taking place at 8pm, and featuring a mixed bill with performers from as far off as Argentina and West Africa and from as close to home as local companies, Kerry Youth Dance Theatre and YoCo Dance Company.

"This Festival is a great opportunity to see the very best of many dance styles, it invites everyone to come and see or participate in dance," said Kate Kennelly, Kerry County Council Arts Officer. "We are delighted with the support received for this event from all partners, in particular for the funding of Catherine's time, mainly through the Arts Council."

"After each night's show there will be a chance to meet and talk with the performers, ask questions and get involved," stated Karl Wallace, Artistic Director, Siamsa Tire. "We want people to see the quality of dance that exists today as well as enjoying the fact that dance can be for everybody".

For full time table & schedule see Get Involved section of www.siamsatire.com.

To book tickets classes, workshops and performances, contact Siamsa Tire Box office: 066 712 3055

KFF to screen French Film in Kenmare

Comme Une Image, to screen in The Carnegie, Kenmare, at 2:00 pm, Wednesday April 13th

Kerry Film Festival (KFF) is delighted to announce a screening of COMME UNE IMAGE, a wonderful French Film which picked up the Best Screenplay Award at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival. Working in close collaboration with the Irish Film Institute (IFI) and Kerry County Council the film will screen in The Carnegie in Kenmare on Wednesday, April 13th at 2:00 pm.

"We're thrilled to be in a position to screen a film for French students and it's an amazing film," said Kerry Film Festival Director, Jason O' Mahony. "The education screenings that take place during the Kerry Film Festival are always a success and we're delighted to be able to extend those screenings throughout the year. We're also indebted to the support we receive from the IFI and Kerry County Council, which makes the screening possible."

The winner of the Best Screenplay Award at the Cannes Film Festival in 2004, COMME UNE IMAGE is director, writer and actress Agnes Jaoui's second feature film. Co-written by Jaoui and her longtime partner Jean-Paul Bacri, the film was warmly received by audiences in France and both Jaoui and Bacri play characters in the film: Jaoui plays Sylvia who is the main character's (Lolita) singing teacher and Bacri plays Etienne Cassard.

It's a clever, dark comedy with the title coming from a French expression, 'sage comme une image'. This 'good as gold' ideal is one that Lolita rebels against in the film, which Jaoui describes as the 'tyranny of beauty'. Jaoui and Bacri offer a critique of a society obsessed by celebrity and image, yet they are themselves household names in France, which perhaps gives them some inside knowledge of the dangers of fame.

The film is part of the IFI's back catalogue and comes with study guides to help students and teachers reach a deeper understanding of the film, while providing the opportunity for appreciation and critical interaction with the film.

"We're doing an Arts week in Pobalscoil Inbhear Sceine in Kenmare and wanted to screen high quality French films," said Majella Gafney-Murphy, a teacher at the school. "We attended the Kerry Film Festival last year and really enjoyed the screening so decided to get in touch to see if they could help out and we're delighted that they did - we're really looking forward to the screening of COMME UNE IMAGE in The Carnegie on Wednesday, April 13th."

Interested teachers are encouraged to contact Kerry Film Festival on 066 712 9934 to book places for students. Tickets are available at €5 per student.