KFF Issues Call for Entries for 12th Edition

Juliette Binoche pictured with Maureen O'Hara after receiving the Maureen O' Hara Award at last year's KFF

KFF offers thousands of Euro in cash prizes and a prestigious showcase for new film makers

Kerry Film Festival (KFF), the biggest little film festival in the world, has issued a call for entries for the 2011 edition of its prestigious festival. KFF will run from October 29th to November 5th, and is offering thousands of euro in cash prizes to up and coming film makers.

The main feature of Kerry Film Festival is a short film competition that focuses on young film makers and awards prizes in a number of different categories including Best Irish Film, Best International Film, Best Documentary Film and Best Animated Film. Winning films are selected by a world class panel of adjudicators, with KFF adjudicators including such leading lights as Jeremy Irons, Noel Pearson, Liam Neeson and Gabriel Byrne. KFF also presents the Maureen O' Hara award to a lady that has excelled in film, with Oscar winning actress Juliette Binoche picking up the award in 2010, which was presented by Maureen O' Hara herself.

KFF has, over the last four years, increased audience numbers from 1,500 in 2006 to close to 10,000 in 2010, making it one of the premiere film festivals in Ireland. KFF is celebrating its 12th birthday this year and will bring films and film makers to the most beautiful location. There has been particularly strong international interest in KFF over the past few years, with film makers from all over the globe submitting work. In fact entries for the 2011 edition have already come flooding in from as far away as Brazil and Korea and from as close to home as Ballina and Killarney. KFF director, Jason O' Mahony, is delighted with the response so far and is hopeful that 2011 will be another bumper year for entries. "Last year we received 548 entries, which was fantastic for us. We've had a wonderfully strong response so far this year with close to 200 movies already received and we're still months away from the deadline. I'd love to see an increase in the number of films submitted and would encourage all film makers to send in their work. KFF is a special little festival, we've screenings all over the Kingdom with films showing in Tralee, Killarney, Dingle, Listowel, Kenmare, Waterville and Caherciveen, which makes us one of the most geographically dispersed festivals, not only in Ireland, but in the whole world, but we're still an intimate little festival and all the filmmakers that come have a wonderful time."

The focus of Kerry Film Festival is, as always, on young, up-and-coming filmmakers, giving the KFF audience an opportunity to see and love the work of directors before they become widely known. "Because the film making process is such an expensive one, and because the money for film making is so tightly controlled, most directors cut their teeth on the short film format," said O' Mahony. "In 2009, for example we screened The Crush – it was the world premier of a film which went on to garner awards and accolades from festivals all over the globe – including being short listed for an Oscar. Our audience had a chance to see the film before anyone else and the response to the film was phenomenal."

While KFF is an intimate little festival, the quality of both the films and the panel of adjudicators consistently punch above the festival's weight. Having such well respected adjudicators view and select the winning films is a huge advantage to winning filmmakers. "It's one of the unique strengths of KFF," added O' Mahony, "We offer young filmmakers a chance to have their work seen by respected pros and, if their film is selected, then the kudos which goes along with having their film selected will hopefully help them take the next step in their careers."

KFF also has an extensive partnership with festivals around the globe with festivals in the US, Canada, France, Italy, Spain, Finland and the UK all screening the winning shorts from Kerry. As winning film maker Declan Cassidy explains, "Kerry Film Festival is the film festival which just keeps on giving! It was a wonderfully warm experience. The staff and organisers are genuinely concerned about ensuring that we, the film makers, had a wonderful time."

"The award I won there has commanded a lot of respect in promoting the film to industry and other festivals. But it didn't stop there. Festival Director, Jason O' Mahony, has forged an extremely impressive network with other festivals and he worked tirelessly to promote my film to them. As a result my film played in a number of festivals it would not have otherwise reached and, to my surprise and delight, the film picked up another award at one of these in Italy. Kerry Film Festival is the kind of festival you want to go back to again and again."

For more information and to download an application form please click here. The closing date for submissions is August 1st.