KERRY FILM FESTIVAL CONTINUES CLASSIC SCREENINGS AT SIAMSA TIRE

Rose O Connor, Margaret Sheehan, Nora Rooney and Aishling Hayes get ready to take their seats at the KFF Active Retired screening of NATIONAL VELVET

Lovers of classic cinema are in for a treat next Wednesday at 2pm as Kerry Film Festival continues its programme of Active Retired Screenings with CASABLANCA at Siamsa Tire.

Winner of the Oscar for best picture in 1943, CASABLANCA is consistently voted as one of the top-ten movies of all time. Directed by Michael Curtiz and starring Ingrid Bergman and Humphrey Bogart, the film is set in unoccupied Africa during the early days of World War II. It is an excellent example of Bogart at his best, playing an American expatriate who meets a former lover (Bergman) with unforeseen complications.

Last month the KFF Active Retired screening featured Clarence Brown’s NATIONAL VELVET, a full colour feature dating back to 1944. Leaving the auditorium, much of the conversation focussed on the quality of the performances of both Elizabeth Taylor and Mickey Rooney, and how the film had kept patrons on the edge of their seats.

Kerry Film Festival holds active retired screenings on the first Wednesday of each month in Siamsa Tire, Tralee. Aimed at the seasoned film enthusiast, admission to the screenings is just €2 for anyone over the age of sixty-five, and refreshments are provided free of charge by Kerry Film Festival. Recent screenings have included, THE NIGHT OF THE HUNTER starring Robert Mitchum, and the previously mentioned 1944 Oscar winner NATIONAL VELVET.

“When we get a bit older we’re probably not too pushed about going to see a computer-generated vision of the apocalypse, or a teenage flesh-fest, or to take a three-dimensional trip to the intergalactic jungle home of extra-terrestrial smurf-like creatures,” said KFF Coordinator Niall Burman-Roy. “So the KFF Active Retired screenings at Siamsa Tíre are a great opportunity for seasoned film enthusiasts to see a classic movie on a big screen.”

In addition to featuring movies which are rarely seen on a big screen, Kerry Film Festival’s Active Retired Screenings are also a great social occasion offering an opportunity to chat with other film-lovers and catch up with friends. There is always a friendly atmosphere reminiscent of the golden age of cinema-going, from the plush red seats in Siamsa to the tangible sense of anticipation before the feature begins to the appreciative round of applause when the credits roll.

Screenings will continue throughout the summer, taking place on the first Wednesday of each month, and all are welcome to attend.

Upcoming KFF Active Retired Screenings:

July 6^th CASABLANCA (1942)

August 3^rd ARSENIC & OLD LACE (1944)

September 7^th ROMAN HOLIDAY (1953)

For more information on the Kerry Film Festival Active Retired Screenings contact 066 7129934 or email info@kerryfilmfestival.com

KERRY FILM FESTIVAL CELEBRATES AS WINNING FILMS HIT LONDON’S WEST-END

Director David Freyne on the set of PASSING which will screen at RSSF

Kerry Film Festival is celebrating the inclusion of six of last year's winning short films in the Rushes Soho Shorts Festival (RSSF). The shorts will form an entire programme, curated by Kerry Film Festival, at the RSSF which will be held in London's West-End from the 20^th to the 29^th of July.

“We're constantly pushing for our winning directors’ work to be screened at as many international film festivals as possible, and it's fantastic to see a festival like the Rushes Soho Shorts Festival dedicating an entire programme to KFF shorts,” said KFF Director, Jason O' Mahony. “While we’ve always been committed to bringing film and film makers to Kerry, one of the world’s most beautiful locations, we’re equally as enthusiastic about bringing the fantastic short films that screen here to as wide an audience as possible.”

Kerry Film Festival is continuing to forge partnerships with film festivals across the world to find outlets for emerging Irish film makers. Over the last four years an extensive network has developed and continues to help promote the work of Irish film makers abroad. “We absolutely love the films that we screen and we want the world to love them as much as we do. One of the hardest things for film makers to do is to create an audience for their films and at KFF we try to make that task a little bit easier,” continued O’ Mahony.

Anna Rodgers, Director of IF THESE WALLS COULD TALK, which won Best Documentary Short at KFF 2010 said, “I'm absolutely thrilled that my film is to be screened at this year's Rushes Soho Short Film Festival. It's a great credit to Kerry Film Festival that a screening there can lead to so much more exposure,” she continued.

The news of the KFF programme being included at RSSF comes only weeks after it was announced that winning Irish shorts from KFF 2010, RUNNERS and PASSING are also to screen at the Nickel Film Festival in Canada this month.

Kerry film maker, Keith Mannix, who directed the Audience Award winning short film at KFF 2010 is similarly thrilled to have his film screen in London. His film, THE CHRISTMAS SWIM, which documents the traditional Christmas dip in the sea at Banna Strand, Co. Kerry is a real crowd-pleaser. Keith said “I'm delighted that my film will be shown at the Rushes Soho Short Film Festival. It was quiet an experience making the film and I wonder what the reaction in London will be to our Christmas tradition.”

Rushes Soho Shorts Festival is a not-for-profit festival celebrating the wealth of talent working across all genres of short film including live action drama, documentary, animation, music video, and broadcast design including online or mobile content, title sequences, and idents. Productions entered consistently feature a host of recognisable names and faces alongside gifted ‘unknowns’, showcasing global filmmaking talent. The work of newcomers and established film makers is promoted by screening work at cinemas, screening rooms and cafes throughout Soho and London’s West End.

KFF Seeking new Director

Kerry Film Festival is looking for a new full-time Festival Director. The role of the Kerry Film Festival Director is to maximise the impact of Kerry Film Festival. The new director will be charged with leading Kerry Film Festival forward and will have ultimate responsibility for all aspects of the festival including its planning, programming, marketing and financial well being.

The Kerry Film Festival Director will be employed in the Kerry Film Festival office in The Windmill, Blennerville, Tralee. This is a full-time position and salary will be in the region of 30K per annum.

A full job spec is available via email from jason@kerryfilmfestival.com

To apply please send a CV and cover letter via email to jason@kerryfilmfestival.com by July 1st citing KFF Director Position in the subject heading.

A short list of applicants will be drawn up and interviews will take place on Thursday July 7th. Interviewees will be asked to present a 10 minute presentation on “The Future of Kerry Film Festival” at interview. The presentation will be followed by a 30 minute interview.

How to Deal with Annoying Cinema Customers

The Alamo Drafthouse, an American theatre chain, has come up with a way of dealing with customers that talk or text on their phone – kick them out!

Tim League, the founder of the cinema, says that the woman in question was warned twice about texting during the film and then was escorted out of the cinema without a refund.

The woman then called the cinema and left a long, rambling message complaining about her treatment, not to be outdone, however, the cinema is now using that voice message as a warning to all other customers not to use their phone or they’ll be turfed out too!

KERRY FILM FESTIVAL PHOTOGRAPHY COMPETITION CONTINUES COUNTY-WIDE TOUR IN KENMARE

Frank McGonigle, Mary O Reardon, Marie Leahy and Eileen O Connor, Bank of Ireland, at the opening of the Kerry Film Festival Photographic Exhibition in Kenmare.

It’s the turn of Kenmare to enjoy a feast of photography as top snaps from Kerry Film Festival’s Photography Competition go on display in Bank of Ireland’s branch in the town. Kerry Film Festival has teamed up with the Bank of Ireland in an initiative which will see the exhibition cropping up in branches across the county throughout the coming months.

The works on show are entries in a photography competition which was held to highlight the fundamental connection with film, in the run-up to the Kerry Film Festival in October.

The photographs on display follow two themes; Portrait and Action, and Landscape and Wildlife, and organisers are thrilled with the quantity and quality of submissions. “The photo competition was a huge success. The quality and variety of photographs received was simply astonishing.” said Mike Foley, Kerry Film Festival coordinator. “We were absolutely thrilled with the work submitted and pleasantly surprised that entries came in from all over Ireland and abroad”, he added.

There was such interest in the competition that selecting the pieces for the exhibition was no easy task, so Kerry Film Festival enlisted the skilful eye of top fine-art photographer Andre Corvin to help with the process. “We’ve worked with Andre in the past”, said Mike, “and always found him to be an amazing professional. His fine art photography is outstanding. Andre is known nationally and has wide critical acclaim.”

Due to unprecedented interest, the exhibition enjoyed an extended period on display at the Dingle branch of Bank of Ireland before being carefully dismantled and transported to the beautiful and much photographed town of Kenmare where it will remain on display for the next two weeks. The next stop on the exhibition’s tour of Kerry will be Bank of Ireland’s Killarney Branch.

For more information on the Kerry Film Festival please log onto www.kerryfilmfestival.com or call +353 66 712 9934.

For more information please on Andre Corvin please log onto www.andrecorvinphotography.com

KFF Films Selected for Canada

Rob and Ronan Burke Directors of RUNNERS

Kerry Film Festival is delighted to announce that two of last year's winning films have been selected for screening at the Nickel Film Festival in Newfoundland, Canada. The news further confirms KFF as an increasingly effective career spring-board for emerging filmmakers in Ireland and internationally.

The selected short films are RUNNERS, directed by Dublin-born Ronan and Rob Burke, which won the award for Best Irish Short at last year's KFF, and PASSING, directed by David Freyne, which won the award for Best Overall Short. Lead adjudicator at KFF 2010, Noel Pearson, said at the time that "this was the best selection of short films I've ever seen screened together, let alone had to adjudicate. It was very tough to choose a single winner."

"I never expected that having Kerry Film Festival screen my film would mean I'd end up getting a call from half way across the world," said David Freyne on hearing of the selection of Passing at the Nickel Film Festival. "The links which Kerry Film Festival have made with other film festivals mean that it really punches above its weight when it comes to getting your film seen by an international audience."

Ronan and Rob Burke are equally pleased that KFF has led to further interest in their film. "We're delighted that RUNNERS has been selected for the Nickel Film Festival. It's amazing to get such a good reaction from as far away as Canada and it just shows how a relatively small festival like Kerry Film Festival can spark international interest in your work," they said.

Over the past few years, KFF has forged links with a variety of international film festivals transforming KFF into an event that not only offers young Irish filmmakers an opportunity to screen their films at home but serves as a portal allowing Irish filmmakers the opportunity to screen their films much further afield.

"We're a director's film festival," said KFF's Jason O' Mahony. "We love the short films that we screen and we want the whole world to love them too! We're delighted to be able to offer young up-and-coming film makers a hand and to help them get their work seen at other festivals. Having said that, it's important to remember the reason the films are so popular in the first place and that's because the films are individually brilliant. Everyone involved from the directors to the producers, from the writers to the cast and crew and the IFB deserve great credit for making the films. For our part, we're just proud to be able to promote work of such quality abroad. Rob, Ronan and David are definitely directors for the future and my fervent belief is that they'll go on to win awards and play at festivals that will dwarf any honour KFF can bestow."

The Nickel Film Festival takes place in Newfoundland, Canada and runs from June 21st to June 25th and will see the screening of 55 films over five days. For more information please log onto www.nickelfestival.com

Upcoming events at Galway Film Centre

The good folks at Galway Film Centre have a couple wonderful events lined up in the coming weeks. For More Info on any of these events please contact Galway Film Centre's Mary Deely at education@galwayfilmcentre.ie

30 Minute Film Festival in Galway

Have you got a minute?? A one minute film perhaps... Well, Galway Film Centre and Input Media are running an exciting new event in association with the Galway Film Fleadh that could be for you... The 30 Minute Film Festival.

Filmmakers are invited to make a one minute HD film, which can be uploaded onto Youtube. 30 x 1 minute films will be selected by a panel of judges and they will be screened at a special public event on July 10th of the Fleadh 2011. What better way to spend the last day of the Fleadh than discussing the finer points of some one minute flicks from around the world?

2 awards will be given, the Judges Award and the Audience Award. Prizes will be announced shortly. The winning films will be available to watch on the websites of all organisations involved for some time after the Festival.

This is a great opportunity to get your work seen by an audience at this international festival. Entry is a recession busting €0! WOW, says you! That’s what we said too!! All genres are welcome including documentary. Animation is also welcome. The only condition is that the film is one minute, in HD and uploaded to Youtube. The HD format is even available on many mobile phones and pocket cameras so there's no excuse for not making a one minute masterpiece!

Deadline for Entry is 5pm (GMT) on Friday June 24th and to enter just go to http://www.inputmedia.ie/ and follow the instructions!

Engine Room Pitch Workshop

"A perfectly focused workshop that helps even the most unorganised thinkers find clarity and direction with their ideas. It is essential learning for anyone who wants to find the heart of their proposal and the words to convince others to invest in it." CONOR O’MAHONY – Director

Screen Training Ireland and Galway Film Centre are running this 2 day workshop, which is a unique project development and pitching event aimed at documentary filmmakers seeking Irish and international commissions and market intelligence.

Created by leading international pitch trainer Christina Burnett of Wide Eye Pictures, it will be an exceptional networking opportunity which has been successful in the UK, Brazil and Abu Dhabi. THE ENGINE ROOM PITCH WORKSHOP develops real projects which are then presented to two Irish commissioners for feedback. Delegates range from award winning senior producers and directors to first-timers and the structure will enable professionals at any stage of their careers to better understand the key elements of a successful project. Attendees can attend with a project or simply as an observer.

Participant Profile: This workshop is aimed at producers, directors, researchers and development personnel who wish to refine their proposals and explore the commissioning process.
Dates: 23rd - 24th June
Venue: Galway
Cost: 150.00 euro
Application Procedure: Please send a one page proposal and a CV to Criona Sexton at criona.sexton@fas.ie

Comedy Feature Writing Workshop and Consultations

Galway Film Centre and Screen Training Ireland are running a 2 day comedy writing workshop in Galway in July 2011.

Course Profile:
The aim of this workshop is to examine the nuts and bolts of successful comedy writing. The workshop will take the form of lectures and practical exercises.

About Tutor:
Steve Kaplan is a US based consultant and script doctor for comedy writers in the area of Features and TV. He has worked in this area for 15 years and his clients include companies such as Dreamworks, Disney, HBO, Paramount, Touchstone and others. Steve has also taught at UCLA, NYU, Yale and other universities. Steve Kaplan created the HBO Workspace, the HBO New Writers Program and was co-founder and Artistic Director of Manhattan Punch Line Theatre. While at the Punch Line Theatre, he developed writers such as Peter Tolan (Analyze This), writer and producer David Crane (Friends, Joey, The Class), writer/producer Tracy Poust (Ugly Betty, Will & Grace), Michael Patrick King (Sex and The City, Will & Grace), Lisa Loomer, Tom Donaghy, Sandra Tsing Loh (CHICKEN LITTLE), Kenneth Lonergan and Mark O'Donnell (HAIRSPRAY starring John Travolta).

Participant Profile: Emerging and experienced screenwriters
Date: July 1st and 2nd, 2011
Duration: 2 Days
Venue: Galway
Cost: 150 euro
Please note for more info, contact Mary Deely at education@galwayfilmcentre.ie