KFF Films Selected for New Zealand

Kerry Film Festival (KFF) is delighted to announce that two of last year's films have been selected to screen at the Show Me Shorts Film Festival in New Zealand. The news further confirms KFF as an increasingly effective career spring-board for emerging Irish filmmakers.

The selected short films are CROSSWORD, directed by Vincent Gallagher, and COLD TURKEY, directed by Gavin Keane.

CROSSWORD by Vincent Gallagher

Cold Turkey by Gavin Keane

"We are pleased to have formed a relationship with the Kerry Film Festival, and impressed with the range of shorts being produced in Ireland," said Gina Dellabarca, director of the Show Me Shorts Film Festival in New Zealand. "CROSSWORD and COLD TURKEY are irreverent, original and witty short films that make great ambassadors for the Irish film industry. We believe the New Zealand audiences will respond warmly to the quirky sense of humour and lyrical whimsy that both encapsulate. We look forward to seeing more Irish films in our programme in future."

"We're delighted that both films were selected for the Show Me Shorts Film Festival," said KFF's Jason O' Mahony. "We absolutely love the short films that we screen and we want the whole world to love them too! Offering young up-and-coming Irish film makers a hand and helping them get their work seen at other festivals is what we're all about."

Over the past four 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 to festivals abroad.

"Our job is actually quite easy, given the quality of the short films that are currently being made in Ireland!" added O' Mahony with a laugh. "CROSSWORD and COLD TURKEY are wonderful little films that are expertly crafted and an absolute joy to watch. Everyone involved in the shorts from Vincent and Gavin, the directors, to Filmbase and RTE, who helped fund the films, deserve huge credit. For our part, we're just happy to be able to promote work of such quality. I've no doubt that Vincent and Gavin are directors to watch out for and I'm pretty sure both have a very bright film-future!"

Show Me Shorts is an annual, national film festival showcasing the best new short filmmaking talent. Launched in 2006, it screens every November in cinemas across New Zealand.

A particularly discerning festival, Show Me Shorts selects just 40 films from the hundreds of entries submitted. The final selection covers a diverse range of themes and subjects, including horror, drama, animation, comedy and everything in between.

Show Me Shorts offers a series of awards with adjudicators from the film industry helping to decide on the winners, with judges looking for high production values and originality. The festival awards are presented to the winning filmmakers at the opening night in Auckland. For more information on Show Me Shorts, please log onto www.showmeshorts.co.nz

Kerry Film Festival is supported through grant aid from The Arts Council, Kerry County Council and Failte Ireland and by the generous sponsorship of more than 70 small businesses from all over Kerry.