‘The Confession’ will be rolled out on nationwide release alongside Parallel’s ‘A Film With Me In It’; accreditation for the Clermont-Ferrand Short Film Festival & Market is now open for applications, Colm Quinn’s The Discreet Charms of the Refugee wins at Ranelagh and it is festival fever for Irish shorts 'Martin' “The Wednesdays”, as they take on international festivals.
Free accreditation for the Clermont-Ferrand Short Film Festival & Market (30 January to 7 February 2009) can now be applied for online. The accreditation allows attendance to all the festival's screenings as well as entry into the market exhibition area and market screenings. Further information on the professionals attending and the conferences and markets taking place, will be available on the website from the beginning of January.
Thomas Heffernan’s ‘The Confession’ will be rolled out in 33 cinemas across Ireland screening with Ian Fitzgibbon's ‘A Film With Me In It’, which stars Dylan Moran and Mark Doherty as out-of-work actors which is released on 10 October. Filmed over three days in December 2007 on location in Whitefriar Street Church in Aungier Street, ‘The Confession’ has played at 22 International Film Festivals so far, including the Palm Springs International Short Film Festival and Rhode Island International Film Festival Worldwide sales for The Confession are being handled by Network Ireland, the leading distributor of short film content in Ireland. The film has been selected for the 1 Reel Bumbershoot Film Festival (USA), DC Shorts Fest (USA) NYC Shorts Festival (USA) ,Cine Fiesta Film Festival (Puerto Rico), Atlantic Film Festival (Canada) and the Raindance Independent Film Festival (UK).
The winner of 'Best Irish Short' at this years Galway Film Fleadh, 'Martin' has been accepted into the Hollywood Film Festival (October 22-27). Directed by Seán Brannigan 'Martin' is the story of a lonely, aggressive man (Gary Lydon, The Clinic) inspired by the reappearance of his teenage daughter (Leanne Kearney- Joyriders, Teddy Bear). Through her wanting to get to know him again, he changes his ways and tries to become the father he always should have been.
Colm Quinn’s The Discreet Charms of the Refugee' won this year’s minicinefest “golden triangle” award at the Ranelagh Arts Festival. Judges for the event were film critic Michael Dwyer and filmmakers Lenny Abrahamson and Conor Horgan. The short tells the story of an African-Irish man auditioning for a role in a film depicting a civil war drama set in a fictional African nation. It was produced as part of the Garage Studio at the 2007 Berlinale Talent Campus. Upcoming screenings for the film include the Encounters Short Film Festival in Bristol and the 32nd Sao Paolo International Film Festival.
“The Wednesdays”, directed by Conor Ferguson, is one of 6 finalists in the annual TCM Classic Shorts Competition. His second film, “Atlantic” – a short commissioned by the Irish Film Board, and starring Liam Cunningham – was also Highly Commended in the competition.
The winners will be announced at an awards night on 29th October at London’s National Film Theatre, following a screening of all six shorts competing for £10,000 in prizes. This year’s judges include directors Wolfgang Peterson (Perfect Storm, Troy) and Agnieszka Holland (The Wire), and legendary actor Rutger Hauer (Bladerunner, “Batman Begins”).
“The Wednesdays” has won six awards to date, including the International Audience Award at Clermont-Ferrand and both films produced by Park Films and will screen at the Clones Film Festival (22nd-26th October) and the Foyle Film Festival (21 -29 November).
