Irish short film makers Stephen Power and Conal O'Meara have picked up the Empire Award in the Done in Sixty Seconds Category for their re make of ‘Jerry Maguire’. The duo collected the Award on Sunday night at the star studded ceremony in London’s Grosvenor House.
‘This is England’ director Shane Meadows presented the award to the Stephen and Conal for their one minute remake of the romantic comedy ‘Jerry Maguire’. Fellow nominated 60 seconds remakes included ‘Seven’, ‘Pearl Harbor’, ‘The Dark Knight’ and ‘Cloverfield’.
Dubliner’s Stephen and Conal share a love for film and what started with Conal entering ‘True Romance’ into the same category last year, 2009 proved second time lucky for the directing team. Speaking to IFTN, Stephen tells IFTN about the night: ‘It was an amazing night,” he says. “I couldn’t believe it. It was deadly the way they organised it so we could go on stage and say a speech but was very nerve wrecking.”
Shot over three days in various friend’s houses, in UCD and Bushy Park, Stephen explains why they decided to do a spin on ‘Jerry Maguire’: “The challenge was the film had to be in the last 20 years so it was my idea to do ‘Jerry Maguire’ because I just thought it had a universal appeal to it, both men and women would like it and it had lots of memorial quotes and scenes. I thought condensing it down to sixty seconds would fit in all the stuff that people remember - you know the ‘Show me the money!’ bit and that.”
Hosted by Irish comedian Dara O'Briain the Empire Awards also saw Irish actor Cillian Murphy in attendance to pick up the Best Film award for ‘The Dark Knight’ along with the film’s producer Kevin De La Noy: 'Slumdog Millionaire' director Danny Boyle won the outstanding contribution to British film award and film fans voted for Guy Ritchie's 'Rocknrolla' as the Best British Film. Best Actor went to Christian Bale and Actress to Helena Bonham Carter.
With Conal currently studying Directing in IADT and Stephen working in marketing, what is next up for the two? “The deadline for RTÉ’s Short Shorts competition for films from three to five minute is coming up so I’m going to try to enter into that,” explains Stephen. “Conal can’t because he’s a full time student but even after that we will work together again. We have so many ideas and I think we’re a pretty good team.”
To watch the winning film visit
www.empireonline.com/awards2009/winners/done-in-60-seconds.asp
