Cork Screen Commissioner Niall Mahoney launched the Annual Report of the Cork Screen Commission this week, to promote Cork as one of the prime filming locations in Ireland for domestic and international productions.
The Cork Screen Commission - a joint initiative of Cork County Council, Cork City Council and the Cork Film Centre - aims to strengthen ties with the Irish Film Board, the Location Managers Guild and TV and commercials production companies.
Lord Mayor of Cork John Buttimer said: ‘Cork is now becoming recognised as a film friendly place where filmmakers can not only find great and unique locations, but also source top quality crews, actors and a whole range of facilities and support services.’
Cllr. Barbara Murray, Mayor of the County of Cork, paid tribute to the work being done by the commission in promoting Cork as a filming destination, and Eimear O’Herlihy, Chairperson of Cork Film Centre, expressed confidence that film and TV activity will increase further in 2013 and bring economic and cultural benefits to Cork.
Mr Mahoney pointed to the Corona Fastnet Short Film Festival in Schull, the Cork Film Festival and the forthcoming IndieCork film festival as testament to the fact that the film industry in Cork is currently thriving.
Recent film production highlights from the past year include:
‘My Brothers’ directed by Paul Fraser, which was filmed entirely in Cork, and made in association with the Irish Film Board, RTE and Windmill Lane. The film was nominated for 3 IFTA awards including Best Film Script, Editing and Original Score.
‘The Dark Secrets of the Lusitania’, a two-hour documentary which will be broadcast by National Geographic in the US and was filmed off the coast of Kinsale, Co Cork. It was co-produced by Aidan Mulcahy (‘From Here to Maternity’) of M3TV with Dave Harding (‘Cave of Forgotten Dreams’) as executive producer.
‘The Green Room Behind the Scenes of Worship’, a documentary by Brid Corcoran.
‘The Hatch’, directed by Mike Ahern and Enda Loughman, which was shot in Schull last winter about a fisherman and his son who witness a glowing object fall to sea. The film won Best In Festival award at this year’s Fastnet Short Film Festival.
‘The Road to Moneygall’, produced and directed by Ed Godsell, about three years in Moneygall prior to Obama’s visit to the ancestral home of his five-times great grandfather Fulmouth Kearney.
‘Uisce Beatha’ and ‘Rest My Bones’, produced and directed by Shaun O’Connor.
‘A Selfless Act’, produced and directed by Dan O’Connell, which won the top prize at this year’s ‘Ford 8 mins’ Festival held in Fota House and Gardens.
‘Diarmuid and Grainne’, directed by Chris Cullen, a feature-length production telling an Irish version of Romeo and Juliet set in modern day Cork.
Recent TV productions made in Cork include:
‘From Here to Maternity’, produced by M3TV Productions and filmed over an eight-month period in Cork University Maternity Hospital.
‘Geantraí’, by Forefront Productions, a traditional music series for TG4 which includes in the forthcoming series Pat Shortt’s Bar in Castlemartyr where he plays the flute.
RTE’s new Daytime Show from Cork featuring Dáithí Ó Sé and Maura Derrane from Monday to Thursday and Norah Casey and Bláithnaid Ní Chofaigh on Fridays.
For further information on the work being done by the Cork Screen Commission, visit their website here.
