Short Film News: 'Wheels of Death' at Horror Fest & Shooting Wraps on ‘Tarp’

'Wheels of Death', the latest short film from Dublin based independent film company First Quarter Films (founded by Rob & Edward Kennedy, and Andrew Mahon), has won the first ever Killer Shorts Competition at the Monster Mania Convention held in Cherry Hill, New Jersey on August 23rd. An audience vote on a dozen entries resulted in 'Wheels of Death', by Irish directors Edward & Rob Kennedy, walking away with the prize.

The horror comedy short was shot in October 2008 in Dún Laoghaire and stars Zena Al-Nazer as Wendy, a young girl who gets into trouble when she takes her father’s car out, without his permission, and is involved in a hit-and-run with a policeman on a bicycle. The film was produced by Andrew Mahon, shot and edited by Rob Kennedy and Ian Horner provided music.

As a result of this, the film is the first ever to earn an advance slot in the programme for the 2009 NYC Horror Film Festival, America's largest genre film festival that focuses solely on Horror and Science Fiction (18 – 22 November). The closing date for submissions for the festival is 15 September. For more information on submissions and general festival information visit www.nychorrorfest.com

Furthermore Dublin-based production company Tilted Pictures has recently wrapped filming on the short film ‘Tarp’, funded by the Galway Film Centre and RTÉ. ‘Tarp’ was written and directed by David Freyne and produced by Rachael O' Kane and Rory Dungan. The film stars Mick Lally (Alexander, Middletown) and Maire Hastings (The Running Mate, The Daisy Chain) and follows an elderly woman on her final journey with her husband across their land. ‘Tarp’ was shot by Ruairi O' Brien with production design by Stephanie Clerkin.

This project comes straight after the production of the Tilted Pictures & Vico Films co-production ‘I Hate Musicals! The Musical’, funded by the Cork Film Centre and RTÉ. It was written and directed by Michael Lavelle and produced by Rory Dungan with Cormac Fox as executive producer. Jack L featured in the production and was shot by Kate McCullough.

Both films were shot using the Red One and are currently being edited by Alan Freir in Screen Scene.

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