The Film Institute of Ireland is delighted to announce today the recipient of the second Tiernan MacBride International Screenwriting Award. The award for 2003 goes to Judy Lunny, for her screenplay “Lena In Lent”. The announcement was made today at a reception in Ardmore Studios, Bray, Co. Wicklow, and the recipient was presented with a cheque for 10,000euro by Ned Dowd, Independent Producer, and Chairperson of this year’s judging panel. Speaking at the presentation Ned Dowd commented that “The calibre of the winning script stood out above all the rest for its originality, sharp dialogue, fine structure and production potential. ‘Lena in Lent’ is a well developed, thought-out script and I wish Judy the very best with her project”.
Judy Lunny was born in California, but has spent most of her life in Ireland. A graduate of Trinity College, she worked as an administrator with Peter Sheridan’s hospital arts group “The Best Medicine”, and also with “Second Level”, a scheme set up to bring drama into schools. She now works as a Script Analyst and Editor with Janey Pictures, and was a participant in the 1999 Moonstone Screenwriters Lab with her script “Orange Blossom”, the story of her great-uncle Barry Fitzgerald, and his time living in Hollywood in the 1940s. She is currently working on a new RTE drama.
The screenplays submitted, which numbered over 200, were judged by a panel of esteemed industry professionals, including Brendan McCaul, Buena Vista Ireland; Enda Hughes, writer/director; Paddy Breathnach, director and Martha O’Neill, producer. This year’s runners-up were Marina Ni Dhubhain for “Bare Root Season”, and Ivan Robertson for “The Weatherman”.
The Tiernan MacBride International Screenwriting Award is the only award of its kind in Ireland. It is designed to recognize the importance of the screenwriter in the film-making process. The judging criteria for the award is ‘innovative screenplays which display strong cinematic vision’. The award is named in honour of the late Tiernan MacBride, film-maker and academic, who is fondly remembered as a staunch supporter of emerging film-makers in this country.
Entries for the next Tiernan MacBride International Screenwriting Award will close on September 26th 2003 at 6pm.
