Laurence Snashall’s short film ‘Alien Verbatin’ has scooped the Young Filmmaker of the Year award at the Fresh Film Festival, which took place from the 3rd-9th March 2008.
The sci-fi film follows the story of Agent Maxwell, who tries to protect the world from alien invasion.
Now in its eleventh year, the Fresh Film Festival awards prizes in both Senior (13-18 year olds) and Junior (7-12 year olds) categories.
Second prize in the Senior category went to Kevin Phelan’s ‘Eyelight’, while Justine Stafford’s ‘The Evolution of Laziness with Technology’ received third prize.
Several films in this category were Highly Commended by the festival jury, including ‘Sud’s Law’, made by F.A.N. Project, Dublin; Laura Waters’ ‘Stalker’; Nick Sheridan’s ‘The Golden Crucifix’ and Mountown Youth Group’s films ‘No Drugs for Me’, ‘Trapped’ and ‘Youth Hostel’.
Clongowes Wood College, Kildare, scooped the Audience Award and the Group Prize for their film ‘The Sub’.
The Junior Irish Filmmakers of the Year Award went to 5th Class, Geallscoil Ultain, Co. Monaghan, for their film ‘Ruairi’, an Irish language film which deals with the issue of bullying. Leon O’Connor’s humorous short ‘Star Wars Birthday Bust-up’ took second prize in the junior category while third prize went to ‘Adios Ireland’ from Ballinadee National School, Cork.
‘Treasured Moments’ produced by Scoil Eoin, Innishannon, Co. Cork was highly commended in this category as was ‘Fussy Fish’, by Our Lady of Mercy National School, Bantry, Co. Cork.
The Brown Bag Animation award went to the 5th Class at the Sacred Heart School, Portlaoise for ‘The Last Penguin’.
Radharc Films presents an annual Documentary Award in either the Junior or Senior categories which this year went to Patrickswell National School, Limerick for their film ’Sneakers’, which details the effects our purchases have on communities in developing nations.
Bernie Casey and Mary Ann O’Reilly’s ‘Life as We Know it’ was Highly Commended in the Radharc Documentary section, as was ‘One Life, One Chance’, from Freesong Productions, Loretto Secondary School, Cork
