The 21st celebrations at the Galway Film Fleadh wrapped up last night with an awards ceremony held in the main town hall. The awards were handed out to the filmmakers that the Fleadh’s appointed juries and audiences voted on over the course of the festival.
During the course of the week, voting slips were collected for the three audience awards - Best First Feature, Best Feature Documentary and Best Irish Feature, these were awarded to:
Best Irish Feature:
‘His & Hers’ written and directed by Ken Wardrop, produced by Andrew Freedman. This creative documentary chronicles a ninety-year-old love story, through the collective voice of seventy ladies. Using his mother’s life as inspiration, Wardrop created a film that explores how we share life’s journey with others.
Runner-up: writer/director Conor McDermottroe’s ‘Swan Song’ produced by Hermann Florin, Edwina Forkin, Tom Maguire.
Best Feature Documentary:
‘The Cove’. Written by Mark Monrow, directed by Louie Psihoyos and produced by Paula Du Pre Pesmen & Fischer Stevens.
Best First Feature:
'Frozen River’ written/directed by Courtney Hunt and Produced by Chip Hourihan & Heather Rae.
Short Film Awards were also awarded last night to a variety of different films including:
Best First Animation - The James Horgan Award:
‘Blip’ directed/produced by Sean Mullen and Ben Harper
Honourable Mention: ‘The Office Environment’ directed by Mark Mullen
Best Animation:
‘The Polish Language’ directed by Alice Lyons and Orla McHardy
Honourable mention: Old Fangs directed by Adrien Merigeau
Honourable mention: On the Quiet Directed by Eamonn O’Neill
Best Short Documentary:
Christmas with Dad Directed by Conor McCormack
Honourable mention: The Knife Directed by Colm Quinn
Honourable mention: God and Napoleon Directed by Ciaran Deeney
Best First Short Drama:
Thursday Afternoon directed by Manus McManus
Honourable mention: Questions Directed by Mark Noonan
Best Short Drama- The Tiernan McBride Award:
The Man Inside
Directed by Rory Bresnihan
Honourable mention: If I Should Fall Behind, Directed by Morgan Bushe
Honourable mention: Dental Breakdown Directed by Ian Power
The Pitching Award: applicants write and submit a 500-word story idea for screen and consequently present their pitch to a panel of judges (Lelia Doolan, Redmond Morris, Christopher Hampton) in front of an audience during the Fleadh was won by Gary Mitchell for ‘Get the Pope’.
Anjelica Huston and Redmond Morris were also presented with the Galway Film Fleadh inaugural award, The Galway Hooker.
www.galwayfilmfleadh.com
