The winners of the 54th Corona Cork Film Festival’s Short Film Awards - which was held on Sunday, November 8th - have been announced. Claire Dix’s ‘Free Chips Forever!’ was named as this year’s Best Irish Short Film at the awards ceremony.
‘Free Chips Forever!’ is a fast-paced yet simple story that tells the tale of Becky and her Dad who are invincible chip robbers until Becky’s brother Tom gets involved with proceedings. A special mention in the same category of Best Irish Short went to Tony Donoghue’s ‘A Film from My Parish - 6 Farms’ which was shot on location in North Tipperary and explores six stories by six farmers from one parish.
Mark Noonan was the recipient of the festival’s Claire Lynch Award for Best First-Time Irish Director of a Short Film for his short film ‘Questions’ which is set in a graveyard where two brothers come to terms with the death of their parents over a game of Frisbee.
The jury for the above awards comprised of French photographer and architect Laurent Guerrier, inaugural Director of the Lewis Glucksman Gallery at UCC and Arts Council member Fiona Kearney and freelance cartoonist, writer and critic, Tom Mathews.
In the international short film categories Blu’s ‘Moto’ brought the Best International Short Film award back to Italy. The film is shown as a series of ambiguous animations that move through and/or decorate public walls. Special mention accolades were also given to ‘Walking’ from French director Jeanne Herry (actress, La Route, La Nuit), ‘Little Red Riding Hood’ from director Joern Utkilen (writer, Swansong) which represented Scotland in the competition and Irish director Tony Donoghue’s ‘A Film from My Parish - 6 Farms’.
France’s Sophie Roze became the Cork Short Film Nominee for the European Film Awards for her film ‘Joseph's Snails’, an animated film which tells the story of Joseph, a timid boy who collects snails whilst discovering the importance of other people. The International Jury was made up off the USA’s Kelly DeVine , a consultant with the Tribeca Film Institute, Irish director of ‘Dream Kitchen’, Barry Dignam and Portugal’s Possidónio Cachapa (writer, Maria E as Outras).
The ‘Made In Cork’ Award for Best Short Film was presented to Mike Hannon for his project ‘My Beamish Boy’ and a special mention was given to Neil Hurley’s ‘The Shop’. The ‘Made in Cork’ jury of Eimear O'Herlihy, general manager of Cork’s Everyman Palace Theatre, Cork City librarian and Chairperson of the Triskel Arts Centre board, Gerry Murphy and poet Liam Ronayne said of the category prizewinners “From the fine range of films in the 'Made In Cork' programme, two films really stood out for their sensitive look at a vanishing Cork and for the way in which they created a real intimacy with their characters and allowed the characters to tell their own story. The award goes to Mike Hannon's My Beamish Boy, and we give a special mention to The Shop by Neil Hurley.”
The festival’s Youth Jury Award for Best International Short Film went to Muayad Alayan’s short ‘Lesh Sabreen?’ which represented Palestine in the competition. The youth jury included Nicole Clinton, Anna Horgan and Alan McCarthy said of the winning entry “Wonderful contradictions unravel side by side throughout this film: political idealism and social realism, love in a despondent world, and humour in the midst of tragedy. Both characters faced obstacles in their lives which they needed to overcome in order for their love to succeed, giving us an insight into a culture that is so different from our own. It is for these reasons that Lesh Sabreen stood apart for us as the best international short film.”
The Award of the Festival for Best Short Film went to Austrian film ‘Elephant Skin’ from directors Severin Fiala and Ulrike Putzer (writer, So Ein Mist). The OutLook Audience Award for Best LGBT Short Film went to Australia’s ‘Bombshell’ from Kim Farrant (Naked on the Inside).
Irish directors dominated the Audience awards. The Audience Award for Best Irish Short Film went to ‘Bye Bye Now’ from Ross Whitaker (Larry and Me) and Aideen O'Sullivan (producer, No Experience Required)and the Audience Award for Best International Short Film went to ‘Moore Street Masala’ from David O'Sullivan (Nun More Deadly).
Festival director, Mick Hannigan, voiced his pleasure at another successful festival for IFTN "We'd a very good festival. With regards box office numbers and indeed audience feedback and the high calibre of work and excellent guests featured, it was very successful. As always we had some really excellent short films and, though we are not obsessed with the competitive side of things, it was great to commend and celebrate some outstanding work at the Short Film Awards."
For more festival information visit www.corkfilmfest.org
