The 1st Fingal Film Festival, running 21 – 23 March, opens with a screening of Paolo Sorrentino’s ‘This Must Be The Place’. The film, starring Sean Penn and Francis McDormand, was partially shot in the Fingal area of Dublin so it is a fitting tribute to begin the festival with the film as its gala curtain raiser. Screening with ‘TMBTP’ is Darren and Colin Thornton’s short ‘Two Hearts’.
Other screening highlights include Sean Cuthbert’s drama ‘Where the Sea Used to Be’, Alan Walsh’s award winning short film ‘What If?’ starring local man Simon Delaney, Garret Daly’s ‘Bogman’, the Spanish short ‘L’Equip Petit’, plus many more.
In addition to movie screenings, the Fingal Film Festival will welcome IFTA winning Irish actor Martin McCann (Swansong: The Story of Occi Byrne, Titanic Blood & Steel) who will host an acting Masterclass at the festival’s Draíocht venue in Blanchardstown.
BAFTA Winning director Aisling Walsh (Song for A Raggy Boy), Award winning producer Arthur Lappin (In America, In the Name of the Father), Emmy Nominated composer Joseph Conlon (NCIS) and documentary fillmmaker Sylvia Stevens (Aphrodite's Drop: The Power of Pearls) will also be hosting Q&A / masterclass sessions during the three day event.
Offering a platform for filmmaking talent, the festival invited submissions nationally and internationally, and received unprecedented numbers of entries including many international submissions, from countries such as Brazil, Korea, Germany, Netherlands, France, Spain and all over Ireland.
A shortlist of films will be honoured in an Awards Ceremony, hosted by Comedian Eddie Naessens, which will take place on Friday 23rd March at the Wright Venue in Swords. A number of awards will be presented on the night including ‘Best Documentary’, ‘Best Feature Film’ and ‘Best International Film’, Best Animation Film’, as well as a special award for the ‘Best Newcomer Writer & Director in Fingal’ award. The Awards night will also see “The Young Folk” performing, supported by new emerging Fingal Band “Machine Gun Baby”.
The Managing Director of the festival, Liz Kenny, explains: “The Fingal Film Festival will showcase work produced by gifted filmmakers from across Ireland and internationally. It will also put a spotlight on the burgeoning talents in the Fingal area.
This is an ideal opportunity for anyone interested to learn and enhance their skills through the workshops or by coming simply to see the films that other people are making on the big screen.”
The festival’s Creative Director Dave Byrne said this week, the films submitted into the festival for consideration were comedic, heart-warming and thought provoking beautifully directed pieces of work. Selecting the finalists’ films was extremely difficult and not all films made the final selection due to the number of days allocated for the screenings during the festival.
Dave also explains, it is the aim of the organisers to bring on board next year a corporate sponsor, which will enable them to extend the festivals schedule and scope.
All films will be screened in UCI Cinema Blanchardstown with Masterclasses and Q&A Screenings taking pace at Draíocht at the Blanchardstown Centre.
The Crowne Plaza in Blanchardstown will also host the Festivals Production offices for the week of the festival along with some of the Masterclasses, whilst offering discounted rates for people who need accommodation during the event.
More at fingalfilmfest.com/
Sponsored by UCI Blanchardstown, the Fingal Film Festival is also being sponsored by SNAP Blanchardstown, Lispopple Studios and Sweet! Graphic & Web Studio.
The Festival in conjunction with IFTN has also been offered great support by Trophy World Tralee, Blanchardstown Centre, Crowne Plaza Blanchardstown, Fingal County Council, Wright Venue, Film Ireland, Film Base, OnScreen Solution, Fingal Tourism and Chauffeur Services Ireland.
