A documentary idea dealing with the effects of living in recessionary Ireland on a man in his 20s has been named the winner of RTÉ and Filmbase’s TV50 Doc on the Box initiative to find and nurture a new talent in documentary.
Sligo man Glenn Gannon’s prize is a contract to produce and direct a 25-minute, original video documentary called ‘Stripped’ aimed at a 20-something audience on RTÉ.
‘Stripped’ tells the story of a 20-something Sligo lad who is dealing with the effects of living in recessionary Ireland. He has lost his job, lost his house and lost in love but will not let the odds get him down.
It will be made within the RTÉ TV Documentary Unit during the summer of 2012 for broadcast on RTÉ later that autumn.
The competition, which was launched to mark 50 years of TV in Ireland, was designed to encourage a fresh, emerging voice in video documentary direction and production.
Anne Roper, head of the documentary unit said: “Glenn Gannon’s idea impressed because of his story’s timeliness and entertainment potential but also because of the director’s quirky visual eye. The idea suited the RTÉ TV Documentary Unit’s remit to produce stories about Ireland today.”
: Gannon hails from Rosses Point and holds an MA in Screenwriting from the Huston School of Film and Digital Media in Galway as well as a BA in Communication Studies from Dublin City University (where he graduated first in his class).
His film production experience includes work as a camera man and photographer on various independent projects. He was shortlisted for the Irish Film Board’s 2011 Gearrscannáin scheme and long-listed for the 2011 Filmbase funding award.
