Matthew Darragh’s ‘An Ode to Love’ and Matthew Roche’s ‘Used’ are the two winning projects of the first round of the Filmbase/RTÉ Short Film Awards 2012.
Both writers successfully emerged from 348 applicants. They will each be given up to €10,000 towards the production of their shorts as well as the use of €10,000-worth of facilities to make their shorts.
‘An Ode To Love’ was written by and will be directed by Darragh, with Gerard Barrett set to produce for Nine Films. The short animation is centred around a man who experiences the highs and lows of love when a mysterious figure washes up on the shore of an island he is residing on.
Darragh previously developed ‘The Monk and the Fly’, a short animation which was the focus of a guest programming section at the Encounters Festival ‘Spotlight on Ireland – New Irish Animation’ in 2011.
Producer Barrett is currently enjoying the feedback from his debut feature ‘Pilgrim Hill’, which earned him the Bingham Ray New Talent Award at this year’s Galway Film Fleadh.
‘Used’ is a live action short written by Matthew Roche and to be directed Aoife Crehan (Two Peas) and produced by Aoife McGonigal for Fastnet Films. The film sees puzzled artist Linda’s imagination reignited when a Polish immigrant moves in next door and their paths meet.
Roche wrapped filming on another short he wrote called ‘Homemade’ last April, with ‘Father Ted’ and ‘Water For Elephants’ actor Jim Norton playing the lead role.
Producer McGonigal’s credits include the IFTA-winning feature ‘The Runway’ and acclaimed documentary ‘Anton Corbijn Inside Out’.
A Filmbase spokesperson said this year’s competition has been the “most competitive round of the scheme ever.” Previous winners of the scheme include Louise Ní Fhiannachta’s ‘Cured’, the story of a butcher’s struggle with obsessive compulsive disorder, which aired on RTÉ Two last March.
Unsuccessful applicants to this year’s Filmbase/RTÉ Short Film Award scheme are reminded that the next deadline for the award is September 28 2012 and unsuccessful applications can be resubmitted for the scheme. More details are available from the Filmbase website.
