The 6th Fresh Film Festival being held in Limerick between the 24th and 26th of March has received over 110 entries for its Irish Schools Video Competition, compiling over 16 hours worth of film.
The Fresh Film Festival is aimed solely at young filmmakers and believes the competition holds a core position in the festival. It attracts a number of various participants from chool groups, lone “auter” directors to youth clubs and societies. Festival Coordinator Cairde Tobin believes that digital technology and greater access to digital video recording equipment has influenced the significant rise in entries this year. She says the standard of filmmaking has been “very high” with more “freedom of imagination” coming through the digital formats. There are 7 prizes overall on offer with the Grand Prize of EUR 700 plus production grant for entry into next years festival going to the winner and all shortlisted entries will be screened during the festival on Friday the 26th of March. Liz Gill (writer Goldfish Memory) Tony Treacy (UGC Cinemas) and Alicia McGivern (IFI) will head the jury dishing out the prizes.
The festival will also provide workshops giving teenagers the opportunity to learn their craft from experienced professionals within the industry. There are 3 workshops scheduled this year; the first “Directing For Film” with Conor McMahon (former Festival winner and director) focusing on the Horror Genre he will go through the process of making his first feature ‘Dead Meat’ which he shot with funding from the IFB in April 2003. Other workshops include Make Up for Film with Miriam Garcia Martel (Asst Make Up - King Arthur) and an Acting for Film workshop tutor to be confirmed.
This year is the first year that the festival will stretch beyond the boundaries of its Limerick base with a screening of Roman Polanski’s ‘Macbeth’ in Kilmallock Co. Limerick and the Cini Mobile going to Mount Shannon in Co. Clare for a special screening of Stephen Speilberg’s ‘Empire of the Sun.’ The theme of the screenings this year focuses on the highly topical issue of War. Cairde Tobin believes this is an issue that affects the lives of young people all over the world. She feels this is especially on their minds in recent months and the number of entries touching on the issues of War in the competition reflects this.
Other films to be screened are Life is Beautiful aka La Vita č bella and Ivan’s Childhood aka Ivanovo detstvo.
For Programme Inof go to www.freshfilmfestival.net
Make Up For Film Workshop – SOLD OUT
Directing For Film – Thurs 25th 10am – 4pm
Acting For Film – Thurs 25th
