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Galway Film Fleadh Shorts Programmer Eibh Collins talks 2016 line-up
21 Jun 2016 : Seán Brosnan
Eibh Collins
With the Galway Film Fleadh just over two weeks away, we speak to Shorts Programmer Eibh Collins about the 2016 line-up at the Oscar qualifying festival.

The Fleadh’s 28th edition may well be the biggest one yet as it features 14 short film screenings with the addition of four new strands showcasing a mix of drama, documentary and animation.

Eibh and her team have been working on assembling the shorts since the beginning of May. They trawled through 500 shorts with just over 100 making the final cut. The process is simple but effective. Eibh and her team watch the shorts and then send them off to a separate selection jury. Too many no’s and the short film is out. With so many critical eyes on the films, it ensures the cream always rises to the top.

“For example, I am a huge fan of comedy so I would have a personal preference for those”, says Collins. “This method however ensures that none of that comes into account as we send it off to a separate jury and by the time they come back, the films you loved may have been cut. It’s a really good system.”

With almost 400 rejections this year alone, is there massive pressure on Collins and her team to get it right?

“It’s soul destroying, you never get used to saying no”, says Collins, who in 2016 will also programme the shorts at IndieCork, Irish Film London and the LA and New York Irish Film Festivals. “It breaks my heart sending out those emails saying no but there is a lot of pressure to get it right. It is interesting to see how different people react though to be being told their films didn’t make it. Some send horrible stuff back, others are extremely polite and send emails thanking me for my time, despite being shocked and upset. You remember those people.”

In a year where Irish feature documentaries have been launched to the fore with Irish films lighting up Sundance, Hot Docs and Sheffield Doc/Fest, Collins points out that this year’s shorts programme at the Fleadh boasts a very strong documentary section.

“Short documentaries are normally a lot harder to find but they were so strong this year that they kind of picked themselves and I am so excited for those to screen this year in Galway,” says Collins.

Another highlight for Collins this year is the introduction of the Shorts Panel. Much like the Annual Marketplace at the Fleadh, it is a place for short filmmakers to network with each other as well as speaking with the festival’s many international guests.

“It’s really cool as I don’t think short filmmakers have a lot of places to do that. They will be able to get together and learn from each other in an environment that is tailored just for them.”

The Galway Film Fleadh runs July 5-10. Stay tuned to IFTN for more updates.





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