Film Network Ireland (FNI) has announced a 72 hour ‘Shoot and Screen’ Festival in Dublin from October 20th – 22nd. A screening of the films produced alongside a prize-giving ceremony will take place in the following weeks at a Dublin cinema venue.
From October 20th - 22nd the Griffith College Convention Centre will become a hub of creativity, collaboration, and cinema magic as teams work together to write, shoot, and edit short films in 72 hours. Each team will be mentored by an experienced professional drawn from the FNI contributors and collaborators, as well as support from the core team for the duration of the weekend. Appointed industry judges will blindly choose the winner and runners-up and there are prizes available, including cash prizes as well as industry standard equipment and mentoring.
“This unique and exciting initiative gives the amazing filmmaking talent in Ireland an opportunity to showcase their skills, working in partnership with mentors, professionals and creative first-time filmmakers,” commented Award-winning filmmaker Mark O’Connor (Cardboard Gangsters), a frequent collaborator with FNI. “It will be an incredible outlet for actors, writers, directors and crew to challenge themselves to produce a high quality film in a short space of time that will then be screened to audiences.”
All proceeds from the screenings of the finished films will be donated to the Irish Cancer Society, in memory of late actor Nika McGuigan, after whom the winning trophy will be named. There will be up to €10,000 in cash and prize value on offer at Fast Fest.
Colman Farrell, Head of Skills, Fís Eireann/Screen Ireland said “Screen Ireland aims to support and encourage new filmmaking talent across the country. We believe that FNI Fast Fest is an innovative programme which creates opportunities for aspiring filmmakers to bring their talent to the screen. We are delighted to be working with them and look forward to seeing the final projects.”
As an organisation, FNI is heavily engaged in the Irish grassroots cinema sector. Founded in 2010 by Paul Butler Lennox and Raymond Mongey, the online community now has over 21,000 members from across Ireland and the world. Founder Paul Butler Lennox said “Fast Fest has been a labour of love to get off the ground, and we can’t wait to see the wealth of filmmaking talent that Ireland has to offer bring their A-game to this 72 hour project.”
Using their own expertise and professional network, as well as direct feedback and ideas from the online community, FNI now produces a podcast, hosts workshops and courses, organises networking events; and provides a mentoring service with the support of over 70 experienced film industry professionals, some of whom will also be attending Fast Fest.
For further information on Fast Fest or other FNI projects, click here.
