CinÉireann / June 2018 9
Shorts in Short
Galway Film Centre and RTÉ have announced the team of Scriptwriter, Director and Producer for this year’s RTÉ/GFC Short Film Commission.
Sarah Ingersoll’s script The Bridge will now be developed into a short film with Director Mark Smyth and Producer Lynn Larkin.
Sarah Ingersoll is a screenwriter and director based in Dublin. A graduate of the Glasgow School of Art, Sarah’s visual art and Photography background strongly informs her writing and filmmaking. After directing her first short documentary in 2016, through the Galway Film Centre, Sarah went on to study screenwriting at The New School in New York. In 2017 her feature script The Keeper was selected as a finalist for Best Inception and Best Overall Script at the Oaxaca Film Festival. Sarah is currently completing her second short documentary and working on her second feature script.
Mark Smyth is an award winning writer/director of films, TV commercials and music videos. His latest award winning film short film Leap of Faith premiered at the 2017 Galway Film Fleadh and has since gone on to win ‘Best Irish Short Film’ at the Dublin International Short Film & Music Festival 2017 and ‘Best Short Fiction / Experimental’ at Clones Film Festival 2017, the film was also nominated for ‘Best Irish Short’ at the 2017 Kerry Film Festival, ‘Light in Motion Award’ at the 2017 Foyle Film Festival and ‘Best Irish Short’ at the 2018 Belfast Film Festival.
Mark was nominated for a Young Directors Award for his work on “Leap of Faith” and the film was also the winner of the Aer Lingus Filmmaker Competition 2017 and the IMRO Scoring for Film Competition 2017. Derry O’Brien at Network Ireland Television picked up “Leap of Faith” for worldwide distribution. Currently, Mark is directing on a freelance basis and is in development on his debut feature film “Will it be a Kind God” – a sci-fi/horror which he pitched at this years ‘JETS’ scheme during the 2018 Berlinale Film Festival.
As well as being a producer, Lynn Larkin has worked in talent development for over seven years. There she project managed/executive produced over 20 shorts films and feature film, Writing Home. Lynn was also an Irish representative for Screen Talent Europe. Prior to working in talent development Lynn worked in production working with national broadcasters and production companies across home made Irish content, Nightshift, Pop Scene, Access Hollywood, Magners League, Champions League and others. She was an On-Air correspondent for the radio show, We Love Movies with weekly slots The Box Office Report and The Movie News for both Spin 103.8 and Spin South West. Lynn has created content and been a movie correspondent for Film Ireland. She has also been a film judge for the ICCL Human Rights Short Film Awards and the Better Together Awards. Previous to their relocation to London, Lynn also worked as programme director for the Dub Web Fest a celebration of storytelling through original web series. CWF united tech and digital media to showcase online talent in Ireland and worldwide.
We were heartened by the number and calibre of this years submissions. From 132 submitted scripts, we whittled it down to three very strong scripts and from that Sarah’s script The Bridge was chosen. Mark Smyth really impressed the interview panel with his pitch and interpretation of the story and then Lynn Larkin came through as a very talented producer. We’re delighted to have arrived at such a great team.
Alan Duggan, Manager – Galway Film Centre
We were very impressed with the standard of applicants this year. The calibre of the producers in particular was really strong with some really talented people. We look forward to seeing the results.
David Crean, Executive Producer – RTÉ
Shooting of The Bridge is expected to commence in late Summer/early Autumn with the film due for completion in late 2018.
Writer/director Kate Dolan’s Catcalls will have its North American premiere at Fantasia International Film Festival in Montreal on July 21st. Catcalls is the only Irish film in competition at what is one of the world’s largest genre film festivals. The film plays as part of a shorts programme called Born Of Woman which is highlighting female horror directors.
A man cruises around late at night looking for something. He pulls in to ask two young girls for directions – only to flash them to get a cheap thrill. Unfortunately, he has picked the wrong girls. They are also out hunting tonight and they will stop at nothing to get their kill.
Catcalls explores the themes of street harassment and the idea of women being made victims in safe spaces like their own communities. In this fictional horror, the power is shifted and the predator becomes the prey.
The film stars Sarah Kinlen, Edel Murphy, Martin O’Sullivan, and Cesca Saunders. Catcalls was made under Screen Ireland’s Focus Shorts Scheme last year. It was produced by Aoife Kelly (The Queen of Ireland), with Piers McGrail (Without Name) as DoP, Steve Lynch (Let Us Prey) as Composer, and John Cutler as Editor.
The film previously played at the Fastnet Film Festival and Cork Film Festival in 2017, and Indie Lisboa in 2018. It was the winner of Best Short Film at the Young Director’s Awards in 2018.