CinÉireann / January 2018 7
Shorts in Short
Galway City of Film has announced the return of the Short Film Commission Scheme a partnership scheme with RTÉ and Galway Film Centre.
Writers are invited to submit a story idea and from these the best three selected will receive a prize of €500 each. These three writers will then go on to be mentored by an experienced Script Editor to bring their idea from a story outline to a finished script. From this, one script will be selected and commissioned as a short film.
New and up-and-coming directors are invited to submit a short CV to be selected through a competitive process to direct the winning script. The directors will be mentored by an experienced director through prep, casting right through to being supported on set. The director’s mentoring panel will include Dearbhla Walsh (Fargo, The Punisher) and Paddy Breathnach (Viva, I Went Down), and depending on the shooting schedule, one of these will mentor the director.
Producers and production companies are also encouraged to register for the scheme and will be selected on a CV and interview basis. The selected producer will be mentored by producer Donne Eperon (Michael Inside, I Used to Live Here).
QED, a powerful human rights short directed by Galway actress Amy-Joyce Hastings will have its international premiere at the 17th Santa Fe Film Festival in February.
QED tells the story of Jack and Ali - a happily married couple until a terrible accident shatters their perfect world. In the aftermath Ali struggles to accept their new circumstances, while Jack retains hope their lives will return to normal. As the difficulties of their daily reality grind them down, Jack finds emotional solace in a flirtation with work colleague Claudia, while Ali is increasingly left alone with home carer Maria. Exploring the theme of sacrificial love, QED poses the ultimate question, 'What won't love do?'
The film was co-written by Hastings and lead actor Michael O'Kelly (Red Rock). It stars Donna Anita Nikolaisen - best known for her role as Ama Chisenga in Fair City - as Ali, with Norma Sheahan (Handsome Devil) and Charlene Gleeson (Penny Dreadful) cast in the other principal roles.
QED premiered at the 29th Galway Film Fleadh and screened at the Kerry Film Festival and the Richard Harris International Film Festival in Limerick late last year.
Directors Deirdre Mullins and Nathan Fagan have released their award-winning sort documentary Fallen Bird online.
While serving a sentence for assault in Wheatfield Prison, young prisoner Eric Boylan began channeling his anger and frustration into one of his childhood passions: painting.
Now that he’s been released, Eric has set out to pursue a career in fine art - while attempting to navigate the challenges of life as an ex-prisoner.
The film picked up the award for Best Short Documentary at the 2015 IFI Documentary Film Festival and screened at numerous festivals both at home and abroad.
The film is directed by Nathan Fagan and Deirdre
Mullins, with Director of Photography Tommy Fitzgerald, Editor Niamh Burke-Kennedy, Sound Recording by Caimin Agnew and Neil Doyle, Sound Editor Fionan Higgins, and Original Music by Christopher Barry.