Give me Direction II

After the success of last year's event, Bord Scannán na hÉireann/the Irish Film Board announced yesterday the return of the screenwriting event Give Me Direction, which will be run in association with the Jameson Dublin International Film Festival.

This year the focus of the conference will be on interrogating the topic of comedy in filmmaking. The two day event will be held on Thursday 17th and Friday 18th June in Dublin.

Further details of the event and the release date for tickets will be announced shortly.

The Daisy Chain

Horror feature film The Daisy Chain, written by acclaimed screenwriter and Guild member Lauren MacKenzie, is opening on Friday 16th April at the Omniplex cinemas in Dublin (the Savoy), Cork and Galway.

Directed by the critically acclaimed director of Song For A Raggy Boy, Aisling Walsh, and starring double Oscar-nominee Samantha Morton, The Daisy Chain is a supernatural thriller of obsession, superstition and fear.

The film was also nominated for Best Irish Film at the 2009 Dublin Film Festival.

The Arts and the Economy Debate

Ireland's association of writers, Irish PEN, has announced a forthcoming debate on 'The Arts and the Economy', which takes place at the United Arts Club, Upper Fitzwilliam Street in Dublin, on Thursday 15 April 2010.

Among the panellists are Aidan Burke, Operations Director with the Arts Council, Gerry Godley, Director of the Improvised Jazz Company, broadcaster and spokesperson for the National Campaign for the Arts (NCFA), Claire Doody, Project Manager of Cultural Odyssey, which was set up by businessman Dermot Desmond following the Irish Economic Forum in Farmleigh last year, and Declan Kiberd, literary critic and Chair of Anglo-Irish Literature and Drama at UCD.

Ticket prices for the debate are €3 for Irish PEN members, €5 for non-members, but booking is essential as places are limited. E-mail info @irishpen.com or phone: 087 966 0770.

Apply for Arts Funding Online

The Arts Council has launched its new online services website so applicants can apply online for Projects and Travel and Training awards via the Internet.

Online services was developed to more efficiently manage funding applications and payments. This new website means that you can:

• Download application forms and guidelines;
• Create a profile for banking, tax and contact details (which you can reuse for other applications);
• Upload the completed application form(s) and up to 20MB of electronic supporting materials;
• Avail of a one-week deadline extension to complete online applications;
• (Where successful), submit a payment request or payment schedule with supporting documentation.

In the coming weeks we will be opening up applications for the Touring and Dissemination of Work scheme 2010 via online services. Details of the scheme will be published on our website next week.

How and when to register/signup for online services

We advise you to register immediately for online services as, for security reasons, it may take up to five working days to complete the entire process. We also advise you to submit your final application as early as possible to avoid the heavy traffic on the site in the final days before a deadline.

Byrne New Cultural Ambassador

On St. Patrick's Day Taoiseach Brian Cowen announced that actor Gabriel Byrne had been appointed as Ireland's new cultural ambassador.

The appointment grew in part from recommendations by the Global Irish Economic Forum at Farmleigh last autumn, and is rooted in the connection between culture and the economy, Mr Cowen said.

Mr Byrne's appointment precedes what the Taoiseach called "an ambitious season of Irish arts in the US in 2011", whose goal will be "showcasing the Irish creative imagination, showcasing world-class Irish artists and companies, and reinvesting in our unique cultural relationship with America".

Byrne said American audiences had a "very limited view of Irish art. It's Druid [theatre company], Brian Friel, the Anglo-Irish stew of Yeats . . . and there's U2. There's a whole other life – great young conceptual artists, film-making, people writing who wouldn't have written 15 or 20 years ago. Right now, there are four major Broadway productions that are Irish."

Lest Irish citizens begrudge funds devoted to the arts, Byrne reminded them that "America is a giant market for Irish culture. And it speaks English, and it receives us with tremendous good will. To a great extent, our culture is what defines us."

Leaving a meeting with US secretary of state Hillary Clinton, Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin noted that Byrne "has already been very active on the cultural front, advancing the cause of Ireland". He mentioned Byrne's role in helping to develop the Irish Cultural Centre in New York, for which the city of New York is contributing $20 million (€14.5 million).

Mr Martin praised Niall Burgess, Ireland's Consul General in New York, for involving Byrne, Liam Neeson and the writers Colum McCann and Colm Tóibín in so many events. "It's extraordinary that two of the best contemporary novels about New York were written by Irish people," Mr Martin said.

Martin Cullen, as Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism, is credited with making the biggest push for Byrne's appointment to the unpaid position. Byrne will work closely with Eugene Downes, the chief executive of Culture Ireland. The role will not necessarily be limited to the US, Mr Downes said, predicting that Byrne "will develop an inclusive vision that reaches out from the Irish arts community internationally".

Let's hope this new zeal for the Arts from the Irish government translates into better funding in the coming years.

IT Obituary for Siobhan Miley

The Irish Times published an obituary for actress/writer Siobhan Miley at the weekend.

IFTA Winners 2010

The winners of the Irish Film and Television Awards were announced on Saturday night. A full list is available from the web site.

The winners in the two writing categories are in bold:

Script Film
Billy Roche, Conor McPherson - The Eclipse (Treasure Entertainment)
John Carney, Kieran Carney - Zonad (Element Pictures)
Margaret Corkery - Eamon (Zanita Films)
Neil Jordan - Ondine (Octagon Films)

Script Television
Frank Deasy - Father & Son (Octagon Films / Left Bank Pictures)
Frank McGuinness - A Short Stay in Switzerland (BBC)
Eugene O'Brien - Pure Mule - The Last Weekend (Accomplice Television)
James Phelan - Rásaí na Gaillimhe (Great Western Films)

Platform Ireland

Platform Ireland is a new multi-media web site that showcases leading Irish arts and cultural content to audiences worldwide. It launched its trial site this month.

Featuring arts content across visual, performance, literature and traditional sectors, Platform Ireland strives to act as a one-stop shop for the Irish arts sector. Its goals include promoting and marketing Irish arts abroad while also acting as an arts archive and providing an online forum for critical debate with the latest news and reviews for both audiences and those involved in the arts.

The Department of Arts, Sport and Tourism are partnering Platform Ireland for the duration of the trial, while over forty organisations are involved in providing content for the Platform Ireland trial including amongst others, Druid Theatre, Opera Ireland, the Irish Museum of Modern Art.

Currently, users who register can log in and watch Madama Butterfly – a live recording of the Opening Night of the Opera Ireland season at The Gaiety Theatre on their computer or mobile phone. Other featured videos include "The Adventures of Flannery", a documentary about Cathal Coughlan (Bandit Films), an Interview with David Bolger, artistic director CoisCéim, and a performance by the The Irish Chamber Orchestra.

Irish theatre in 2010

The Irish Times reported last week that despite a dispute over costs the new 2,000-seat Grand Canal Theatre will have its gala opening in March.

The paper also had a feature article entitled "Curtain up on a new theatrical era?", which discussed the state of the Irish theatre industry in the face of funding cuts and the economic downturn. Here's a snippet:

Another way of attracting larger audiences is to cast a top star in a lead role. "For instance," explains Hynes, "this season on Broadway, a play called A Steady Rain, which stars Hugh Jackman and Daniel Craig, and which is in fact directed by our own John Crowley, more or less sold out almost before it opened and has completely made back its original investment and will return profits to its investors."

Hynes cautions, however, that casting a star should "be within the context of the remit as subsidised theatres funded by the Irish taxpayer. You can't suddenly turn around and start operating with commercial antennae. Because why are you being subsidised in the first place?"

Producer Anne Clarke, who works in both commercial and subsidised theatre, doesn't see the necessity for a difference in approach or outlook when considering either. "Some people talk about commercial theatre as being cynical, cheap, only there to make money," she says. "In my experience, that's not the case. I took the same care and attention in casting and producing The Last Days of the Celtic Tiger and The Goat."

For the sector to survive in the coming year, which Clarke concedes will be "bumpy", she believes it "needs to do two things: one, continue to find ways of making work; two, not to lose courage while focusing more on the audience. It would be easy for people to keep their heads down, make work they think people want to see – that's not the way out of this."

IFI Remodelled

The Irish Times reports that yesterday the Irish Film Institute opened its doors on the renovation of its facilities, which included the first look at Cinema 3: a luxury 61-seat theatre with a digital screen.

Most the public areas: café, shop, and toilets have also been given a facelift.

To celebrate the IFI will offer a day of free screenings on Saturday, February 6th. Details of the programme of events will be released in late January.

New Abbey Debate

The Stage reported yesterday that Martin Cullen, the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism, plans an early decision on the proposal to move the Abbey theatre to the GPO on Dublin's O'Connell Street, which he strongly favours.

The minister argues that relocating the Abbey makes sense, socially and economically. It would rejuvenate O'Connell Street, he says, while the move to the GPO would cost only €80-€90 million, compared with the €150-€170 million that was expected to be spent on rebuilding the theatre on an alternative docklands site.

The Abbey move has been proposed in a recently revised government plan agreed by the two partners in the current Coalition administration, Fianna Fail and the Green Party, with a grand opening suggested for 2016, the centenary of the Rising. A feasibility study of the proposal is now under way.

However, Cullen has revealed that before the issue came into public debate, "a very good international architect, who has worked with theatres", had prepared a model of how the Abbey might be relocated to the GPO. He was shown the model, which had involved a huge amount of research. "I know it works. I saw it all and it's fantastic," he said.

But the Irish National Conservation and Heritage Group takes a very different view. Its spokesman, Damien Cassidy, described the proposed Abbey move as "ludicrous and crazy" and said it would succeed only in destroying two national monuments, the theatre and the GPO.

According to Cassidy, the GPO should be retained in its present role as a national monument. The Abbey move was "being pushed by an elitist group", he claimed, and his organisation was planning a campaign to stop any interference with what he called "one of the most iconic buildings in Irish history".

Michael Dwyer RIP

Michael Dwyer, the film correspondent of the Irish Times, died on Friday, January 1st, at the age of 58, following an illness that began after his last trip to the Cannes Film Festival.

Today the Irish Times published a series of reminiscences about Mr. Dwyer by Irish actors and directors, as well as a tribute by Hugh Linehan.

Mr. Dwyer made a significant contribution to the establishment of film criticism in Ireland, the promotion of local talent, and as one of the co-founders the Dublin Film Festival in 1985 he helped aid a wider appreciation for global cinema in the country.

His funeral Mass will take place Tuesday morning at 11am in the Church of the Holy Name, Beechwood Avenue, Ranelagh, and afterwards to Mount Jerome Crematorium.

Mr. Dwyer is survived by his partner of 24 years, Brian Jennings, and his mother Mary and sisters Anne and Maria. Our sincere condolences for their loss.

Dublin Film Critics Circle Awards

The Irish Film Board reports that the Dublin Film Critics Circle has announced its annual awards, including a special Best Irish Film of the Decade, which went to joint winners Adam and Paul (written by Mark O'Halloran, directed by Lenny Abrahamson) and Hunger (written by Edna Walsh and Steve McQueen, directed by Steve McQueen). There Will be Blood (written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson), was named Best Film of the Decade.

The 2009 Awards went to:

Best Irish Film
Waveriders
Written by Lauren Davies and Joel Conroy, directed by Joel Conroy

Best Film
Let the Right One In
Written by John Ajvide Lindqvist, directed by Tomas Alfredson

Best Actor
Sean Penn in Milk
Written by Dustin Lance Black, directed by Gus Van Sant

Best Actress
Yolande Moreau in Séraphine
Co-written by Marc Abdelnour and Martin Provost, directed by Martin Provost

Best Documentary
Anvil! The Story of Anvil
Written and directed by Sacha Gervasi

Best Director
Kathryn Bigelow for The Hurt Locker (written by Mark Boal)

Best Breakthrough
Neill Blomkamp for District 9 (co-written with Terri Tatchell)

Outstanding Achievement
Duncan Jones for Moon (written by Nathan Parker)

Dublin Film Fringe

The online forum FilmmakersNetwork.ie is taking submissions for the inaugural festival, the Dublin Film Fringe.

Short film entries should be:

• Under 20 minutes long - the shorter the better!
• Made in the previous 2 years
• Made in Ireland and/or by Irish filmmakers
• Be submitted on DVD with the completed application form. You should send in a DVD copy of your film for preview purposes and also a Quicktime/AVI of the film on disc.
• When projecting the selected films we will be playing the films from a hard drive or a DVD compilation and supplying the Quicktime/AVI file of the film will help preserve the quality of your film. Please use a common codec to encode your Quicktime/AVI version of your film. H-264 / DV PAL / etc.
• If you are unable to obtain a Quicktime/AVI version of the film we can pull your film from the DVD copy but this will result in a drop in quality.

The closing date for submissions is January 23rd 2010.

If you like to volunteer to work on the festival go to the forum thread on how you can get involved.

IPSG Budget 2010 Press Statement

The Irish Playwrights' and Screenwriters' Guild welcomes news of the continuation of government support for the Film Industry and the Arts as announced in the budget.

Cuts of 5% and 6% respectively in the budgets for the Film Board and the Arts Council will undoubtedly exacerbate the current difficult situation in the Arts.

However, in the context of the financial problems faced by the country, this level of cut implies a welcome acknowledgement by Government that the Film Industry and the Arts in general, in addition to their importance to society, are a valuable source of employment; a fundamentally important aspect of growing tourism revenue; and an important contributor to Ireland’s international reputation.

The decision to retain the artist tax exemption scheme is particularly welcome. In the last two years, the average income of Irish writers for the stage and screen from their writing work was less than €10,000 per annum. The tax exemption is of baseline importance to those creative individuals who produce the raw material that fuels the arts.

The IPSG expresses its particular thanks to Martin Cullen TD, Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism, who has been unequivocal in his belief that support for art and artists makes economic and cultural sense, even in difficult times.

David Kavanagh
Irish Playwrights' and Screenwriters' Guild
Art House
Curved Street
Temple Bar
Dublin 2

Budget 2010

The Irish Government has released its Budget for 2010, and while the predicted cuts have indeed arrived, they are not as ruthless as the McCarthy Report encouraged. Many recommendations of the report have been ignored entirely.

The IPSG would like to thank its members who petitioned the government and its representatives to remember the importance of the Arts to the cultural and economic vitality of Ireland. There is no doubt that the many heartfelt letters, emails, phone calls and personal meetings made a difference, so a virtual bualadh bos for your time and effort. Thanks also to the National Campaign for the Arts, which encouraged artists, arts groups and organisations around the country to pool their resources and prove their clout.

In particular the IPSG is pleased to hear of the promise to retain the Artist Tax Exemption, although in the Arts the definition of a very high earner might not match the figures in most other industries, so we await clarification on this matter in the coming weeks.

Martin Cullen TD, Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism, has issued a press release about how the Budget will affect his department, and here are his thoughts on Arts, Culture and Film:

"At the Global Irish Economic Forum held in Farmleigh in September there was wide acknowledgement of the importance of culture in promoting Ireland abroad and developing a unique brand for the country in new markets. Most participants agreed that our unique and strong cultural identity provides the Government and the private sector with a strong competitive advantage abroad. Internationally, the creative economy is moving centre stage and creativity is seen as a crucial bedrock, underpinning our knowledge economy. I am pleased that significant funding to support the arts is secured for 2010. The overall allocation for the arts, culture and film area in 2010 is €166m as compared to €178m for 2009 - a 6% adjustment. Even in more stringent times, overall funding for the arts is up 14% on 2005 levels."

Here are the pertinent details:

• Funding to the Arts Council, the state agency for the arts is €69.15m, a 6% reduction on the 2009 figure of €73.35m.
• "Other key agencies like the Irish Film Board and Culture Ireland will continue to develop and support their sectors. Their budgets have been maintained at 2007 levels with the Irish Film Board allocated €19.31m and Culture Ireland, €4.083m. The important tax relief scheme, Section 481, for investment in film and TV production is maintained until at least 2012, underpinning the Government's commitment to the importance of our indigenous Irish film and audiovisual sector."
• Culture Ireland and Tourism Ireland have intensified joint planning on cross-promotions in the cultural tourism field. Initiatives for 2010 will include a programme of cultural projects and events for the World Expo in Shanghai from May to October. In January, Culture Ireland will lead its annual performing arts promotional mission to the United States, its priority market, promoting an expanded range of showcases by Irish music, dance and theatre artists/companies.
• Capital funding for arts infrastructure has been consolidated in the Department and all major arts capital projects will be completed as will regional capital projects to which commitments have been made. Projects for completion in 2010 include Solas Picture House in Galway, the Model Niland in Sligo, Limerick City Art Gallery and Droichead Arts Centre, Louth.
• Day-to-day funding for the national cultural institutions is maintained at or above 2007 levels and their capital funding is maintained at 2009 levels to ensure continued investment in high quality visitor experiences as part of an integrated cultural tourism drive. The aim for 2010 is to exceed the 3.2m visitor target at the cultural institutions.
• Investment in regional and smaller museums like Marsh's Library, Hunt Museum, Science Gallery, Print Museum, Foynes Flying Boat Museum and the James Joyce Centre will continue.
• The digitization of the 1901 and 1911 Census will be completed. It is intended to name the preferred tenderer for the new National Concert Hall project shortly. Work is ongoing in assessing the GPO complex as a possible location for the Abbey, the National Theatre.
• In 2010 the Department will also create a new National Opera Company.
• The artist tax exemption has been maintained with some adjustment only in respect of very high earners to reflect a more equitable apportionment of the tax burden.

Commenting on the Government decision to continue the existence of Bord Scannán na hÉireann/the Irish Film Board, the Chairman, James Morris said:

"I would like to acknowledge the role of the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism Martin Cullen in supporting the Irish Film Industry and the work of the Irish Film Board as the industry development agency. The support of the Government for Bord Scannán na hÉireann/the Irish Film Board is a strong endorsement of the economic value of the film and television production sector to the emerging digital economy. It is also an acknowledgement of the cultural value of Irish artistic and creative work in building Ireland's international profile that emerged as a major conclusion of the Global Irish Economic Forum in Farmleigh earlier this year."

Commenting on the Arts Council's Budget allocation, the Chairman of the Arts Council, Pat Moylan said:

"The Arts Council recognises the enormous challenges facing the Government and the need to reduce public spending. The €69.15 million budgeted for the Arts Council in 2010, despite the pressure on public resources, underscores the commitment to the arts of the Government and especially the Minister for the Arts, Martin Cullen TD.

"We are grateful to Minster Cullen, and also to the many artists, arts organisations, TDs, members of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Arts and to communities across Ireland who have in the course of recent months made public the value they place on the arts at this difficult time.

"The allocation does represent a significant reduction in funding, and, its impact, along with previous reductions, will be felt hard across the sector. However, as the country's expert body on the arts, the Arts Council is best placed to invest this money wisely, and we will draw on our experience and redouble our efforts to ensure that people right across the country have access to the best of the arts in 2010.

"The Council will also be focusing on the key role the arts can play in stimulating job creation, cultural tourism and investment at this time. We know from research that the sector is already making a very significant contribution to the economy and employment. Ireland's consistently high level of achievement in the arts means that they represent our 'unique selling point' as a country.

2010 Tony Doyle Bursary

The Tony Doyle Bursary for New Writing provides a fantastic opportunity for writers new to television. Previous winners of the prestigious £2,000 television writer's award are Bill Murphy, Brian Dungan, Dominque Maloney, Danny Stack, Abbie Spallen and Martin McSweeney and Martin McNamara.

The judging panel for entries will include John Yorke, Kate Rowland, Liam Cunnigham, Lorcan Cranitch, Peter Norris, Sally Doyle, Emma Norton from Element Pictures, Sarah Stack and Tina Kellegher.

The bursary's core aim is to assist the development of new writers. To achieve this, the chosen finalists will take part in a residential seminar where they will undergo intensive, structured, script sessions with members of BBC Northern Ireland Drama's development team and with top script writers and producers.

The aim of the bursary
The aim of the bursary is to encourage television drama about Ireland by writers new to the medium. This may include writers experienced in other forms of fiction as well as new writers.

Prize
The winner will receive a cash prize of £2,000. The winner along the finalists will be invited to a residential seminar run by the BBC Northern Ireland Drama Department. The aim of the seminar is to introduce the writers to the world of television drama through a series of intensive sessions with the BBC Northern Ireland development team and experienced practitioners - producers, directors, actors and fellow writers. The winner and runners-up will be announced in January 2010.

All submissions should be received by 4th December 2009.

Further information and the rules of entry are available on the web site.

2009 Review of AudioVisual Industry

The Audiovisual Federation, the IBEC group that represents the feature film, television and animation sectors, launched its 2009 review of film and television production in Ireland last weekend.

In 2008, 266 audiovisual productions were completed in Ireland, with a total production value of €246.8 million. This was a significant increase on 2007 (€195.7 million). Estimates for 2009 are, however, showing a fall to €217 million. Animation performed well with its production value increasing from €38.9m in 2008 to an estimate €43m this year.

Speaking at the launch, Audiovisual Federation director Tommy McCabe said: "Notwithstanding current pressures, the audiovisual sector remains vibrant and continues to make a significant contribution to the Irish economy. The sector is one of Ireland's great success stories and it is critical that public policy continues to support the industry, to ensure that this momentum is not lost.

"In 2008, the net benefit to the economy was €25.7m, which is the highest return since 2003, and over 1,631 people were employed in full-time equivalent jobs. The level of production activity for feature films increased to €71.9 million in 2008, up from €19.3m in 2007, but estimates for 2009 show a fall to €65m. Films produced in 2008 included Cracks (starring Sinead Cusack and directed by Jordan Scott), Five minutes of heaven (starring Liam Neeson and James Nesbit), Ondine and Triage (starring Colin Farrell)."

Other highlights of the sector in 2009 are:

• Golden Globe awards for Irish actors Colin Farrell (In Bruges) and Gabriel Byrne (In Treatment);
• Emmy Awards for Brendan Gleeson (Into the Storm) and Dearbhla Walsh (Little Dorrit);
• Academy award nominations for In Bruges and New Boy;
• Upward trend in independent television productions, including major TV drama;
• High standards in Irish animation, exemplified by Ballybradden, Niko and The Way to the Stars and Life Boat Luke.

Kevin Moriarty, MD of Ardmore Studios and Chairman of the Audiovisual Federation database committee, which produced the report, said: "The film and television industry continues to have great potential: economically and culturally. We applaud the government for taking measures to restore competitiveness and enable Ireland to continue to participate in the huge international growth of the industry. Despite the current economic climate, it is vital that the Government continues to support this industry, as it can yield tangible benefits for Ireland."

Andrew Lowe, Director of Element Pictures and Chairman of the Audiovisual Federation added: "This review demonstrates that our industry is experiencing significant challenges to maintain the level of production we enjoyed during 2008. We are heartened by the commitment and support of the government, both in terms of extending and improving section 481 and the expected retention of the Irish Film Board. The current economic crisis is an opportunity to take stock as an industry and identify steps that we can take collectively to build a stronger, more internationally competitive, and ultimately more successful sector, both creatively and commercially. We look forward to working with all the members of the Audiovisual Federation to meet those challenges together in the year ahead."

Teresa McGrane, Deputy Chief Executive, Bord Scannán na hÉireann said: "It should be noted that as a result of changes and improvements implemented to Section 481 there was very little production for the first three months of the year while the improvements were going through Government to become legislation. This is one of the reasons why production is down in 2009."

Filmbase Fundraiser

Filmbase will host a Fundraiser Table Quiz on Friday 27th November at the new club Alchemy in the Temple Bar Hotel. There will be a welcome reception with canapés from 6.30pm, and the quiz starts at 7.15pm (ends 10.30pm).

The quiz will be a fundraising event for Filmbase to go towards improving the services it provides. It will cost €10 per person when booked in advance, and €12 on the night. There will also be a raffle on the night with lots of fantastic prizes.

Cork Winners 09

The winners of the Short Film Awards at the Corona Cork Film Festival have been announced.

As usual none of the writers have been credited.

The following list includes all the writers - as best as I could discover:

Best Irish Short Film
'Free Chips Forever!'
Written and directed by Claire Dix

Special Mentions:
'A Film From My Parish – 6 Farms'
Written and directed by Tony Donoghue

Best International Short Film
'Muto'
Written and directed by Blu, Italy

Special Mentions:

'Walking/Marcher'
Written and directed by Jeanne Herry, France

'Little Red Hoodie'
Written and directed by Joern Utkilen, Scotland

'A Film From My Parish – 6 Farms'
Written and directed by Tony Donoghue, Ireland

Cork Short Film Nominee for the European Film Awards
'Joseph's Snails'
Written and directed by Sophie Roze, France

‘Made In Cork’ Award for Best Short Film
'My Beamish Boy'
Written and directed by Mike Hannon

Special Mention:
'The Shop'
Written and directed by Neil Hurley

Youth Jury Award for Best International Short Film
'Lesh Sabreen?'
Written and directed by Muayad Alayan, Palestine

Award of the Festival for Best Short Film
'Elephant Skin'
Written and directed by Severin Fiala and Ulrike Putzer; Austria

OutLook Audience Award for Best LGBT Short Film
'Bombshell'
Written by Kim Farrant & Anthony Johnsen; directed by Kim Farrant, Australia

Audience Award for Best Irish Short Film
'Bye Bye Now'
Written and directed by Ross Whitaker and Aideen O'Sullivan, Ireland

Audience Award for Best International Short Film
'Moore Street Masala'
Written by Rodney Lee & David O'Sullivan; directed by David O'Sullivan, Ireland