24/10/2005

One of the major events in the Irish film festival calendar, the Kerry Film Festival which starts today, will show a total of 105 short films from 18 countries with a competition programme sponsored by Ardmore Studios. Kevin Moriarty, Managing director of the leading Irish film Studios and himself of Ballyheigue origins, has been a fervent supporter of the festival since its inception and the studios will provide a €10,000 facilities package to the Best director of the Festival’s short film competition whose winners will be announced during the closing night ceremony of the next Sunday October 30.

Sitting on this year’s jury are Noah Cowan, co-director of the Toronto Film Festival, award-winning documentary Irish filmmaker Alan Gilsenan, ex Chief executive of the Irish Film Board and current director of the Huston School of Film and Digital Media at the National University of Ireland Rod Stoneman, the director of the Videoformes Festival of Clermont-Ferrand Gabriel Soucheyre, Irish writer Donald Clarke and UK cinema programmer Mandy Keane.

This year’s highlights include a European night organised with the assistance of MEDIA desk during which six European shorts will be represented, a High Definition workshop with Eoin McPolin, one of Ireland’s leading cinematographers (Headrush) discussing his own use of Sony HD cameras, and a Writing for the screen workshop.

Kerry as a film location will also be a hot topic and the Kerry County Council will formally launch during the Festival the newly devised Kerry Film Website as part of the Kerry Screen Commission. According to Martin Riordan, county manager, the new website is a new step forward to develop Kerry County’s potential to attract its share of today’s €90 billion global film industry.