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There's a new scriptwriting clinic starting at Galway Film Centre.

The four day course will look at how to develop a story idea. It is aimed at both emerging and experienced screenwriters working on their feature film screenplays. It is also aimed at emerging script editors.

The class is limited to four writers and two script editors and offers a great experience for emerging writers and script editors to work intensively on their stories with a professional script editor. It will cover the basics such as wants and needs, objectives, obstacles, rising action and ideas on sequencing and structure.

All participants read each other's treatments prior to the course commencing. Mark McIlrath is a script editor who works on feature film projects in Ireland, Italy, France and the UK. Each editor works with 2 writers during the course.

What participants say about this course:
As one of the script editors on the course, I was lucky enough to witness Mark work first hand with a number of writers on their chosen projects. What struck me was the simple and relaxed approach he takes which inevitably leads to invaluable round table discussions where no opinion is ever overlooked. As a guiding light, Mark helps to define and solve problems in regard to structure, character, theme and plot without ever substituting his own voice for that of the writer. His years of experience shine through and I still use his teachings in my own writing today. Highly recommend for any writer who wants to bring their project to the next level, and then some.
Matthew Roche (Writer of TILL DEATH DO US PART, Winner of RTE/Filmbase Short Script Award, 2009)

Mark's course is hugely educational and beneficial, whether you are interested in pursuing story editing or simply gaining more insight into your own writing. And Mark stays in touch after the course is over, providing highly useful tips and guidance. He is a friend and mentor as much as he is a a teacher.
Shane Perez (Writer of BLOOD AND SAND, Winner of London Independent Film Festival Best Screenplay, 2009)

How to apply:
Writers interested in this course will need to submit a CV and treatment/story outline to education@galwayfilmcentre.ie by 23rd April.

Guide length for treatment is 3 to 10 pages. 10 pages is the maximum allowable.

Editors need to submit a CV to education@galwayfilmcentre.ie by 23rd April.

Galway film centre is offering a stop-motion animation workshop teaching participants how to make animation through drawings, claymation and photos using i-stop motion.

The workshop will teach participants how to use the software and how to shoot animation film on a movie camera, camcorder, pocket camera or even a mobile phone.

The course is very practical and by its end, participants will be able to make animations at home! Materials will be provided and the workshop is suitable for beginners and class sizes will be small to ensure all participants benefit.

Dates: 6 Tuesday evenings, 7pm - 9pm, 23rd March to 4th May (No class Easter Week, April 6th)
Fee: 225 euro unwaged / 255 euro waged (Includes membership. 10% discount for those having done a course with GFC in the last year.)
Tutor: Aideen Barry
Link to animations created on the last workshop in Winter 2009

THE MISFITS, with Clark Gable and Marylyn Monroe, giving what many believe to be her strongest performance of all time will screen on Wednesday, March 3rd, in Siamsa Tire as part of Kerry Film Festival's Active Retired Programme.

The film saw Huston nominated for Outstanding Directorial Achievement by the Directors' Guild of America. It's a little seen movie nowadays but has megawatt star power and a brilliant script by Arthur Miller and its critical reputation has only improved over time. It was the last film made by Hollywood icons Gable and Monroe.

All films cost just 2euro to anyone over the age of 65 and Kerry Film Festival will serve teas and coffees before the film to all attendees. The active retired screenings are a nice social occasion, as well as giving attendees the opportunity to see some fantastic films on the big screen!

For more on the film is available here: THE MISFITS. All are welcome!

The Belfast Film Festival celebrates its 10th Birthday this year, and to mark this significant milestone the Festival will be extended to 16 days. The Festival kicks off on Thursday, April 15th and runs right through to Friday, April 30th.

The Festival will be packed with a bold mix of international and local film premieres, art-house and socio-political films, masterclasses and industry talks and events.

Highlights this year include a screening of Ken Wardrop's HIS & HERS, a beautifully told and magical documentary that features 90 different women of all ages, who collectively chronicle the magic of human life. It recently won the coveted World Cinema Documentary Award at the prestigious Sundance Film Festival. If you haven't seen it yet then definitely check it out!

The Festival has also just launched a call for volunteers. To find out more please click on the link: Belfast Film Festival

Kerry Film Festival's Active Retired Screenings return with a John Huston season that sees three of Huston's movies playing on the first Wednesday of the month in February, March and April.

Beginning with Huston's debut, THE MALTESE FALCON, on February 3rd, continuing with THE MISFITS, on March 3rd and finishing with ANNIE, on April 7th the films show the director's fantastic range which encompasses everything from Noir to Musicals.

All movies screen in Siamsa Tire at 2:00 pm.

THE MALTESE FALCON
Wednesday, 3rd February

"It has rhyme and rhythm and makes the mind ask questions," said Raymond Chandler about Dashiel Hammett's novel, The Maltese Falcon. The eponymous falcon is "the stuff that dreams are made of," a priceless statuette pursued by a venomous femme fatale (Mary Astor), a scented sybarite (Peter Lorre), and a gentleman villain (Sydney Greenstreet) who oozes avuncular avarice. Caught up in their quest is private-eye Sam Spade (Humphrey Bogart), who has been hired by the woman on an ostensibly innocent assignment that has led to the death of his partner. With his literary sensibility and his fascination with eccentric characterisation, Huston is in his element: this is one of the cinema's great directing debuts, and the Hamlet of film noir!

THE MISFITS
Wednesday, 3rd March

Sophisticated, but emotionally crippled Roslyn (Marilyn Monroe, giving what many believe to be her strongest performance) has come to Nevada for a quick and easy divorce. When her landlady introduces her to aging, broken cowboy Gay Langland (Clark Gable), she finally finds herself with a worthy partner. Meanwhile, Gay and his fellow horsemen Guido and Perce (Eli Wallach and Montgomery Clift) scheme to capture a herd of wild horses. With megawatt star power and a brilliant script by Arthur Miller, The Misfits critical reputation has only improved over time. It was the last film made by Hollywood icons Gable and Monroe.

ANNIE
Wednesday, 7th April

In the depths of the 1930's, Annie is a fiery young orphan girl who must live in a miserable orphanage run by the tyrannical Miss Hannigan. Her seemingly hopeless situation changes dramatically when she is selected to spend a short time at the residence of the wealthy munitions industrialist, Oliver Warbucks. Quickly, she charms the hearts of the household staff and even the seemingly cold-hearted Warbucks cannot help but learn to love this wonderful girl. He decides to help Annie find her long lost parents by offering a reward if they would come to him and prove their identity. However, Miss Hannigan, her evil relative, Rooster, and a female accomplice, plan to impersonate those people to get the reward for themselves which put Annie in great danger.

There's a new writing workshop at Galway Film Centre.

The one-day workshop will help screenwriters advance their material by exploring it 'off the page'. Participants will act out each other's work and tutor, David Keating, writer and director of The Last Of The High Kings and Wake Wood, will guide writers to improve their dialogue, action and scene descriptions. All participants will do a small amount of preparation prior to the day, which must be emailed to the tutor. This will include writing 1 or 2 pages of script and analysing each scene according to conflict, exposition and needs/wants of characters. Participants may bring a camera and ask someone to record their work being acted out.

About the Tutor:
David wrote and directed The Last of the High Kings (Miramax), starring Jared Leto, Gabriel Byrne and Christina Ricci. His latest feature, Wake Wood (Hammer/Vertigo/IFB), will be released in 2010 and stars Aiden Gillen (The Wire), Eva Birthistle (Ae Fond Kiss) and Timothy Spall (The Damn United, Sweeney Todd).
As a screenwriter, he has worked for Columbia Pictures/Sony and on Mike Newell's Into The West (Miramax). He has directed TV drama, documentaries and music videos.
He has also mentored on screenwriting labs Equinoxe Germany, Equinoxe TBC France, Moonstone and tutored writers and directors at Mira Nair's MAISHA Initiative in Kampala for East African Filmmakers.

Date: Saturday, 27th February
Fee: 100 euro for students, unemployed / 130 for others
Contact: Galway Film Centre.
Email: education@galwayfilmcentre.ie or phone 091 770 748