WELCOME
Jason O’Mahony, Artistic Director
Greetings to the 10th annual Kerry Film Festival – we’ve a jam packed calendar of wonderful events, a mix of popular old favourites and new screenings that offer something for everyone!
The Kerry Film Festival promises, as ever, a wealth of the best Irish and International Short Films. We’re offering a €500 prize to the Best Irish Short film, the award is kindly sponsored by Cork Film Centre. We’re also offering €1,000 to the Best Film as judged by you, our audience. The Audience Award is sponsored by John Moore. And all this in addition to our top cash prize of €5,000 for the Best Film! Awards are also awarded to the Best Animated Short, Best International Short and Best Documentary Short films.
And to adjudicate the shorts we’ve lined up a stellar panel of Judges – chief among them is Jeremy Irons, the Oscar winning actor who heads up our Adjudication panel. Also on board are James Christopher, one of the most esteemed film critics and lead film critic at The Times for years, George Butler, who was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at the prestigious Sundance Film Festival and Simon Brown, an Irish Animator with credits ranging from Star Wars - Revenge of the Sith to Ice Age - The Meltdown by way of James Cameron’s highly anticipated Avatar.
In addition to our Short Screenings we’ve absolutely delighted to present a special screening of The Endurance: Shackleton's Legendary Antarctic Expedition which was directed by Adjudicator George Butler. George will be on hand to present the screening on Sunday, November 1st in Siamsa Tíre. There’s a huge interest in the film given local legend, Tom Crean’s involvement and it has all the makings of a fantastic screening.
The ever popular Gortbrack Farm musical documentary returns with a screening of Muscially Mad, a brilliant doc on reggae music and following the screening reggae band, Avatar will play a gig to lead us into the wee hours of the morning. Staying on the music there, we have The Yellow Bittern, a doc about Liam Clancy, which will screen in Siamsa and will be preceded by a Radharc short doc all about Siamsa! The directors of all three films will be on hand to introduce and answer any questions. Truly a veritable feast for music lovers!
We have classic films coming to big screens near you with Apocalypse Now and Pulp Fiction screening in Waterville and Kenmare. And we’ve a fantastic new feature, the latest from Carlos Cuarón, Rudo Y Cursi, screening in the Classic Cinema in Listowel.
A huge thank you to The Arts Council, Kerry County Council, Fáilte Ireland and FÁS for their generous grant aid, especially warm thanks must also go to our adjudicators, who give so selflessly of their time, and a Kerry welcome to all our Film Makers and of course to our patrons, sponsors and to you! I hope you have a wonderfully enjoyable festival, see some amazing films and enjoy yourselves thoroughly.
Cheers,
Jason
Louis Mulcahy, Cathaiorleach, Samhlaíocht Board of DirectorsChuireann sé an-áthas orm, ar son Bhord Samhlaíocht Chiarraí, Féile Scannánaíochta Chiarraí 2009 a fhógairt. Is féile ar leith í an Fhéile Scannánaíocht seo atá eagraíthe ag Samhlaíocht agus tá sí imithe i bhfeidhm go mór ar phobal Chiarraí agus is mór an onóir domsa a bheith páirteach ann.
It gives me great pleasure, on behalf of the Board of Samhlaíocht Chiarraí, to announce the programme of activities for our 10th annual Kerry Film Festival.
This year the programme saw an enormous increase in entries which is testament to the wonderful prizes on offer and the growing importance of the Kerry Film Festival within the festival circuit.
While still firmly based in the community of Kerry, with many films from the Kingdom, the festival has become a truly global event, showing short films from all over the world. The shorts will be judged by a panel of internationally respected adjudicators including the wonderful actor, Jeremy Irons.
Besides our traditional core programme of short films we are delighted to host a number of features and we’re thrilled that Rebecca Miller will accept the Maureen O’ Hara award. It’s a huge honour to host Rebecca in Kerry and we look forward to the Awards ceremony on Saturday, November 7th.
We expect to significantly increase audiences this year as we will screen films all over the county in Killarney, Kenmare, Listowel, Waterville and, of course, Tralee. The educational programme has also been extended with fifteen different screenings and workshops for schools from all over the Kingdom.
This is all possible thanks to the generosity of our sponsors and funding partners to whom we are greatly indebted and to whom the Board would like to express heartfelt appreciation. We must thank our major corporate sponsor Kerry Group and our funding partners: the Arts Council, Kerry County Council, FÁS, Fáilte Ireland and Cork Film Centre as well as all the local businesses and private individuals throughout the county.
The Board and Staff of Samhlaíocht Chiarraí would like nothing more than for you to sit back and enjoy this wonderful programme of films in Kerry.
Tá súil ag an mBord go mbainfheadh gach éinne an-taithneamh as na himeachtaí ar fad i rith na Féile.
Catherine Pearson O’ Dwyer - Cathoirelach
T. Curran/T. Ó Curráin, County Manager/Bainisteoir Contae
Kerry County Council is delighted to welcome the 10th annual Kerry Film Festival.
The artistic traditions, magnificent scenery and people of the County have long attracted the interest of filmmakers. This festival is a step forward, giving opportunity for locals to view the work, directors, producers and actors to visit the area as well as promoting the art of film.
The Film Education Programme supported by Kerry County Council will provide education screenings for upwards of two thousand students across the County.
The objectives of the Film Festival could not be fulfilled without the extent of co-operation received from the organisers, the sponsors, the artists and the audience. I would like to congratulate Jason O’Mahony, Artist Director, the staff of Samhlaíocht and all involved in this excellent festival and wish it continued success for the future.
Cuireann Comhairle Contae Chiarraí fáilte roimh gach éinne agus guímid gach rath ar na hiomaitheóirí.