Tipp film fest attracts hundreds of entries this year
Lights, camera, action!
This Saturday brings with it the second installment of the annual International Film Festival Ireland (IFFI) Tipperary 2010, in association with AMRITSA (Academy of Media, Recording, Interactive, Television and Stage Arts) and film-makers from all around the world and their entourage, are expected to travel to the Golden Vale for all, or part of, the11-day festival. Following on from the success of last year's inaugural event, which commenced as an unknown festival in rural Tipperary but ended as one of the best film festivals around, according to attending film-makers, this year's IFFI Tipperary is bigger and better in a number of ways.
This year two further days have been added to the festival, up to 50 countries are represented by their film-makers who have entered and, wait for it, well over 300 entries have been received by IFFI Tipperary director Will Nugent, who has been receiving and watching the entries since last January.
"I am gone boggle-eyed from it, there have been so many," said a slightly bleary-eyed Will. But it is thanks to his dedication and resulting bleary eyes, that he has managed to divide all 300-plus entries into 31 individual categories ranging from best feature to best documentary, best under-50 minutes to LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) category.
There is certainly something for everyone at the Tipperary IFFI 2010 and the big names are also represented. The big budget Hollywood gangster movie 'The Hitman Diaries: Charlie Valentine', starring Tom Beringer, will be screened. And the great Joan Collins will star in the independent film 'Fetish', for which she recently bagged the best actress award at the New York City International film Festival for her performance in this weird and dark comedy. This is certainly one to watch.
This year a dedicated music category has been added, including a feature film on songs from Beirut called 'Sounds of Beirut' and another on death metal called 'Goliath'. And 'A Vertical Man' which is about the the life of musician Sean O'Riada, has also been submitted by BAFTA and Emmy award-winning film maker Christopher Swann.
"Currently we have over 100 film-makers booked already to travel to Clonmel for this event, which is now the biggest festival under the AMRITSA banner, perhaps the biggest anywhere by the number of films that we are screening," said Will. Last Monday night marked the launch of the IFFI Tipperary 2010 film festival programme and the countdown proper to the festival - and the excitement is growing!
The AMRITSA film festival ethos is based on providing film makers of all levels, budgets and genres the opportunity to show their work to an audience and to offer them the festival platform that can sometimes be difficult to reach. IFFI Tipperary 2009 attracted unprecedented numbers of film makers to the nerve centre, Knocklofty House Hotel – some were third level students, some were seasoned producers, some were local secondary school film makers.
"Some of the films and documentaries that we have received are really professionally produced and are absolutely amazing," said Will.
"But we certainly do make allowances for people whose budget is not huge, we will look at the production values of all submissions and see if they made the best use of the resources that they had available to them, whether they had €3m or €3,000 to spend.
"It is about heart and soul as opposed to whether they had professional crew hire, we can see beyond the hype and everybody is treated the same," he said.
All films will be screened free of charge and are open to the public at screening venues Knocklofty House Hotel and O'Keeffe's as well as a number of venues on the Pubflix trail including the Clonmel Park Hotel and Bar Przystan in Irishtown. Other fringe events will include workshops and discussion panels at Tipperary Institute on all aspects of film making and featuring film makers themselves.
And not forgetting the young film buffs of South Tipperary, Youthfest will run in conjunction with the IFFI Tipperary 2010, catering for the young and upcoming film makers and producers in our midst. This will take place in the South Tipperary Arts Centre from September 7 to September 9 and will screen the work of filmmakers under the age of eighteen from all over South Tipperary. The Festival is co-ordinated by Suzanne Walsh of South Tipperary Development Company who is working in conjunction with Will Nugent.
"Youth Fest will provide a forum where youth can showcase their work in animation and film. Entries have been received from youth groups, schools and individuals. The innovative films created by the participants can be viewed at the South Tipperary Arts Centre by the public," said Suzanne.
And the entire event will culminate in a Gala Awards Ceremony where 32 awards will be awarded - one winner for each category and the coveted overall winner. Acknowledging the recessionary times that we are now living through, this event will not be black tie, although you are expected to 'dress-to-impress'. Tickets will cost €40 with lots of merrymaking and fun guaranteed.
Tickets are available from Will Nugent or Knocklofty House Hotel. If you have any questions please contact Will Nugent at willcanact@yahoo.ie or check out http://www.amritsa.com/eire/index.htm for all information regarding films, times and venues.
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Weather for Clonmel
Tuesday 07 February 2012
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