Volkswagen Joe and Fear of Flying, the winning shorts of the 7th Irish Film Festa

Volkswagen JoeThe 7th edition of Irish Film Festa closed yesterday night with the screening of Good Vibrations.

The winning short films of the competition have also been announced:

Best short film of the live action category is Volkswagen Joe directed by Brian Deane; the award was accepted by lead actor Stuart Graham.

The jury, composed by Mauro Gervasini (Film Tv editor in chief), Anna Maria Pasetti (journalist and film critic) e Max Giovagnoli (Cinema & New Media – IED Roma) praised the short «for the construction of the characters and the performances, for the coherence of the settings and the effectiveness of the cinematography, and for its skillful narrative construction, which surpasses in breadth and ambition the constraints of the short form».

Best short film in the animation category is Fear of Flying directed by Connor Finnegan, awarded by a jury composed by students and teachers from IED Roma, one of the partner of the festival.

The guests of the 7th edition

Amy-Joyce Hastings
Amy-Joyce Hastings

The 7th edition of IRISH FILM FESTA will remember Peter O’Toole, one of the most popular and loved Irish actors who died last December at the age of 81, through a public interview with his daughter, actress Kate O’Toole, guest of honour of the festival.

Graham Cantwell and Amy-Joyce Hastings, director and lead actress of The Callback Queen, will give a film-acting workshop for students and actors in training (more info coming soon).
Hastings is also the author of Nocturne Passage, one of the short films in competition at the festival.

The other guests of IRISH FILM FESTA will be Stuart Graham, in the cast of Made in Belfast and lead actor of two shorts in competition, Brian Deane’s Volkswagen Joe and John Hayes’ The Girl; Ciarán McMenamin, lead actor of Made in Belfast; Lelia Doolan, author of the documentary Bernadette – Notes on a Political Journey; author of this year Irish Classic Atlantean, Bob Quinn; and Black Ice‘s director Johnny Gogan, who will also take part in a workshop dedicated to the Irish film and TV industry, Meet Ireland on Screen.

The 7th edition of IRISH FILM FESTA will take place from March 27th to 30th, at the Casa del Cinema in Rome.

Irish Film Festa to honor Peter O’Toole with Kate O’Toole as special guest

Kate O'TooleThe 7th edition of IRISH FILM FESTA will honor Peter O’Toole, one of the most popular and loved Irish actors who died last December at the age of 81.

O’Toole was born in Connemara, on August 2nd, 1932. He was never awarded an Oscar but received eight nominations as best actor in a leading role (Lawrence of Arabia, Becket, The Lion in Winter, Goodbye, Mr. Chips, The Ruling Class, The Stuntman, My Favourite Years, and Venus) and a Honorary Award in 2003.

Our special guest for this occasion will be Peter’s daughter, actress Kate O’Toole.

IRISH FILM FESTA will take place from March 27th to 30th at the Casa del Cinema in Rome.

John Butler’s The Stag to open the 7th edition of the festival

John Butler‘s The Stag will open the 7th edition of Irish Film Festa: The Stag was screened at the last Torino Film Festival in the Festa Mobile/Europop section and will open in Irish cinemas on March 7th.

The film stars Andrew Scott, Hugh O’Conor, Peter McDonald, Brian Gleeson, Andrew Bennett, Michael Legge and Amy Huberman.

The Stag poster

Fionnan is busy organizing his own wedding, but he would rather do without the usual stag party. However, his fiancée Ruth insists and so Fionnan and his long-time friends get ready to spend a relaxing weekend in the Irish countryside. Or at least that is the plan, which does not include the presence of Ruth’s brother, known by all as “the Machine.” His dominating personality and his talent for seeking out danger to prove his masculinity transform the weekend into a decidedly unforgettable adventure.

John Butler (Dublin), director and writer, directed commercials and documentaries before collaborating with Rory Bresnihan on the short George, which was nominated for the Irish Film and Television Awards in 2005. He won this award in 2011 for directing the TV series Your Bad Self. That same year the publishing house Picador published his debut novel The Tenderloin, nominated for the Irish Book Awards. The Stag is his first feature-length fiction.

Irish Film Festa will take splace from March 27th to 30th at the Casa del Cinema in Roma.

Short films selection 2014

Fifteen short films have been selected for the 2014 Irish Film Festa competition.

Since the number and quality of entries exceeded our expectations we decided to accept five more shorts in addition to the expected ten.

Ten shorts will compete in the live action category and five shorts will compete in the animation one.

Here’s the list:

LIVE ACTION
I Can’t See You Anymore Michael Kinirons
Mechanic Tom Sullivan, Feidlim Cannon
Morning Cathy Brady
Nocturne Passage Amy-Joyce Hastings
Off Your Trolley Terence White
Stolen Yvonne Keane
The Daisy Chain Denis Fitzpatrick, Ken Williams
The Girl John Hayes
Tidings Greg Colley
Volkswagen Joe Brian Deane

ANIMATION
After You Damien O’Connor
Fear of Flying Conor Finnegan
Irish Folk Furniture Tony Donogue
Learning to Fish Teemu Auersalo
Two Wheels Good Barry Gene Murphy

The 7th edition of Irish Film Festa will take place from March 27th to 30th at the Casa del Cinema in Rome. More details about the programme coming soon.

Follow us also on twitter @IrishFilmFesta

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