Several award-winning Irish filmmakers will present their new short films as part to the Oscailt premiere at the Cork Film Festival next Saturday 20th October.
Peter Foott, whose previous shorts include ‘The Carpenter’ and ‘His Clumsy Wife’, will screen his latest short ‘An Creatur’ at the fest. Produced by Cormac Fox and Daniel McCrea with Vico Films, the film spans the first 15 years of the main character Conor Buckley's life. The short tells of a childhood prank which leaves Conor paralysed by guilt; forcing him to correct his own mistake the only way he knows how.
IFTA nominated director Sonya Gildea's ‘Bua’ will also screen. Written and directed by Gildea, ‘Bua’ also won the Best Short Screenplay Columbine Award at the Moondance International Festival, and the Best Short Screenplay Bronze Award at the International Screenwriter's Awards USA. The film, which stars Mick Lally (Glenroe), Jemma Harris and Marcus Lamb, tells of a young girl's fierce will to survive. She drives herself on, her horse beneath her, until she must set him free and in so doing, free herself from her troubled past. ‘Bua’ is produced by Kirsten Sheridan for Blindside Films.
Other films in the Oscailt programme include Cathal Watters’ short ‘ Rolla Saor’. Produced by Rachel Lysaght for Fastnet Films and written by Brendan Griffin, the short tells the story of Marc and Ruth, who find a new found interest in photographing each other after a chance photograph Marc takes of Ruth on the beach. Lysaght’s previous shorts include ‘3Minute 4Play’ and IFTA award-winning ‘Joyriders’.
'An Teanga’ is the directorial debut of Eoghan Mac Giolla Bhride, an Irish language writer who also wrote this short film. Produced by Ciaran O Cofaigh for ROSG and starring Keith McErlean and Macdara O Fatharta, ‘An Teanga’ is an absurd tale in which a lowly office clerk loses his tongue and is forced to confront the Establishment when he can't talk and they won't listen.
The Oscailt scheme, which aims to encourage original talent in all areas of Irish language short film making, is funded by Bord Scannan na hEireann/the Irish Film Board and TG4.
The four Oscailt shorts will screen in the Kino Cinema, Washington Street, Cork at 4pm on Saturday 20th October.