In
Ireland, the film and television industry is crammed with talent, every
year brings new individuals who are looking to break onto the Irish and
international scene. IFTN has compiled the profiles of some Irish directors
who are on the move.
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Lenny
Abrahamson is one of this Summer's hottest tickets, after wowing audiences
at the Galway Film Fleadh, his debut feature 'Adam & Paul' is poised
to hit Irish cinemas on the 27th of August 2004.
Lenny
began his filmmaking career while studying philosophy at Trinity College
Dublin.
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He
co-founded The Trinity Video Society with Ed Guiney (Element Films), "when
we were both babies and had hair" says Lenny. After graduating with
first class honours he was torn between philosophy or film. For a time
after graduation he did both; directing 16mm short '3 Joes' and studied
at Stanford University in California on a PhD scholarship in 1991. '3
Joes' went on to win Best European Short Film award at the Cork Film Festival,
the Audience Award at the Galway Film Fleadh and the Organiser¹s
Award at the Oberhausen Short Film Festival.
Upon
his return to Ireland he made a decision to concentrate on being a director.
Around this time he met Jonny Speers, he describes as "the best commercials
producer in the country" and their friendship developed into a successful
working relationship. Lenny subsequently built up an impressive cv as
a commercials director, most notably directing the popular Carlsberg Dream
Nightclub and Dream Flat adverts.
Producer
Jonny Speers introduced him to Mark O'Halloran, who had just completed
penning the script for 'Adam & Paul', and after some time in development
the film was finally shot during the winter of 2003. "It's original
and brilliant and I'm very proud of it," says Lenny and after picking
up the award for Best Irish Film at the Galway Film Fleadh hopes are high
for this his debut feature.
Lenny
is currently working on a number of projects including an adaptation with
Mark O'Halloran for Element Films and another project with Jonny Speers.
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Originally
from Ballyfermot in Dublin, Jimmy moved to New York 10 years ago after
spending time living on the streets in Dublin. There he worked in construction
and met up with the late Chris O'Neill where they set up the Irish Bronx
Theatre. He co-wrote, directed and starred in the acclaimed film '2x4'
which picked up the best Cinematography Award at the Sundance Film Festival
in 2000.
Since
1999 Jimmy has been working on the movie 'Pushers Needed' which is now
scheduled for production in July starring an ensemble cast including Joan
Allen, Kathy Bates, Claire Danes and Brenda Bleythn. Jimmy wrote and will
direct the movie which is being produced by Irish company Parallel Films
who produced the most successful Irish funded film of last year 'Intermission'
- starring Colin Farrell and Cillian Murphy.
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Northern
Ireland native Scott Morgan has been working as a filmmaker since the
mid-nineties. After graduating from Queen's University of Belfast in 1995
with a degree in English Language and Literature, he completed a post-graduate
CSV Media Course with BBC Northern Ireland. This concluded in his directing
the short documentary 'Freewheelin'
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which
was short-listed for the 1997 Lloyds Bank Film Challenge.
The
majority of his work has been in micro budget short films shot on DV Cameras,
wrapping a total of nine short drama's since 1997. His is described as
a 21st century auteur, taking the writer, director, cinematographer and
editor credits on all of his movies. His short entitled 'Johnny Baxter's
Head' won the Audience Award, Belfast Independent Film Festival in 2001.
An
inspiration to the new generation of 'guerrilla' filmmakers in Ireland,
Scot is currently working with Dublin based production company Samson
Films developing his debut feature film 'Baby Baby' which is scheduled
to enter pre-production this Autumn.
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A
former copywriter, John Simpson is the writer/director of the recently
released 'Freeze Frame.' This, his debut film, has received acclaim from
Irish and international audiences with particular praise lopped on the
production design and performances from comedian Lee Evans and Sean McGinley.
John Simpson is another new director who honed his craft in
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advertising,
working at the BBC for many years directing many award winning promos.
In
2000, John directed the short film 'Mysterious Ways' collaborating with
most of the production team who would eventually work on 'Freeze Frame'
four years later, including Green Park Films producer Michale Casey .
John is currently wowing festival audiences with 'Freeze Frame', picking
up the Grand Jury BNL Award. He is also busy working on a new thriller
script.
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David
Gleeson's directorial debut feature 'Cowboy's & Angles' has just been
released in Irish cinemas. Having already received awards and praise at
festivals around the globe it's producers hope it will become the Irish
hit of the Summer season. Gleeson, who also wrote the film, has emerged
as a rising hot commodity in Irish cinema, yet despite his
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family
background in Irish cinema (his father and grandfather both involved in
the industry since the 1940's opening the first cinema's in Limerick)
David has not had a straight and narrow road to success.
Now
35, David began his career at the age of 19, writing and directing his
first short film 'Class Control'. In 1988 David went to Scotland to study
Communications where he continued to write and direct theatre plays and
several short films. After his studies David worked on an oil rig in the
North Sea, initially there to fund his next film project, the smell of
money was too sweet to resist and he stayed for seven years. In 1997 he
left the oil business and enrolled at the New York Film Academy where
he wrote directed the award winning short film 'Feels Like Home' which
debuted on RTE in September 2002. Here he met wife and 'Cowboys &
Angels' producer Nathalie Lichtenthaleler.
David's
last short film, 'Hunted' - which he shot just prior to 'Cowboys &
Angels' - was released nationwide in cinemas before the No1 Irish movie
of 2003 Joel Schumacher's 'Veronica Guerin' and finally he began shooting
his debut feature 'Cowboys & Angels' in Limerick at the end of 2001.
Having
just returned from a research trip to the Congo, David's next feature
will be 'The Front Line' which he also wrote. The film centres around
an African immigrant bank security guard who turns the tables on Dublin's
criminal underworld when they force him to take part in a robbery at the
bank and is scheduled for production in early 2005 with Nathalie Lichtenthaeler
resuming her role as producer.
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37
year old Northern Ireland native Terry Loane, has just completed posting
his debut feature entitled 'Mickybo & Me' at Shepperton studios in
London. Terry adapted the film from Owen McCafferty's play 'Mojo Mickybo'
and attracted the attention of some of the industries finest producers.
Mark Huffin (The Hours) and Stephen Daldry (Billy Elliot) at
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Working
Title Films, financed the £3million production that promises to
be a comedy smash, as recent test screenings suggest, both at home and
abroad.
Terry
graduated from the Belfast University of Ulster on York St with a Masters
Degree in 1994. Having specialised in Photography, Terry did not have
an instant rapport with the moving image. After graduating he worked as
a designer for theater and commercial work and was designer on the Academy
Award winning film 'Dance Lexi Dance'
Continuing
to work successfully in theatre commercials and shorts Terry directed
his first short film 'Cluck' in 1997.
In
1998 he began adapting the play and took it to the Moonstone screenwriters
lab in 2001 and again in 2002 at the directors lab. Here he benefited
immensely from the time given to experimentation, casting and rehearsing
and working with a professional crew. Once funding was secured from Working
Title, pre production began on 'Mickybo & Me'. Describing the movie
making process as a "rollercoaster ride" Terry believes he had
an easier road to travel than most debut directors. He says it is always
"a case of two steps forward, one step back" for first time
directors like himself and "in a business that likes to make lots
of money and take no risks" it was a "big risk" for producers
to take the project on.
'Mickybo
& Me' will be world premiere at the forthcoming Edinburgh Film Festival
on the 24th of August 2004. Terry is currently taking some time out to
relax with his family and plans to begin work on a new script later in
the year.
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Conor
began making short films using his dad's video camera at the age of 15.
Using his brothers and friends as actors he experimented in making drama,
action, kung fu films and finally his favourite genre, horror. "It
was always fun to come up with new ways to kill your friends off"
says Conor.
In
1998, Conor directed three short films entitled 'Tales of Terror' that
won him 2nd place at the Limerick Fresh Film Festival, following this
he enrolled at the Dun Laoghaire Institute of Art Design and Technology
to study film. Throughout his studies he remained loyal to horror and
made feature film 'Braineater' for his graduate film. This went on to
win 1st place at film festivals in Spain and Turin and took 2nd place
at the Dead by Dawn horror film festival in Edinburgh. Unfortunately 'Braineater'
was rejected by the Galway Film Fleadh that year for being "in bad
taste."
Conor
soon came into contact with fellow horror fiends Ed King and
Michael Griffin, who run the Horrorthon festival in Dublin. The three
decided to make a horror feature and began developing the script for zombie
film 'Dead Meat.' The film was funded by the popular Irish Film Board
micro budget scheme and has just finished post-production. "The idea
was based around mad cow disease infecting humans, and turning
Them into flesh eating zombies. Nice family entertainment," says
Conor.
Conor
hopes to continue developing horror films with is producing partners and
is currently working on a feature written by Cornelius Browne.
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Pearse
Elliot has just completed principal photography on his debut feature film
'The Mighty Celt.' Starring Robert Carlyle and Gillian Anderson the film
is a coming of age comedy set in the world of Greyhound racing.
32
year old, Pearse grew up in West Belfast with six siblings and a wagon
load of lurchers, terriers, pigeons and ferrets. After being expelled
from school for "misdemenaours, university was a non starter so Pearse
began working his way around the United States and Europe. In 1996 his
writing career finally kicked off when he won BBC Young Playwright of
the Year Award for a radio play which was later nominated for a Sony Award.
Since
then his career as a writer, and now director, has continued to gather
momentum. He has most recently received critical acclaim for self penned
and directed original 10-part television series 'Pulling Moves' and his
feature script 'Man About Dog,' and produced by Rob Walpole and Simon
Channing-Williams, is scheduled for release in the coming months. Another
feature script 'The Holy Holy Bus' just been commissioned by '28 Days
Later' and 'Trainspotting' producer Andrew McDonald of DNA Films.
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Síofra
Campbell (34) hails from Swords Co. Dublin. She was a member of the National
Youth Theatre in 1988 and went on to study Theatre and English at the
University of Ulster at Coleraine, graduating with first class honours.
In
the three years that followed, she was
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involved
in starting
up two experimental theatre companies in Belfast, producing new work and
undertaking large-scale community theatre projects. She was also at that
time a founding member of Catalyst Arts (Belfast), which continues today
to be one of the most cutting-edge artists' groups in Ireland. Síofra
moved to London to take up the postion of Assistant Director at The Bush
Theatre, the only theatre in Britain which produces solely new work. She
subsequently worked as assistant director to internationally renowned
theatre director Robert Wilson at his Long Island artists' enclave.
After
a stint in the play development department at The Joseph Papp Public Theatre
in New York, Síofra again took the position of Assistant Director.
While working there, she retained the services of cinematographer Michael
McDonough (Bowling For Columbine and Sundance 2004 winner Down to the
Bone) to create an effect for a show. Despite the fact that she had no
more than a passing interest in film per se, and absolutely no experience
in filmmaking, Michael persuaded her to test her skills behind the camera.
Guerilla-style, they shot a feature-length film which was ultimately never
finished through lack of finance.
However,
Síofra caught the bug and has since written and directed ten no-budget
short films. An art-installation film she collaborated on with Irish artist
Gerard Byrne has been shown in Bristol, Copenhagen, Frankfurt, Sindelfingen,
Limerick, and at The Whitney Museum of American Art, New York. It has
also sold into the collection at FRAC, Calais, France. She has a number
of other film and television projects in development and is warming up
to direct 'Farmers On E', which marks her offical debut as a feature film
director. Canadian based company Temple Street Productions are producing
with Robert Carlyle and Ewen Bremner lined up to star. Shooting is scheduled
for 2005.
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Dubliner
Karl Golden, graduated from the Dublin Institute of Technology, Angier
Street in 1997. Since then he has worked on a number of projects including
writing and directing his feature film debut 'The Honeymooners.'
Karl
has a long running relationship with
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David
Collin's Samson Films and has directed short films 'Beached' (2002) 'Dogsbody'
(1999) with the company. He has also directed 'Love and Death on Rapid
Transit' (1997) with the DIT and 'Still Rain' (1998) with Jack Armstrong
(Indi Films). His debut feature 'The Honeymooners' starring Jonathon Byrne
and Alex Reid was also produced by Samson Films in conjunction with Karl's
London based production company Utah Films. 'The Honeymooners' was released
in March 2004 and saw a successful return at the Irish and UK box office.
Karl is currently working in London on many new projects including feature
film 'Lifestyle' written by Howard Schuman.
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34
year old Oda O'Carroll is a well known figure in the Irish entertainment
industries, having worked here for a number of years. Taking on roles
from researcher, presenter, writer, director, producer, promotions manager
to travel writer; Oda has performed well in every challenge she has come
across in her professional career.
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Oda
has a mammoth list of credits to her name and has worked with RTE, Magma
Films, Frontier Films, Dreamchaser Films to name but a few. She graduated
from the College of Commerce, Dublin with a Diploma (Hons) in Communications
Studies and has since trained as a director on Martin Duffy's 'The Boy
From Mercury,' Noel Pearson's 'Frankie Starlight' and Ronan O'Leary's
'Driftwood.' In 1997 she won a screenwriting award from Women in Film
and Television for her script for the short film called 'On the Pig's
Back.'
Oda
O'Carroll is currently working with Wildfire Films on the TG4-commissioned
documentary about weather prediction called 'When Pigs Carry Sticks.'
Now in post production, the film is scheduled for transmission in December.
Oda also has a number of pilots and short films in development.
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Armagh
native Brian Kirk holds a Post-Graduate Diploma in Film and Television
from the University of Bristol, and an MA Hons in English Literature from
the University of Edinburgh. Whilst studying he wrote the short film Brotherly
Love that won the Carlton Television Award for Best Screenplay in the
1994 Fuji Film Scholarships. In 1996 Brian was nominated for Best Director
in the BAFTA Scotland 'New Talent' awards for 'Here's Johnny' a short
which he wrote and directed.
Since
then he has worked on a number of television and film projects and was
nominated for another BAFTA in 2001 for television series ' Hearts and
Bones.' Most recently he has been working on the popular BBC television
series 'Pulling Moves' and 'Murphy's Law' and is currently developing
a number of feature projects, 'Middletown' with Greenpark Films &
The Irish Film Board, 'Sin Spree' with Greenpark films and 'Hand Me Down'
with Blair Breard and Nick Hershkom.
Compiled by Tanya Warren.
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