Festival Highlights

[Dan]

The Festival is 3 days in, So far so Good!
Some of the best shorts I have ever seen were screened over the past few days in the International section but 3 or 4 of them just keep popping up in my mind.

I thought it might be nice to reccommend a few of the shorts i have seen that may be playing again in the next few days if you can manage to get to see them it will be worth it. Feel free to add to this thread and let us know what films jumped off the screen for you.

5 stars
[quote:9e7e8]Blood Sisters
Blodsøstre
Louise N D Friedberg
Denmark | 2006 | 29mins | Beta | Colour | Subtitled
Seven-year-old Sidsel adores her best friend Dea. However, when Caroline moves into their building, Dea abandons Sidsel. The battle for love has commenced and it soon gets bloody.
Grand Prix for Best Short Film – Melbourne International Film Festival, 2007[/quote:9e7e8]
This one is such a beautiful story that I think wnayone who had a friend growing up will relate to, Cinematograohy was awe inspiring, acting was superb, this 7yr old girl deserves an Oscar, seriously! Try to catch it somewhere if you can.

5 stars
[quote:9e7e8]The Last Dog In Rwanda
Den Sista Hunden I Rwanda
Jens Assur
Sweden | 2006 | 30mins | 35mm | Colour | Subtitled
An exploration of war throughout the course of life itself, from a boyhood obsession to the all too real extremities of the Rwandan conflict.[/quote:9e7e8]
Beautiful imagery, excellent production, fantastic script can’t say enough good things about this, its just fabulous, feels like a feature film and a good one at that. this is playing again during the festval "8 great shorts programme" worth going to see this programme just for this film alone.

4 stars
[quote:9e7e8]Spider
Nash Edgerton
Australia | 2007 | 9mins | 35mm | Colour
It’s all fun and games until someone loses an eye.[/quote:9e7e8]
Great little short, nice n quick, no messing, great fun.
Plaing again in the Inernational shorts programme 7

4 stars
[quote:9e7e8]Tolya
Rodeon Brodsky
Israel | 2006 | 10mins | Beta | Colour | Subtitled
On International Women’s Day Tolya is speechless as he calls Natasha, his wife. He can’t pronounce anything but a whistling mumble.[/quote:9e7e8]
Very Simple, great story well told, but its the character of Toyla is the best thing about this film.

4 stars
[quote:9e7e8]George Grows
Georg Wächst
Martin Schmidt
Germany | 2007 | 2mins | Beta | Colour
Little George is about one year old when he experiences the shock of his life.[/quote:9e7e8]
Great animated short, simple concept well executed, I’ve seen it done before but not quite as good as this.

[quinny]

Didn’t make it up for the MID, what was the standard like, any good films to look out for, apart from voices of course…

[Adrian]

So far I didn’t get as to see as many films as I hoped to see but out of the few that I did see I really enjoyed. The stand out film for me has to be EARTH. Incredible. It’s going on general release in a few weeks, It’s well worth checking out.
[img:c90d1]http://www.festivalbooking.net/images/galas/galas-doc.jpg[/img:c90d1]

http://www.loveearth.com

[Dan]

[quote:4f23d]Didn’t make it up for the MID, what was the standard like, any good films to look out for, apart from voices of course…[/quote:4f23d]

I’ll assume you meant MIC,

Yea some pretty stiff competition at the made in Cork section,
[quote:4f23d]Extracting Money
Niall O’Keeffe
Ireland | 2007 | 4mins | Beta | Colour
A young girl is determined to buy a new doll but she does not have enough money. What can she do?[/quote:4f23d]
A wonderful tale of a child so desperate for money she decides to get it from the tooth fairy by pulling out her teeth. great short, well done Niall

Also worth mentioning was
[quote:4f23d]Torture Is Us
Noel Twomey
Ireland | 2006 | 29mins | DVD | Colour
Scooter Twomey endeavours to set up his own independent torture company in lieu of the CIA being banned from Europe for extraordinary rendition.[/quote:4f23d]
A great comedy documentary, some really funny bits, Scooters performance was cheeky and fun.

[quote:4f23d]The Hound & The Host
Paul Callanan
Ireland | 2007 | 20mins | Beta | Colour
For years Marcus Nolan has been photographing hidden symbols in the landscape and collecting old folk tales from the West of Ireland. One day in the mountains he finds his Holy Grail.[/quote:4f23d]
Very well made documentary, Marcus Nolans character is priceless, great timing, great length well produced.

[quote:4f23d]Mosquito Bites
Treasa O’Brien
Ireland | 2007 | 12mins | DVD | Colour
Exploring the phenomenon of the ‘mosquito’ – an ultrasonic sound used as a ‘deterrent’
against loitering teenagers in Cork city’s Rory Gallagher Square.
[/quote:4f23d]
Very well made documentary, the deafening sound at the end really made it, perfect to see it in the Cinema where you cant control the volume, this documentary made a very valid argument.

[quote:4f23d]Strangely Strange But Oddly Normal
Conor Heffernan
Ireland | 2007 | 30mins | DVD | Colour
A journey to meet sixties’ acid folk band, and the best kept secret in Irish rock history; Dr Strangely Strange.[/quote:4f23d]
Vey well produced documentary, i felt it may have been slightly long winded, would appeal more to people who knew the band i think but it has to be said the production value on this one was the best.

those were my favourite ones in order of preference, the rest were all pretty good, but i would put my money on one the ones above to win.

[Dan]

Best International Short Film
Tolya, Dir. Rodeon Brodsky, Israel

Special Mentions:
The Tube With A Hat, Dir. Radu Jude, Romania
Suburban Train, Dir. Maciej Cuske, Poland

PrixUIP Cork for Best European Short Film
The Apology Line, Dir. James Lees, England

Special Mention:
Frankie, Dir. Darren Thornton, Ireland
Jury Statement
The International Jury comment on the variation and high calibre of films in this year’s International Shorts programmes. They acknowledge the thoughtful way in which the programmes were assembled and feel that films within each programme complemented each other and took you all around the world. The jury shared similar sensibilities and, from a longlist of nineteen films and a shortlist of six, made a unanimous decision with relative ease. They commend the people of Cork for their support of the festival and appreciate the immediate responses they received from these generous audiences.

International Jury: Dieter Wiecorek, Germany; Paddy Jolley, Ireland; Felicity Sparrow, England.

Absolut Award for Best Irish Short Film
Frankie, Dir. Darren Thornton

Darren Thornton’s work demonstrates not only impressive accomplishment in the artistry of filmmaking, but also perceptive empathy with human frailty, taking a familiar ‘social problem’ subject and bringing it to very affecting life, in the person of a young boy trying very hard to do the right thing.

Special Mention
An Cailleach Bhéarra
Animator Naomi Wilson’s original vision and playfull inventivness enlivens this retelling of a traditional Irish legend with striking images that will remain with us for a long time to come.

Claire Lynch Award for Best First-time Irish Director
Death In The West, Dir. Keith Mannix

Director Keith Mannix’s work blends documentary with fiction to take us into the life of an elderly man and, with humour, compassion and patient observation, constructs from his day’s simple routines a deeply moving portrait.

Special Mention:
The Discreet Charms of the Refugee, Dir, Colm Quinn
Writer-Director Colm Quinn makes pointedly effective use of economical means to examine and critique the artifice of filmmaking’s pretensions to ‘truth’.

National Jury: Andrew Kötting, England; George Eldred, USA; Geraldine Gomez, France

Irish Examiner ‘Made In Cork’ Award
Torture Is Us, Dir. Noel Twomey

It’s not an exaggeration to say that the standard in the ‘Made In Cork’ category this year was higher than ever. And that made for a long and protracted discussion among the Jury members. So, after much horse-trading, it came down to two films. Sliding into a convincing second is Trails, Ciara Kennedy’s well-crafted, memorable and charming boy meets snail story. And for its significant accomplishment, we’d like to give Trails a special mention. A special mention also goes to Mosquito Bites.

However, the overall prize goes to a film depicting the questionable entrepreneurial skill of one Scooter Twomey. For its humorous approach to a serious subject – Ireland’s role in international torture through US ‘extraordinary rendition’ – this year’s Irish Examiner ‘Made In Cork’ award goes to Noel Twomey, for Torture Is Us.

‘Made In Cork’ Jury: Emma Bowell, Ian McDonagh, Ian Kilroy

Youth Jury Award for Best International Short Film
The Last Dog in Rwanda, Dir. Jens Assur, Sweden

Firstly we would like to thank Cork Film Festival, our parents and our schools for this great opportunity. We selected this film for its evocative, powerful and disturbing narrative. This is a story of two nihilistic men, their passion for war in their quest for glory and fame.

Youth Jury: David O’Mahony, Hayley Maher, Johannes Ruckstuhl

Gradam Gael Linn for Best Irish Language Short Film
Rolla Saor, Dir. Cathal Watters

‘Award of the Festival’ for Best Short Film
The Minutes After, Dir. Nikolay Todorov, Bulgaria

OutLook Award for Best LGBT Short Film
Gero, Gerd and the Great, Dir. Lisa Adler, Germany

Jury Statement
This is a memorable short film that explores sexuality and relationships through humour and music.

Audience Award for Best International Short Film
New Boy, Dir. Steph Green, Ireland

Audience Award for Best Irish Short Film
An Créatúr, Dir. Peter Foott

Kommando Film Award
Piebald, Dir. Michael O’Gorman

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