LAST Friday, Ireland’s Young Filmmaker of the Year 2020 moved one step closer to crowning its winners by announcing some of its finalists at the Limerick Munster regional heats, which took place at the Belltable Arts Centre. Films screened at the Limerick Munster regional heats included films from Clare and Limerick. Three Limerick filmmakers who each made music videos made it through to the final including ‘You’ by Shane Joyce aged 18,which is a music video shot for an amazing up and coming singer-songwriter friend Eve Montgomery who said, “The songs and video are about the feelings you can have looking back on a relationship. Reminiscing in both the good times and the bad.”
Next up is ‘Blue Lights’ by Luke Culhane aged 17, which is a music video with Limerick rap artist Owen Alfred on his latest single. Luke said, “It took over 3 days of shooting and long nights to get the shots we wanted but overall I think we both knew we had something special.The fact that everything was shot in Limerick in six locations makes the video so much better. I hope this video helps promote the hip hop scene in Limerick and encourages more hip hop artists in Limerick to release their own music and be proud of where they come from.”
‘Falling Slowly’ by Jane Hartnett, 14 who is in second year at Limerick Educate Together, is a creative animation responding to and echoing one of the key issues among young people in Ireland today,mental health.The film is a sensitive visual response to the beautiful lyrics and music of Glen Hansard and Czech Markéta Irglová’s Oscar-winning song. Jane’s teacher Norma Lowney tells, “I had the honour of performing the song live with musician Ger O’Donnell at the Limerick Educate Together annual winter concert,which was held in UCH last December and Jane created this animation, especially for the performance. Interestingly I got in touch with Glen Hansard through his
management team and he sent her a message admiring her work!” As Jane’s animated music video is through to the final this means the possibility of winning this year’s Boulder Media Animation Award. Audience Awards were announced following each regional screening and Oisin McKeogh from Killaloe was announced as the winner of the Audience Award for the Limerick Heat for his film
‘Midsummer Beauty’. The film is about a teenage girl named Luna who struggles with a crush on her best friend.
Films shortlisted for the final will be screened at Fresh International Film Festival 2020 in Limerick from March 23 to 28 and Ireland’s Young Filmmaker of the Year Awards will be presented on March 25 for the Junior category and March 26 for the Senior category. Other highlights of Fresh International Film Festival 2020 include feature screenings and workshops including a Careers in Screen workshop with industry professionals. See www.freshfilmfestival.com.
