International Women’s Day is this Saturday. The purpose of the day is to raise global awareness about the inequalities and injustices our mothers, sisters, aunts, daughters, friends and cousins face each and every single day. Here at the DISFMF blog I have chosen to do my part for the cause and dedicate Short of the […]
Despite the fact I suffered through Honours Irish in school, I never liked it. In retort, my teachers would heckle … It’s your national language! Your culture and heritage are embedded in it! But try as they might with their nationalist rhetoric, no amount of De Valera’s best catchphrases could entice me. I would always […]
Feel Good Lost are becoming a bit of music video force in Ireland. Led by Brendan Canty, these gentlemen are the ones responsible for the music video behind Hozier’s Take Me to Church. That video has now gleaned almost two million hits on youtube. A while back I spoke to Brendan about his passion for […]
The Lunch Date is one of my favorite shorts. In just ten black-and-white minutes, it packs a powerful punch that many features length films never achieve. In a most simple and sublime manner, it covers a multitude of issues from race and class to the power of unquestioned privilege. All eloquently achieved, by one elderly […]
A film maker recently came to me asking for advice on the best short film festivals in Ireland. I did a quick search around to see what pre-existing wisdom was out there on the topic, and while I found lots of good advice on general submissions, I found nothing about shorts in an Irish context, […]
‘Pride is a personal commitment. It is an attitude which separates excellence from mediocrity’, William Blake; so opens my short of the week, Virtus. This offering, is non-other than The Best Irish Short at the DISFMF festival last year. Made by Declan O’ Mahony and Barry McCarthy, of mp2films, the stylized documentary follows the work […]
I have become obsessed with this band, and not just for their music. Their videos are original, artistic and hauntingly beautiful. To me, these days, a good music video is just as important at the music it underwrites. While music is emotive in its own right, the cineaste in me is always drawn to artists […]
Being a film student is awful. I’ve been one, and it’s a wonder I didn’t end up in hospital with a stomach ulcer from worry. While other students may feel their lot is bad, nothing, NOTHING is as poor as the lot of a film student. You attend class, talks, workshops, do the necessary assignments, […]
Last October at the Cork Film Festival I attended a talk with Fred and Gemma of Fat Rat Films. They make charity and documentary films, and in one day they managed to get 25 million views for their short, Act of Terror. Which God did they pray to, you ask? Well, no God. They planned […]
Sadly, I am biased in this. Naturally I am going to say this festival is exceptional; this festival is unique and that this festival is a great platform. Of course I would say that, I work with the festival. However, I can offer you something else that might convince you; my experience as a submitting […]