West Cork film lovers have yet another event to enjoy with the inaugural Gearr film festival set to open its doors this October.

The four-day event aims to bring together some of the finest upcoming and established talent in the world of short films at The Arc Cinema on Leeside opening on October 8. Local filmmakers will be highlighted in categories titled ‘Perspectives’ and ‘Pastiche’ as part of the Made in Cork instalment.

These short films will explore poetry, memory, and connections, from pulp, sci-fi, and ‘county’ westerns to thrillers, heists, horror, and dark comedy. The short films that fall under the Irish or world categories will be delivered in two separate instalments.

The festival looks to build on the legacy of Indie Cork, which had its final outing last year. There will be four festival awards decided by an industry jury at the end of the festival, namely a Best ‘Made in Cork’, The Blacknight Award for Best Irish Short, Best International Short and The Spirit of Gearr Award.

“Short films have always had a special place in independent cinema,” said Peter Zemek, the festival director. “It gives filmmakers the freedom to experiment, take chances and tell stories that might not otherwise find their way to the screen. It can be intimate, unexpected, funny, difficult, beautiful or all of these things at once.”