Schull putting final touches to Film Festival preparations

Artist Mark Cronin at the launch of the 7th Corona Fastnet Short Film Festival in Schull. It runs from Wednesday May 20th until Sunday May 24th, with guests including FA chairman Greg Dyke and director Lenny Abrahamson.

WITH just days to go to the Corona Fastnet Short Film Festival, which takes place in Schull from 20th-24th May, the town is gearing up for an influx of celebrities and film fans.

Oscar-winning director John Madden will take part in the ‘Big Interview’ with British FA chairman and former BBC director general Greg Dyke on Sunday May 24th.

This is just one of the highlights of a festival that includes the attendance of director Lenny Abrahamson whose film Frank, will be screened, along with Life’s a Breeze, with Pat Shortt in attendance, and John Carney’s film Once.

Other names due to arrive in Schull are Nick Knowles, Jim Sheridan, Maureen Hughes, Carmel Winters and Pat Kiernan.

‘The line-up this year is unprecedented, with over 30 expert guests taking part,’ says the festival’s communications director Hilary McCarthy. Aidan Stanley with join Ciaran Crowley, Conor Slattery, Dan O’Connell, Frank Mueller, Gaby Smyth, Gerry Stembridge, Gwenda Young, Hilary Durman, John Miller, Jurgen Simpson, Kelly Thornton, Maria McKee, Mary Wycherley, Maurice Seezer, Myles O’Reilly, Noel Goodwin, and Rob Cullen.

Also featured at the festival will be in excess of 300 screenings, local interest films, World Cinema programmes from Spain, Sardinia, Poland, Germany, USA and Mexico. The BFI Future Film Festival’s winning shorts will be presented by festival director Noel Goodwin.

The Corona Fastnet Short Film Festival is a major showcase for Irish and International short film production, focusing on the craft of film and has been held in high regard on a local, national and international level for several years now.

The 2015 festival focuses on the ‘Collaborative Nature of the Film Making Process’ and this year will run a series of seminars and workshops including casting and acting with Maureen Hughes and Pat Kiernan and a post-production workshop run by Windmill Lane Studios VFX.

Fringe events will include the Ceiling Cinema, a ‘Mirror Cam’, screenings on Long Island, a movie quiz presented by BBC’s Nick Knowles, café viewing all over town, live music, high quality family entertainment, and more. See fastnetshortfilmfestival.com