Kerry Film Festival

The Kerry Film Festival is an annual film festival in County Kerry, Republic of Ireland.

The Kerry Film Festival is funded by the Arts Council of Ireland, Kerry County Council, Fáilte Ireland, as well as having corporate sponsorship.[1]

Kerry Film Festival was established in 2000 but remained a small regional festival throughout its first years, with a mere 1,700 attendees at the 2006 festival. Then, in 2007, the festival exploded becoming the fastest growing festival in all of Ireland, with audiences increasing by nearly 600% from 2006 to 2011 when its audience topped 10,000 for the first time.[2]

The main feature of the festival is a short film competition which focuses on young filmmakers. Past adjudicators of the Kerry Film Festival Short Film Competition have included Jeremy Irons, Liam Neeson, Michael Fassbender and Gabriel Byrne. The festival also screens feature films.

In 2008 Kerry Film Festival instigated the Maureen O'Hara Award for women that have excelled in film and Brenda Fricker was the inaugural recipient.[3] The award was presented to her by Jim Sheridan, who directed her in the Oscar winning My Left Foot (1989). In 2009 the award was presented to Rebecca Miller[4] who was in Kerry to pick up the award with her husband, Daniel Day-Lewis at a ceremony with Dave Fanning as MC.

In 2010 Maureen O'Hara attended the festival and presented the award in person to Juliette Binoche Fionnula Flanagan picked up the award in 2011 while Saoirse Ronan won the award in 2012.

Maureen O'Hara Award Recipients

The festival has screenings in Tralee, Listowel, Dingle, Kenmare and Waterville.

References

  1. ↑ "Kerry Film Festival Announces Line-Up". Irish Film and Television Network. 5 October 2007. Retrieved 14 March 2010. The 8th Annual Samhlaíocht Kerry Film Festival has announced its line-up for this year fest
  2. ↑ http://www.irishfilmboard.ie/irish_film_industry/news/Kerry_Film_Festivals_New_Venture_Secret_Cine_Club_Goes_From_Strength_to_Strength/2238
  3. ↑ Lucey, Anne (28 October 2008). "Fricker to receive Maureen O'Hara award". The Irish Times (Irish Times Trust). Retrieved 14 March 2010.
  4. ↑ "Miller to be honoured at film festival". The Irish Times (Irish Times Trust). 30 August 2009. Retrieved 14 March 2010.

External links