Box office ‘essential’ to success of film festival
“Not having a main sponsor makes a huge difference to the festival. When Murphys were on board, the festival grew and now we have to maintain that standard. We’re barely managing,” she said, prior to the launch of the festival programme at Luigi Malones yesterday afternoon.
The 48th Cork Film Festival is hugely dependent on the box office and Emer says about 35,000 people will pass through the Cork Opera House, the Triskel Arts Centre and the Kino where films will be screened.
Other funding comes through the patron scheme and some sponsorship from a number of cultural institutes as well as Fords and Jameson.
Media sponsors of the festival are the Irish Examiner and 96FM. A fund- raising raffle with tickets costing 50 will take place a week after the festival and it is hoped a celebrity “who has not yet been disclosed” will attend the event.
When Cork becomes the Capital of Culture in 2005, the film festival will be celebrating 50 years in existence.
“Obviously, we are applying for funding from the Capital of Culture for our 50th celebrations,” says Ms O’Herlihy.
The festival opens with Song for a Raggy Boy based on an autobiographical story by Cork writer Patrick Galvin. It is directed by Aisling Walsh and stars Aidan Quinn, who will attend the screening. Other visitors to the festival will include John Hurt who will be given a Lifetime Achievement Award. He is expected to partake in a public interview on a flying visit to Cork on Saturday October 18.
As well as feature films, 80 short films will we screened for the international competition and 40 new Irish shorts will compete for the Jameson Short Film Award.
Documentaries will include Charlie: The Life and Art of Charles Chaplin.
For more information, visit www.corkfilmfest.org
