Teenagers’ film shortlisted for award at top festival

A GROUP of teenagers who made a film in a month have been selected for top awards at one of the world’s biggest movie festivals.

The Children was the product of the first National Youth Film School in Kilkenny last summer. It brought together 23 young people aged between 13 and 20 who spent a week learning the technical skills and the following four weeks shooting the film.

The film tells the story of a ragged group of orphan children who attempt a desperate walk to freedom across a war-torn country.

It is one of nine shortlisted feature films at the Moondance Film Festival next month, with the winner to be announced on May 17 in Colorado. The festival was recently voted the third most important in the world by industry professionals, ranked only after Cannes and Sundance.

One of the four co-directors, Ronan Doyle, was delighted to hear the news this week, although he is concentrating on his Leaving Certificate in June.

“This was my first experience of film-making, but I’ve always been interested in film and I hope to do media or film in college,” said the 18-year-old from Arklow, Co Wicklow.

“I’m delighted with how our movie turned out, it has a very original storyline with an interesting twist.”

Mike Kelly, artistic director with Young Irish Film Makers which runs the summer school, said it was great the team were nominated over professionals.

“The country isn’t named in the film, but it could be Iraq or anywhere else. The great thing about it is that no adults were allowed to handle any equipment so it is purely the young people’s movie,” he said.

As well as being nominated in the feature film category, The Children is in line for the festival’s Columbine Award. The prize is for entries which promote and reflect non-violent conflict resolution.

Last year’s film school brought together students from 13 counties, including two of the co-directors who are from Antrim, Mark Gillespie and Rebecca Mairs.

It might be a hard act to follow but the second National Youth Film School is running from early July for young people interested in learning the production skills of film-making.