Schools’ screen successes

Cork primary schools took one in four of the top national film awards at the annual FÍS Film Festival.

The award ceremony attended by 700 primary school children took place at the Helix in Dublin.

There were 24 schools shortlisted for the competition that invited primary schools to submit their own short movies.

The overall winner was St Patrick’s Boys National School, Laois, for a film entitled The Swinging Sixties. The film features the children acting out a number of defining moments in the 1960s.

The six Cork Schools among the 24 award recipients are:- SpecialEffects — Kealkil, Bantry for Movie Magic; Location — Our Lady of Mercy, Bantry for The Dancing Drama Queens; Soundtrack — Ballinspittle NS for Clash of the Planets; Acting — Scoil Cholmcille CBS Blarney for Niamh Cinn Oir; Adaptation — Inis Arcain NS, Sherkin Island for Coming Home and Best Junior Class Production — Burnfort NS, Mallow for Tom Crean Antarctic Explorer. Awards were made to two schools in Kerry: Drama — St Joseph’s NS, Ballyheigue for Tom Sawyer Paints a Wall and Storytelling — Holy Cross Mercy Primary School for The Princess and the Pea.

* www.fisfilmfestival.com