‘Philomena’ star Coogan to attend Schull as part of short film festival
The actor and comedian will be accompanied by the film’s director Stephen Frears, its producer David Puttnam, and its directors Jim Sheridan and Lenny Abrahamson.
Speaking on a video made especially for the launch of the festival earlier this week, Mr Coogan spoke of his love for Schull and West Cork.
“I am in New Zealand. It’s very nice but not quite as nice as West Cork. When I heard that the good people of Schull were trying to organise a Fastnet Short Film Festival within six months, I thought there was a good chance that those people involved would be clinically insane,” he said.
“When I heard it was Maurice Seezer, Chris O’Dell and Pauline Cotter, then I knew for certain that they were clinically insane.”
The creator of Alan Partridge concluded the video by doing a bungee- type jump off a skyscraper, but not before praising the festival and Schull for its commitment to the craft of filmmaking.
“Schull is a very special place to me. I’m always made to feel welcome there and I think it has a unique blend of indigenous and migrant creative people that go to produce the perfect recipe for a film festival that will concentrate on and has concentrated on learning, skills and craft, rather than just winning prizes like all the other festivals,” he said.
Mr Coogan’s film company Baby Cow Productions is to present an award for best comedy short at the festival and he is expected to speak at some festival events.
Also featured at the festival — running from May 21-25 — will be over 300 screenings, local interest films, and programmes from China, Poland, Spain, India, Lebanon, Latin America, and Mexico.
The 2014 festival will focus on the collaborative nature of the filmmaking process and will include a series of seminars and workshops covering sound, cinematography, direction, composing, production, animation, colour, lighting, Final Cut Pro, digital camera and funding.
