Far from Hollywood
CORK film-making is very much to the fore at the 56th Corona Cork Film Festival, which runs from November 6-13. Three new feature films shot in Cork city and county are being screened. Director of the festival, Mick Hannigan, says that because of the quality of work submitted, the popular Made in Cork screenings of short films has been expanded from 16 shorts to 24.
“One of the things I find gratifying about the festival is that it’s a showcase for new work and new talent,” says Hannigan. “People are coming back to us with their third and fourth films, indicating a sustained level of production in the city. There are now so many film makers in the Cork region that they have grouped themselves into an organisation called Cork Screen Professionals. This consists of directors, producers and technicians. The group was formed on the back of the Cork Screen Commission, which will be launched during the festival by arts minister, Jimmy Deenihan.” The aim of the commission is to attract productions to Cork and to give support to films being made in the Cork area.
