By Oran Treacy
Two films victorious in Film Limerick €15,000 competition…
BEHIND The Scenes film network and Limerick City of Culture have announced the two winners of the successful Film Limerick Scheme, chosen from 131 applicants. The commissions have been awarded to:
Cashell Horgan of Babyjane Productions – ‘The Clock Makers Doll’
Liam O’Neill of Paradox Pictures – ‘Lost and Found’
Ronan Cassidy, manager of the Film Limerick Project, says: “Film Limerick is a hugely important part of the legacy project for Limerick City of Culture. It has greatly increased awareness of the resources available to film makers in the city. The massive interest in the project will further the aim of Limerick City becoming a film production hub and a major source of employment in the region.
“What is most encouraging about the initiative is the extraordinarily high standard in the applications we received. Only two projects could be selected but there is a great wealth of Irish writing talent and it is important to support and encourage this skill”.
Cassidy went on to thank the applicants and drew attention to the supportive working environment led by Film Limerick as production moves into place for Short films which are contracted to be made in Limerick.
The Clock Makers Doll, is set in a fictional world, home to the most unusual collection of automatas created. Here a clockmaker lives with his beloved wife who one day dies. Crazed with despair he decides to replace her by building a doll but fails to achieve the perfection he desires. With pressure on him to complete his task before time runs out, he soon realises that the key to the perfect woman is in her heart, not her head.
Director Cashell Horgan is a multi award winning filmmaker and has been an Oscar shortlist nominee. Filming is scheduled for early March.
Lost and Found, is the charming story of a resourceful young boy and his mother who are trying to come to terms with the recent death of his father. The boy resorts to petnapping local animals and trading them in for rewards, in order to assist his struggling mother. This film will be directed by Liam O’Neill who has a track record as a screenwriter, director and producer. This film is due to go into production February 16 2015.
These projects are being awarded €15,000 each to make and will receive technical help and advice on the way. Could this be a beginning of a new breed of Limerick filmmaking?
